Keto Protein Cycling

VKetoV

Out of boredom, I am embarking on a cyclical intake of protein; there are various theoretical health benefits (longevity, autophagy, real stretch in preventing beta-amyloid deposits (not necessarily a cause for alzheimer's, just an end result), improvements in BG, less stress on liver & kidneys) & risks (starvation, edema, muscle loss).

Main reason being an attempt to lower stress on the kidneys via less Blood Urea Nitrogen. Currently @ 27mg/dL (high, slight dehydration, no doubt attributed to high protein consumption, avg. 150g/day on a consistent basis). SCr = 1mg/dL (just under upper limit, though I do lift weights consistently), Sg = 1.035g/mL (borderline high), trace protein in urinalysis, negative for nitrites, WBCs, RBCs, casts, etc. At the time, negative for ketones (trivial point). Electrolytes are all WNL (Within Normal Limits). HbA1C = 5.3%.

Dietary strategy is consuming protein every 3 days only (2 days trace protein/amino acids from vegetables, 1 day purposeful inclusion of protein, mainly just to prevent starvation/ascites/edema).

Will report changes around July or so. Feel free to comment if you've tried this approach in keto and results/changes noticed.

Gallowmere1984

I personally wouldn't recommend it, if for no other reasons than the following:

A: catabolic potential is higher, as the only amino stores your body has are skeletal muscle tissue and organs.
B: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0114-2 very clearly showing that even the highest protein intakes (4.46-6.59 g/kg/d) don't move renal function markers or blood lipids outside of reference range on healthy resistance trained individuals.

C: setting oneself up for being hungry as hell for no real benefit.

VKetoV

Baseline 190grams protein/day to start before intervention of "high protein" intake. This is splitting hairs on what is considered high; both values are miles away from the minimum. Not surprising there are no significant changes

Gallowmere1984

The entire point of that one was to compare the "maximum" that's always recommended in "high" protein diets, to what an actual high P diet would look like. Most of the powerlifting world will tell you "if you're not eating 2g/lbs. bodyweight, you're not eating for strength", so that area is what this was targeting. Hell, I've seen guys hit 3g/lbs. while maintaining <10% bodyfat, but unfortunately, there isn't a lot of incentive for studies on people in such shape.

That said, keep in mind, this is one of the few protein studies that actually apply to strength training, and not some silly *kitten* like a stationary bike, or elderly untrained people doing leg extensions. As such, the fact that markers stayed so consistent even with a doubled (or more) P intake, and that the increase led to overfeeding, leads me even further in the direction of believing that the body is far better at balancing itself than we thought possible.

VKetoV

Diet-wise, going with the classic combo of egg whites + salsa (insanely low kcals), not worrying about sodium. Was previously doing micellar casein + WPI combo + low GI protein bars (I got sick of this fast, in terms of cost & not being very satiating/palatable).

Other past combos I might use include: lean deli meat (turkey/chicken) + mustard/hot sauce/salsa (not as economical as egg whites though), eggwhites + low/no-fat greek yogurt, any combo of lean meat + marinara/alfredo (not as low in the fat department though).

Only doing this intermittently as doing this long term can be quite dangerous & non sustainable without question.

FIT_Goat

Gallowmere1984 wrote: »

The entire point of that one was to compare the "maximum" that's always recommended in "high" protein diets, to what an actual high P diet would look like. Most of the powerlifting world will tell you "if you're not eating 2g/lbs. bodyweight, you're not eating for strength", so that area is what this was targeting. Hell, I've seen guys hit 3g/lbs. while maintaining <10% bodyfat, but unfortunately, there isn't a lot of incentive for studies on people in such shape.

That said, keep in mind, this is one of the few protein studies that actually apply to strength training, and not some silly *kitten* like a stationary bike, or elderly untrained people doing leg extensions. As such, the fact that markers stayed so consistent even with a doubled (or more) P intake, and that the increase led to overfeeding, leads me even further in the direction of believing that the body is far better at balancing itself than we thought possible.

2g/lb or 2g/kg? Because I can hit 2g/kg without much effort. But 2g/lb would be just insanity without cutting out all fatty meats.

Gallowmere1984

FIT_Goat wrote: »

Gallowmere1984 wrote: »

The entire point of that one was to compare the "maximum" that's always recommended in "high" protein diets, to what an actual high P diet would look like. Most of the powerlifting world will tell you "if you're not eating 2g/lbs. bodyweight, you're not eating for strength", so that area is what this was targeting. Hell, I've seen guys hit 3g/lbs. while maintaining <10% bodyfat, but unfortunately, there isn't a lot of incentive for studies on people in such shape.

That said, keep in mind, this is one of the few protein studies that actually apply to strength training, and not some silly *kitten* like a stationary bike, or elderly untrained people doing leg extensions. As such, the fact that markers stayed so consistent even with a doubled (or more) P intake, and that the increase led to overfeeding, leads me even further in the direction of believing that the body is far better at balancing itself than we thought possible.

2g/lb or 2g/kg? Because I can hit 2g/kg without much effort. But 2g/lb would be just insanity without cutting out all fatty meats.

2g/lbs. I've been known to hit 3, just because. However, I'm also currently shedding weight at 3200-3700/day (with a few 4200+), so my caloric needs appear to be increasing quite a bit as I run this bulk. As such, I can afford to hit that protein number without sacrificing the other two.