Muscle Gains on Keto
Research has demonstrated that muscle gain can be obtained on a Ketogenic Diet.
As an example, when I was initially diagnosed with my metabolic condition, I combined the Ketogenic Diet with Intermittent Fasting. In doing so, I dropped 17 lbs.
The 17 lbs drop in body weight was from simply cutting calories, Intermittent Fasting. What the Ketogenic Diet mainly did was keep me from being hungry
Gaining Back 17 lbs
I then decided to gain back the 17 lbs while staying on the Ketogenic Diet.
Since carbohydrates were restricted to 50 gram or less per day and protein needed to be moderate, no higher than 25% of my kcals, that meant that most of the increase in kcals would need to come from fats with a slight increase in protein.
I gain back the weight and muscle by consuming more fat calories via: MCTs, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Oliver Oil, eating butter by itself, having celery with cream cheese or sour cream, etc.
I ended up taking a page from…
Bill “Peanuts” West
West was one of the original members of the Culver City. California Westside Barbell Club. West got his nick name because he drank Peanut Oil to gain weight.
The 17 lbs that I gained back followed followed West’s Protocol. I’d have a "Cocktail’ shot of two tablespoons of MCTs, Liquid Coconut Oil and Avocado Oil two to three times a day.
That increased my kcals between 504 to 756 a day from fats. I incrementally increased my protein intake; maintaining it at around 25% of my micros.
Thus, my weight gain, muscle along with some body fat, was primarily driven by the increase in fat kcals.
Explosive Athletes
The Ketogenic Diet is basically an “Upside Down Food Pyramid”.
The Ketogenic Diet to some extent turn your training upside down. That means training on a Ketogeic Diet is different from training on a Traditional High Carbohydrate Diet.
It too me about a year to figure it out. As Einstein said, “Research is what I am doing, when I don’t know what I am doing”.
The information in my original posted provide some information some of the changes that need to be implemented when on a Ketogenic Diet for Strength Training; it also applies to training for Explosive Power.
Hypertrophy Training
Dr Jonathan Oliver’s research on “Custer Hypertrophy Set Training” was designed for Strength and Power Athletes.
As we know, Traditional Bodybuilding/Hypertrophy Training is effective at increasing muscle mass; it fall more into the Glycolytic Energy System.
It appears that individual on a Ketogenic Diet don’t do well in activities or sports fall into the Glycolytic Energy System; which make sense.
Research by Rachael Gregory found that Keto Adapted Athlete did well when training in the Glycolytic Energy System. So, it might work. However, I question it.
The downside to Traditional Bodybuilding/Hypertrophy Training is the increase in muscle mass initially come at the expense of a decrease in Limit Strength and Power.
Oliver found that “Custer Hypertrophy Set Training” allowed Strength and Power Athletes to increase muscle mass but not at the expense of Strength or Power.
Phosphagen Energy Syteme
The primary key for Strength, Power and Hypertrophy Training on a Ketogenic Diet is a program designed for the Phosphagen Energy System.
Kenny Croxale