We invite you to study in depth the low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet and its three options: standard, cyclical and targeted ketogenic diet. This guide includes detailed instructions for creating a meal plan and formulas for calculating nutrient requirements.
The history of the ketogenic diet dates back several decades and during this period it managed to gather many ardent followers in the bodybuilding subculture. In general terms, the ketogenic diet and its variants are diets enriched in fats and proteins that are extremely low in carbohydrates (normally less than 10% of total macronutrients); With such a diet, the body is forced to use fat as fuel, since glucose reserves are quickly depleted.
For many, the ketogenic diet can be an effective and very correct way to achieve their goals, whether it is building muscle mass, burning fat, developing strength, etc. Although the ketogenic diet is primarily used for fitness and wellness purposes, it is also used in complex treatment algorithms for epilepsy.
You may be wondering, "How is the ketogenic diet different from any other low-carb diet? " To be honest, there aren't that many differences. Many believe that such a nutritional system becomes most effective at the moment when the body enters a state called "ketosis" and begins to synthesize ketones for subsequent energy generation (hence the name "ketogenic" diet), and such Transition is only possible if severe restriction of carbohydrate intake. However, this view of the problem is short-sighted and we will definitely address this topic later.
In this guide, we will take a closer look at the physiological processes underlying the ketogenic diet, discuss the types/variants of existing ketogenic diets, learn how to create your own diet, and give you some simple tips on how to stimulate your appetite for low-carb foods. . And, of course, we will answer the most common questions.
What is ketosis?
As mentioned above, the ketogenic diet owes its name to the fact that the restriction of carbohydrate consumption inherent in this nutritional system can put the body in a state of ketosis, a special physiological state in which the concentration of ketone bodies increases.
Ketone bodies are organic biomolecules, soluble in aqueous media, that are synthesized in the liver from fatty acids when food intake (especially carbohydrates) decreases. Once transported to extrahepatic tissues, these biomolecules can be used as an energy source.
Ketone bodies are constantly synthesized in small quantities in the human body, but usually the concentration of ketones is so low that they are not detected in a urine analysis. However, when the level of ketone bodies in the blood increases (a condition known as ketonemia), they begin to be excreted in the urine (known as ketonuria); Ketonemia and ketonuria taken together indicate the body's transition to a state of ketosis.
Therefore, the goal of the ketogenic diet is to put the body in a state of nutritional ketosis (not to be confused with pathological ketosis), which ultimately directs the metabolism to use fatty acids and ketone bodies as the main source of energy.
Basic Ketogenic Diet Options
In this guide, we'll explore three main variations of the ketogenic diet: the standard ketogenic diet (SKD), the cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD), and the targeted ketogenic diet (TCD). The type of diet you need is selected solely through trial and error and is largely determined by your priority goals (more details below).
- Standard Ketogenic Diet– This is the simplest and most basic version of the ketogenic diet. SCD does not involve periods of replenishment of carbohydrate stores, as required by CCD and TKD. This is a linear diet characterized by a constant supply of ketogenic nutrients (moderate to high protein intake, high fat intake, and extremely low carbohydrate intake).
- Cyclical ketogenic dietIt is a variant of the nutritional system that involves short periods of carbohydrates in order to replenish muscle glycogen reserves after the body's reserves have been completely depleted. The time period between carb loading will vary depending on the individual's preferences, training intensity, and goals.
- Targeted ketogenic diet- This is the final version of the energy system that interests us. TKD features a short-term carbohydrate supply during the training window. The goal of TKD is to flood the body with glucose to improve physical performance without suppressing ketosis in the long term.
What option should I take?
Many factors will influence the choice of diet type. It is recommended to start with an "adaptation period" using a standard ketogenic diet. After a few weeks of this type of training, you will be able to evaluate how your body reacts to changes in diet, how your physical performance changes, and how energetic you are. This will make it easier for you to decide which diet to use in the long term.
You may also have doubts about which option is best for losing weight and which is ideal for gaining muscle mass. It must be said that if the total energy value of your diet meets your goals, the ketogenic diet option will not become a key factor in achieving your goal. You may think that CD or TCD is better for people who want to gain muscle mass, since carbohydrates save protein and stimulate insulin secretion, and standard CD will be an ideal option for those who want to lose weight , since insulin synthesis will improve. be relatively low. However, these short-term fluctuations in long-distance insulin secretion will not become a deciding factor, unlike total dietary calorie intake.
Below is a brief overview of factors to consider when choosing a ketogenic diet option:
- SKD. Ideal for people who lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle and whose physical performance is not affected by severely restricting carbohydrate intake. SKD will also be a great option for people who do not train too intensely and have high insulin resistance.
- TKD. If you train intensely several times a week and notice your performance deteriorating with prolonged carbohydrate restriction, it may be worth considering short periods of carbohydrate loading before and possibly after your training sessions. Additionally, TKD would be a good option for people with more training experience who may benefit from a small increase in carbs but not a heavy carb load.
- TsKD. Cyclic KD is often considered the "most advanced" of all ketogenic diet options. CCD requires a person to patiently go through a phase of trial and error, during which the optimal period between carbohydrate loads is sought and the amount of carbohydrates needed on loading days is determined. If you consider yourself an experienced athlete, you train actively throughout the week and even in the context of SCD or TKD you notice a drop in performance, then think about CCD. Perhaps this option will help you get back to working at full speed.
Creating your own ketogenic diet
In this section, we will talk about how to determine the body's energy and macronutrient needs; These numbers will become your basic guidelines when creating an SCD diet. People who choose CCD or TCD will also have to use the basic calculations for CCD, but with minor adjustments, which I will talk about later.
In general, we can say that anyone who wants to lose weight should follow the golden rule of a daily deficit of 500 calories, and anyone who wants to gain muscle mass should achieve a surplus of the same 500 calories. However, this is too rough a generalization without taking into account physiological characteristics and other factors. Additionally, if you choose CDD, you will probably have to adjust your calorie intake for a week.
Here is an example of how to calculate your macronutrient intake for ADS:
- Determine your energy needs using the daily calorie calculator;
- Daily protein requirement 2 g/kg dry weight: 150 g per day
- Carbohydrate requirement 0. 2-0. 4 g/kg dry weight: 15-30 g per day (in additional calculations we start from 30 g)
- Since 1 g of protein and carbohydrates contains 4 calories, we have (150 + 30) x 4: 720 calories of protein and carbohydrates.
- We get that this person should get 1280 calories from fat (2000 - 720), and since there are 9 calories in a gram of fat, he should eat approximately 142 (1280 divided by 9) grams of fat per day.
Thus, in total, this person's daily diet would include 150 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbohydrates and 142 grams of fat. Let's distribute this amount between meals.
Example of a 3-meal meal plan:
| squirrels | carbohydrates | Fats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st meal | 50 grams | 10 grams | 48 grams |
| 2nd meal | 50 grams | 10 grams | 47 grams |
| 3rd meal | 50 grams | 10 grams | 47 grams |
Example of a 5-meal meal plan:
| squirrels | carbohydrates | Fats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st meal | 30 grams | 5 grams | 29 grams |
| 2nd meal | 30 grams | 5 grams | 29 grams |
| 3rd meal | 30 grams | 5 grams | 28 grams |
| 4th meal | 30 grams | 5 grams | 28 grams |
| 5th meal | 30 grams | 5 grams | 28 grams |
Selecting foods for a ketogenic diet
There are no strict rules in the ketogenic diet, nor are there allowed or prohibited foods. Many believe that the main sources of starch and sugar should not be included in the diet at all, as this will interfere with the transition of metabolism to a state of ketosis, but in small quantities these products are unlikely to become an obstacle, especially for big people.
Good options for a ketogenic diet include the following:
- Animal protein (especially red meat)
- Eggs (whole or just whites)
- Fatty dairy products such as cheese, cream, butter, etc.
- Oils, preferably vegetable oils, peanuts, flax seeds, macadamia nuts, olives and certain types of coconut.
- Nuts and nut butters
- Fibrous vegetables, especially green vegetables, lettuce, broccoli, celery, etc.
During the loading phase of the ketogenic diet, don't limit yourself and include more sources of starches and sugars in your diet, such as fruits.
Central Control Center Planning
Now let's look at how carbohydrates should be integrated into a cyclical version of the ketogenic diet.
Those who choose CC should start with carb loading once a week and then adjust the time interval between loading days as needed to meet their individual needs. Be prepared for a lot of experimentation, during which you will evaluate how many carbs you ate on loading day and how you feel the following days.
The main thing to remember when carb loading is to reduce your fat intake; Do not continue to eat fats in large portions on loading days. But leave your protein intake at the same level (or even increase it to maintain your total calorie content).
Using the macronutrient needs of the 75kg person mentioned above, here are some basic recommendations for setting up CKD with a loading day depending on individual insulin sensitivity/carbohydrate tolerance:
- Protein requirement 2 g/kg dry weight: 150 g/day
- For low insulin sensitivity, we calculate carbohydrate intake based on 2-3 g per kg dry weight.
- With normal insulin sensitivity, we calculate carbohydrate intake based on the calculation of 4-5 g per kg of dry weight.
- For high insulin sensitivity, we calculate carbohydrate intake based on the calculation of 6-7 g per kg dry weight.
- Now, as before, we simply count the remaining calories, divide them by 9 and obtain the grams of fat that we should receive on carb-loading days.
An example of FDC for people with normal insulin sensitivity and a lean body mass of 75 kg who follow a restrictive 2000 calorie diet:
- Monday - Saturday: nutrient intake must correspond to the requirements previously calculated for the SKD
- Sunday (carb loading day, 2500 calories): 150g protein/300g carbs/78g fat
DCT planning
Now let's look at how to integrate carbs into a specific version of the ketogenic diet (pre- and post-workout in our example).
As with CCD, when starting TCD, first evaluate how your body reacts to certain amounts of carbohydrates and determine for yourself the optimal time to take them. Remember, when following TKD, you should eat enough carbohydrates for optimal performance, but not overdo it. CKD assumes the presence of periods of replenishment of glycogen stores, while TKD aims only at a short-term increase in energy and performance.
Therefore, if an athlete trains intensely 5 days a week, he should consume carbohydrates before and/or after training on those training days. On the remaining days, nutrient intake should correspond to the SCD calculations.
Calculating nutrient needs during TKD is actually no different from SKD; We simply add carbs to the "peri-workout" meal on training days. To illustrate how carbohydrate training should be planned during TKD, here are the recommendations for the same 75kg athlete who is in the cutting phase, who consumes 2000 calories daily and has a certain amount of insulin sensitivity/tolerance. to carbohydrates:
- Protein requirement 2 g/kg dry weight: 150 g/day
- If insulin sensitivity is low, add 0. 5 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of dry mass to the "almost training" meal
- For normal insulin sensitivity, add 0. 75 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of dry mass to the "almost training" meal
- If you have high insulin sensitivity, add 1 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of dry mass to your "almost training" meal
- Now we subtract from the daily energy requirement the "extra" calories obtained from carbohydrates and proteins and add the missing calories from fats (everything remains the same as before).
A "near training" meal precedes or follows a training session. This means you can randomly distribute the "extra" carbs, as long as you consume them all within the training window. In general, it is recommended to simply divide the total amount in half and consume them before and after training.
An example of a five-meal TCD diet (on a training day) for a person with 75 kg lean mass and high insulin sensitivity following a 3000 calorie per mass diet:
| squirrels | carbohydrates | Fats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st meal (before training) | 30 grams | 40 grams | 20 grams |
| 2nd meal (after training) | 30 grams | 35 grams | 20 grams |
| 3rd meal | 30 grams | 10 grams | 30 grams |
| 4th meal | 30 grams | 10 grams | 30 grams |
| 5th meal | 30 grams | 10 grams | 30 grams |
Fine tincture of TsKD and TKD.
Please note that the above recommendations for carbohydrate intake on cyclical and targeted ketogenic diets are just a starting point. It is impossible to develop a comprehensive, optimal diet that meets the needs of everyone reading this article because there are many factors to consider.
For this reason, as mentioned above, when mastering advanced versions of ketogenic diets like TKD and CCD, you must be careful, thorough, and open to experimentation. You'll learn what works best for your body as you go. Always listen to your body and be willing to make adjustments as needed.
If you eat 30g of carbs a day and still feel good in the gym, follow this strategy; If you feel more comfortable with two days of carb loading per week, do that. The carbohydrate needs recommended in this guide are based on experience rather than rigorous scientific research, and you can adjust them to suit your individual needs.
And the last piece of advice, especially relevant in relation to TKD. You should reduce the proportion of fat in foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates. This doesn't mean you shouldn't gain weight at all from your pre-workout meal, you just need to eat a balanced diet and distribute most of the fat between the remaining meals.
Opinion on the role of saturated fats in the ketogenic diet
Starting a ketogenic diet will inevitably increase the proportion of saturated fats in your diet, but this does not mean that you should rely entirely on saturated fats and ignore the intake of polyunsaturated fats.
There is considerable debate about how much saturated fat is considered excessive on a ketogenic diet. Many people who have tried the ketogenic diet insist on consuming large portions of foods such as butter, fatty red meats, full-fat dairy, etc.
Saturated fats are related to the production of sex hormones (androgens) in the body of men and therefore it can hardly be considered a good idea to drastically reduce their consumption. However, chronic overuse of saturated fats can lead to increased insulin resistance and other metabolic disorders, so loading the body with these nutrients is not our plan either.
In my opinion, in the context of a ketogenic diet, the proportion of saturated fat in the diet can be safely increased to 20-30% of total fat. That is, if a person eats 150 grams of fat from food per day, he should try to limit the amount of saturated fat to 30-45 grams per day.
Frequently asked questions
Ask:Is it possible to include main sources of carbohydrates in the ketogenic diet menu?
Answer:Some followers of the ketogenic diet categorically argue that basic carbohydrate foods should be excluded altogether. However, for older people who can eat more carbohydrates and still remain in a state of ketosis, it is possible to make dietary "mistakes" in the form of cereals, grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables.
Ask:Can you eat more protein and less fat while following a ketogenic diet?
Answer:Yes, but keep in mind that consuming too much protein will simply lead to increased gluconeogenesis in the liver, which in turn will make glucose the primary fuel source again.
Ask:Do I need to use ketone test strips to make sure my body has entered a state of ketosis? Should I even care if I have reached this state or not?
Answer:The presence of ketone bodies in the urine and the formal state of "ketosis" should not be given too much importance. As long as you consume very few carbohydrates in your diet, you will use fats and ketones to meet most of your body's energy needs.
Ask:Can I use artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes while following a ketogenic diet?
Answer:In most cases, yes. But remember that some sugar substitutes contain small amounts of fillers like maltodextrin and dextrose, and if you overdo the sweeteners, the amount of these fillers in your diet can rise to alarming levels.
Ask:Is the ketogenic diet safe for people with high cholesterol?
Answer:Generally safe, especially if most of the fat comes from unsaturated sources. However, if you suffer from chronic diseases, it is advisable to ask your doctor this question and only after approval to follow a ketogenic diet.
Ask:Should plant fibers be included in the total caloric intake of the diet?
Answer:Plant fibers are not listed as "net carbohydrates" on food labels. However, plant fiber, like any nutrient, contains calories.
Ask:After high carb meals (during carb loading), my stomach bloats and I fall into a drowsy state. That I have to do?
Answer:You can try increasing the frequency of meals and distributing carbohydrate foods more evenly. Or try to eat most of your carbohydrates in the evening, when after eating you can finally relax and tune into passive rest.
Ask:When I first tried the ketogenic diet, I felt out of place. This is good?
Answer:Many people feel exhausted after a few weeks, especially if their diet was previously based on carbohydrate-rich foods. However, if your performance does not recover over time, try TCD or CDT and see if it helps resolve the issue.
Conclusion
I hope this in-depth look at the ketogenic diet has taught you a lot and provided you with useful information to help you take your first steps. Remember, you need to be open to experimentation and listen carefully to the signals your body is sending.
Many people use low-carb, high-fat diets with great success, while others feel terrible on a ketogenic diet and cannot function or function normally. If you realize that you fall into the second group, don't try to force your body and follow a ketogenic diet for the sake of the diet itself.
Ultimately, your diet should do two things: help you achieve your health and fitness goals without interfering with your daily life. It is not necessary to sacrifice one for the other, although many people do just that when setting new goals. It doesn't matter how good a diet looks in theory and on paper if you can't follow your plan. Do what works best for you and stay the course for the long term. This is where the secret of success lies.