Creatine and Keto

dbfutrell662

I'm doing the keto diet. I supplement with magnesium, one a day Alive muti vitamin and fish oil. I mountain bike a couple times a week, gym cardio and lift a few days a week. I feel much weaker on this diet (about 45 days in). Anyone use creatine to increase energy levels? Potassium supplements?

Yi5hedr3

If mountain biking, cut all other cardio, as you are getting enough already. Lift only twice a week. More is not better! Keep carbs under 100 grams/day.

psuLemon

dbfutrell662 wrote: »

I'm doing the keto diet. I supplement with magnesium, one a day Alive muti vitamin and fish oil. I mountain bike a couple times a week, gym cardio and lift a few days a week. I feel much weaker on this diet (about 45 days in). Anyone use creatine to increase energy levels? Potassium supplements?

Creatine is a muscle saturated and at best would help with maintaining a few extra reps, but that would really depend on how much you respond to creatine (about 30% of people are non responders such as myself). Potassium will help balance electrolytes which can help reduce some fatigue, but a lot of people will feel weaker on a very low carb diet.

I guess the question is, why are you on keto? Have you played with carb timing to see if that helps (i.e. - pre-workout)? Or have you considered adding some carbs back into your diet?

dbfutrell662

Well im carrying extra belly fat that I'm trying to get rid of. I enjoy the diet overall. I have tried typical calorie restricting diets and I was always hungry. This is my second attempt at this diet (35 days in) and have had good success, now and in the past. I haven't tried any carb cycling or back loading.

psuLemon

dbfutrell662 wrote: »

Well im carrying extra belly fat that I'm trying to get rid of. I enjoy the diet overall. I have tried typical calorie restricting diets and I was always hungry. This is my second attempt at this diet (35 days in) and have had good success, now and in the past. I haven't tried any carb cycling or back loading.

Juat to be clear, belly fat is eliminated through a deficit and keto is a diet to help achieve that. So regardless of diet, a deficit is what is needed to lose belly fat.


So i see three options. 1. You try cycling or backloading carbs to see if that works or 2. you move out of keto into low carb see if that improves the feeling and increases strength or 3. You move out of low carb and work on the types of foods you are doing while in moderate carb.

Typically, protein and fiber has the biggest impact on satiety; lean meats, egg (especially egg whites), fiberous veggies, low gi fruits, dark fish, greek yogurt, etc...


In the end, you need a diet that you can stick with and will address your goals. And in my experience and research, supplements very rarely will address that gap.

Having said that, as i mentioned, low carb doesnt work well for me or my goals so i havent tried it and the low carb group might have a greater breadth of knowledge about that. If you go under the groups tab (on the web browser) they should be under the popular ones.

V_Keto_V

Weaker in terms of strength (say less weight per 5 rep max set) or endurance wise (say 10 reps vs. 12 reps per set, same weight)? Or weaker in terms of cardio/endurance activities (are you doing LISS or HIIT?)?