Ketogenic diets DON'T build muscle

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  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    I mean I just came across this:
    http://www.ketotic.org/2012/08/if-you-eat-excess-protein-does-it-turn.html
    Summary

    In sum, then, there is no evidence that we could find that consuming excess protein will increase glucose production from GNG. On the other hand, there is much suggestive evidence that it does not.

    Further experiments need to be carried out to answer the question completely. In particular, we would like to see a comparison of the rate of GNG in keto-adapted dieters consuming no protein, adequate protein, or a large quantity of protein, with and without dietary fat.

    And they seem to disagree with the premise that excess protein will be turned into glucose or carbs

    Protein causes an insulin response almost equal to carbs. Insulin is release to get rid of sugar (glucose).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUlGtAqmNg

    Then there is no possible way anyone can ever be in ketosis.
    If you ingest food, you will always have an insulin response.
    Some fats will not trigger an insulin response, but other than those select few......all other things will result the same thing.....

    So you can't have your cake and eat it too on this one mate.

    Because by your logic, and what you believe to be true, then no one can ever be in ketosis
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
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    Also see:

    http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2013/04/22/Not-Losing-Weight-on-Low-Carb-Ketogenic-Diet-Dont-Give-Up-and-Read-Further

    and

    http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/dr-charles-mobbs-diabetic-kidney-damage-can-actually-be-reversed-with-a-high-fat-low-carb-ketogenic-diet/10660

    where the doctor states a ketogenic diet is 87% fat 8% protein and 5% carbs (this is an intense ketogenic diet).


    also here where it is stated (use CTRL F to find it) that 280 grams of protein contain 50+ grams of glycogen even without being converted:

    http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/is-ketosis-dangerous
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Options
    Also see:

    http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2013/04/22/Not-Losing-Weight-on-Low-Carb-Ketogenic-Diet-Dont-Give-Up-and-Read-Further

    and

    http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/dr-charles-mobbs-diabetic-kidney-damage-can-actually-be-reversed-with-a-high-fat-low-carb-ketogenic-diet/10660

    where the doctor states a ketogenic diet is 87% fat 8% protein and 5% carbs (this is an intense ketogenic diet).


    also here where it is stated (use CTRL F to find it) that 280 grams of protein contain 50+ grams of glycogen even without being converted:

    http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/is-ketosis-dangerous

    I will say this again::
    Then there is no possible way anyone can ever be in ketosis.
    If you ingest food, you will always have an insulin response.
    Some fats will not trigger an insulin response, but other than those select few......all other things will result the same thing.....

    So you can't have your cake and eat it too on this one mate.

    Because by your logic, and what you believe to be true, then no one can ever be in ketosis
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
    Options
    I mean I just came across this:
    http://www.ketotic.org/2012/08/if-you-eat-excess-protein-does-it-turn.html
    Summary

    In sum, then, there is no evidence that we could find that consuming excess protein will increase glucose production from GNG. On the other hand, there is much suggestive evidence that it does not.

    Further experiments need to be carried out to answer the question completely. In particular, we would like to see a comparison of the rate of GNG in keto-adapted dieters consuming no protein, adequate protein, or a large quantity of protein, with and without dietary fat.

    And they seem to disagree with the premise that excess protein will be turned into glucose or carbs

    Protein causes an insulin response almost equal to carbs. Insulin is release to get rid of sugar (glucose).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUlGtAqmNg

    Then there is no possible way anyone can ever be in ketosis.
    If you ingest food, you will always have an insulin response.
    Some fats will not trigger an insulin response, but other than those select few......all other things will result the same thing.....

    So you can't have your cake and eat it too on this one mate.

    Because by your logic, and what you believe to be true, then no one can ever be in ketosis

    That was for people who usually eat normally (i.e. they do not have the capability to use large amounts of fat as a direct energy source) . When you are carb depleted and running mainly on fat, things are different.

    Edit: Your body will first take the protein it needs for its muscles and other functions when keto-adapted. A regular person on a standard diet already eats way too much protein, that's why they induce this response.

    Edit: Resource:

    "High-protein diets were previously shown to increase energy expenditure (EE) in healthy human volunteers (5–11). Gluconeogenesis has been hypothesized to contribute to this increased EE after a high-protein diet (5, 6, 9, 12). Although gluconeogenesis is thought to be relatively stable in humans, a high-protein diet, especially in the absence of carbohydrates, may stimulate gluconeogenesis (13). Because gluconeogenesis is an energetically costly pathway of protein metabolism with energy costs that are estimated to amount to 20% (6, 12), this process may contribute to an increased EE after a high-protein diet or after a highprotein,
    carbohydrate-free diet.

    "The objective was to study whether a high-protein, carbohydrate-free diet (H diet) increases gluconeogenesis and whether this can explain the increase in EE. Therefore, gluconeogenesis and EE were measured when healthy subjects consumed an H diet or a normal-protein (N) diet....

    "...In conclusion, increased gluconeogenesis contributes to increased EE after consumption of an H diet for 1.5 d following a decrease in body glycogen stores. Forty-two percent of the increase in EE after the H diet was explained by an increase in gluconeogenesis. The energy cost of gluconeogenesis was 33% of the energy content of glucose."

    "Gluconeogenesis and energy expenditure after a high-protein, carbohydrate-free diet"
    http://www.ajcn.org/content/90/3/519.full.pdf+html
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    Options
    I mean I just came across this:
    http://www.ketotic.org/2012/08/if-you-eat-excess-protein-does-it-turn.html
    Summary

    In sum, then, there is no evidence that we could find that consuming excess protein will increase glucose production from GNG. On the other hand, there is much suggestive evidence that it does not.

    Further experiments need to be carried out to answer the question completely. In particular, we would like to see a comparison of the rate of GNG in keto-adapted dieters consuming no protein, adequate protein, or a large quantity of protein, with and without dietary fat.

    And they seem to disagree with the premise that excess protein will be turned into glucose or carbs

    Protein causes an insulin response almost equal to carbs. Insulin is release to get rid of sugar (glucose).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUlGtAqmNg

    Then there is no possible way anyone can ever be in ketosis.
    If you ingest food, you will always have an insulin response.
    Some fats will not trigger an insulin response, but other than those select few......all other things will result the same thing.....

    So you can't have your cake and eat it too on this one mate.

    Because by your logic, and what you believe to be true, then no one can ever be in ketosis

    That was for people who usually eat normally (i.e. they do not have the capability to use large amounts of fat as a direct energy source) . When you are carb depleted and running mainly on fat, things are different.

    Edit: Your body will first take the protein it needs for its muscles and other functions when keto-adapted. A regular person on a standard diet already eats way too much protein, that's why they induce this response.
    if it was for people on regular diets then it isnt relevant

    most people dont eat enough protein, not too much

    if you want to be taken seriously you need to post links that arent blogs or youtube videos, try google scholar to find an actual published article
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    I've been on a ketogenic diet for a little over 41 months now.

    While I agree much of what you state may be true on a Standard Ketogenic Diet - it's not necessarily true of either a TKD (Targeted Ketogenic Diet) or CKD (Cyclical Ketogenic Diet).

    BTW in ketogenesis the body isn't "desperate" for energy. That idea is laughable. One could possibly suggest desperation during a starvation experiment, but not on a ketogenic diet. That comment alone leads me to conclude your article is highly-biased.

    Your references about mTOR activation do nothing to suggest that while on a hypercaloric ketogenic diet one cannot gain muscle, and in-fact loses mass. None of your reference support this. Nor does any science I've ever seen.

    Once I started lifting (a little over a year into the diet) I did gain muscle - about 5 pounds in the first year - without having a clue what I was doing. But honestly, that was to be expected as I'd severely atrophied after 5 years of heavy bed-rest due to a spinal injury, and my results aren't common or replicable in the vast-majority of others.

    There is no doubt that building muscle now is MUCH more difficult - but I'm certainly not losing mass. DEXA scans show a whopping 2 lb increase in lean mass over this time last year. It's not very much (barely 1% increase in lean mass), but I'm thrilled with it. It's roughly the same increase I had last year, FYI.

    The ONLY way I've found to do this for myself is adopt a TKD - a targeted ketogenic diet. I time my highest carbohydrate intake to be just prior to exercise, and eat a moderate caloric surplus during my 2 bulking cycles each year. I only add about 10lbs of weight in total during each bulk as I can't afford the decreased insulin-sensitivity that comes with more added bodyfat. Doing this I *stay* ketogenic, but have the carb-intake required to push heavy (I do 5x5 three days per week) and the insulin and growth factors required to build some lean mass.

    As a Type I diabetic I *have* to stay ketogenic unless I inject bolus insulin, which I prefer not to do (because I have all the insulin-resistance issues of a Type II as well.)

    That's me - that's anecdotal. Now for your studies:

    The studies in which ketogenic diets impaired growth in children were on epileptic children, and showed it was likely in those that ate < 80% of their recommended calories AND < 80% of their recommended daily protein intake, and was possible in those that ate protein based on the old recommendations of intake.

    Further studies have shown an increase in dietary protein is warranted for epileptic children on a ketogenic diet, and most specialists recognize and prescribe that now.

    The nail in the coffin on your ketogenic-diet/stunted grown argument is that epileptics that experience seizures prior to age 18 are universally statistically shorter than norm, REGARDLESS of diet. The statistics on stunted-growth are higher for those that took phenytoin prior to completing growth as well. It's not just the diet that matters, it's the disease.

    There are no studies that show a ketogenic diet stunts / alters growth in non-epileptic children.

    As for the references showing muscle loss:

    #1 is an article, not a study, that states simply "On the other hand some less desirable immediate effects such as enhanced lean body mass loss ... have been reported. But it should be noted that this was on "low-carb" diets, not ketogenic per se, AND there are more studies show the ketogenic diet is lean-mass-sparing than show a loss.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129159/
    http://www.jissn.com/content/9/1/34

    #2 is informational only and reaches no conclusions

    #3 states "which MAY have an impact on the balance between anabolic and catabolic processes and subsequently influence the effectiveness of training" ... but if you read[/u[ the study (even just the abstract) it showed clearly that:

    "Neither the magnitude nor the pattern of the hormonal changes were affected by L-CHO diet except the NA (noradrenaline) threshold, which was lowered ... It is concluded that restriction of CHO intake (a) does not affect the pattern of changes in plasma A, hGH, and T concentrations during graded exercise but lowers NA threshold"
    While opening up some discussion about the importance of noradrenaline in muscular development, this study does nothing to support your claims.

    #4 and #5 are again, informational and again, neither is a study. Nor do they support the claim you can't build muscle while ketogenic.

    #6 is a rat study about why seizures are suppressed by the ketogenic diet. They determined:
    Because mTOR signaling has been implicated in epileptogenesis, these results suggest that the KD may have anticonvulsant or antiepileptogenic actions via mTOR pathway inhibition.
    The extrapolation of this rodent study to mean ketogenic diets cause muscle loss in humans isn't warranted or even logical.

    The last study again shows what we've known for a while, and again is on epileptic children. No scientist would automatically associate this with healthy bodybuilders, especially based on the information I provided on epilepsy and growth above.

    While I appreciate that it can be difficult for some people to gain mass on a ketogenic diet - It's not impossible, nor does science reach the consensus that it promotes muscle loss. More studies show that even when hypocaloric, it is, by nature, muscle sparing. And experts like Lyle McDonald agree.

    Also in counter to your claims is an excellent article with 15 scientific references here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/can-you-build-muscle-on-a-ketogenic-diet.html

    This. I believe the original post just got thoroughly mythbusted.

    +1.

    I have a number of friends who have degrees in Kinesiology, are certified personal trainers, follow a ketogenic diet and they are very muscular.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Options
    They even state in this article that protein is prolly not the reason for not being ketosis
    and

    http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/dr-charles-mobbs-diabetic-kidney-damage-can-actually-be-reversed-with-a-high-fat-low-carb-ketogenic-diet/10660

    where the doctor states a ketogenic diet is 87% fat 8% protein and 5% carbs (this is an intense ketogenic diet).

    This is a sales ad......seriously??


    also here where it is stated (use CTRL F to find it) that 280 grams of protein contain 50+ grams of glycogen even without being converted:

    http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/is-ketosis-dangerous

    But that is the meat in animals contains 54 grams of glycogen.....
    I have to wonder if that aspect would be used by the body when ingested, or if the enzymes in the stomach would send it on its marry way out the poop shoot
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
    Options
    I mean I just came across this:
    http://www.ketotic.org/2012/08/if-you-eat-excess-protein-does-it-turn.html
    Summary

    In sum, then, there is no evidence that we could find that consuming excess protein will increase glucose production from GNG. On the other hand, there is much suggestive evidence that it does not.

    Further experiments need to be carried out to answer the question completely. In particular, we would like to see a comparison of the rate of GNG in keto-adapted dieters consuming no protein, adequate protein, or a large quantity of protein, with and without dietary fat.

    And they seem to disagree with the premise that excess protein will be turned into glucose or carbs

    Protein causes an insulin response almost equal to carbs. Insulin is release to get rid of sugar (glucose).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUlGtAqmNg

    Then there is no possible way anyone can ever be in ketosis.
    If you ingest food, you will always have an insulin response.
    Some fats will not trigger an insulin response, but other than those select few......all other things will result the same thing.....

    So you can't have your cake and eat it too on this one mate.

    Because by your logic, and what you believe to be true, then no one can ever be in ketosis

    That was for people who usually eat normally (i.e. they do not have the capability to use large amounts of fat as a direct energy source) . When you are carb depleted and running mainly on fat, things are different.

    Edit: Your body will first take the protein it needs for its muscles and other functions when keto-adapted. A regular person on a standard diet already eats way too much protein, that's why they induce this response.
    if it was for people on regular diets then it isnt relevant

    most people dont eat enough protein, not too much

    if you want to be taken seriously you need to post links that arent blogs or youtube videos, try google scholar to find an actual published article

    One of my resources was from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Read all my posts before you assume that my sources are all amateur blog posts.
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
    Options
    They even state in this article that protein is prolly not the reason for not being ketosis
    and

    http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/dr-charles-mobbs-diabetic-kidney-damage-can-actually-be-reversed-with-a-high-fat-low-carb-ketogenic-diet/10660

    where the doctor states a ketogenic diet is 87% fat 8% protein and 5% carbs (this is an intense ketogenic diet).

    This is a sales ad......seriously??


    also here where it is stated (use CTRL F to find it) that 280 grams of protein contain 50+ grams of glycogen even without being converted:

    http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/is-ketosis-dangerous

    But that is the meat in animals contains 54 grams of glycogen.....
    I have to wonder if that aspect would be used by the body when ingested, or if the enzymes in the stomach would send it on its marry way out the poop shoot



    This is not the most likely reason, as it's not as easy to eat too much protein unless you take protein supplements. Phinney and Volek in their book "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" recommend 0.6 - 1 gram of protein per a pound of lean mass / 1.3 - 2.2 grams of protein per a kilogram of lean mass a day (lean mass = total body weight without fat).

    That was assuming you eat a balanced diet, most people into body building don't. Check the recommended protein numbers.


    That was not a sales ad, just a blog post with ads on it, as it is a free website, which is irrelevant, because they information comes from the "Lead researcher Dr. Charles V. Mobbs, professor and researcher at the Fishberg Center for Neurobiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City"
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    Options
    I mean I just came across this:
    http://www.ketotic.org/2012/08/if-you-eat-excess-protein-does-it-turn.html
    Summary

    In sum, then, there is no evidence that we could find that consuming excess protein will increase glucose production from GNG. On the other hand, there is much suggestive evidence that it does not.

    Further experiments need to be carried out to answer the question completely. In particular, we would like to see a comparison of the rate of GNG in keto-adapted dieters consuming no protein, adequate protein, or a large quantity of protein, with and without dietary fat.

    And they seem to disagree with the premise that excess protein will be turned into glucose or carbs

    Protein causes an insulin response almost equal to carbs. Insulin is release to get rid of sugar (glucose).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUlGtAqmNg

    Then there is no possible way anyone can ever be in ketosis.
    If you ingest food, you will always have an insulin response.
    Some fats will not trigger an insulin response, but other than those select few......all other things will result the same thing.....

    So you can't have your cake and eat it too on this one mate.

    Because by your logic, and what you believe to be true, then no one can ever be in ketosis

    That was for people who usually eat normally (i.e. they do not have the capability to use large amounts of fat as a direct energy source) . When you are carb depleted and running mainly on fat, things are different.

    Edit: Your body will first take the protein it needs for its muscles and other functions when keto-adapted. A regular person on a standard diet already eats way too much protein, that's why they induce this response.
    if it was for people on regular diets then it isnt relevant

    most people dont eat enough protein, not too much

    if you want to be taken seriously you need to post links that arent blogs or youtube videos, try google scholar to find an actual published article

    One
    of my resources was from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Read all my posts before you assume that my sources are all amateur blog posts.
    well theres your problem right there
  • Collier78
    Collier78 Posts: 811 Member
    Options
    I've been on a ketogenic diet for a little over 41 months now.

    While I agree much of what you state may be true on a Standard Ketogenic Diet - it's not necessarily true of either a TKD (Targeted Ketogenic Diet) or CKD (Cyclical Ketogenic Diet).

    BTW in ketogenesis the body isn't "desperate" for energy. That idea is laughable. One could possibly suggest desperation during a starvation experiment, but not on a ketogenic diet. That comment alone leads me to conclude your article is highly-biased.

    Your references about mTOR activation do nothing to suggest that while on a hypercaloric ketogenic diet one cannot gain muscle, and in-fact loses mass. None of your reference support this. Nor does any science I've ever seen.

    Once I started lifting (a little over a year into the diet) I did gain muscle - about 5 pounds in the first year - without having a clue what I was doing. But honestly, that was to be expected as I'd severely atrophied after 5 years of heavy bed-rest due to a spinal injury, and my results aren't common or replicable in the vast-majority of others.

    There is no doubt that building muscle now is MUCH more difficult - but I'm certainly not losing mass. DEXA scans show a whopping 2 lb increase in lean mass over this time last year. It's not very much (barely 1% increase in lean mass), but I'm thrilled with it. It's roughly the same increase I had last year, FYI.

    The ONLY way I've found to do this for myself is adopt a TKD - a targeted ketogenic diet. I time my highest carbohydrate intake to be just prior to exercise, and eat a moderate caloric surplus during my 2 bulking cycles each year. I only add about 10lbs of weight in total during each bulk as I can't afford the decreased insulin-sensitivity that comes with more added bodyfat. Doing this I *stay* ketogenic, but have the carb-intake required to push heavy (I do 5x5 three days per week) and the insulin and growth factors required to build some lean mass.

    As a Type I diabetic I *have* to stay ketogenic unless I inject bolus insulin, which I prefer not to do (because I have all the insulin-resistance issues of a Type II as well.)

    That's me - that's anecdotal. Now for your studies:

    The studies in which ketogenic diets impaired growth in children were on epileptic children, and showed it was likely in those that ate < 80% of their recommended calories AND < 80% of their recommended daily protein intake, and was possible in those that ate protein based on the old recommendations of intake.

    Further studies have shown an increase in dietary protein is warranted for epileptic children on a ketogenic diet, and most specialists recognize and prescribe that now.

    The nail in the coffin on your ketogenic-diet/stunted grown argument is that epileptics that experience seizures prior to age 18 are universally statistically shorter than norm, REGARDLESS of diet. The statistics on stunted-growth are higher for those that took phenytoin prior to completing growth as well. It's not just the diet that matters, it's the disease.

    There are no studies that show a ketogenic diet stunts / alters growth in non-epileptic children.

    As for the references showing muscle loss:

    #1 is an article, not a study, that states simply "On the other hand some less desirable immediate effects such as enhanced lean body mass loss ... have been reported. But it should be noted that this was on "low-carb" diets, not ketogenic per se, AND there are more studies show the ketogenic diet is lean-mass-sparing than show a loss.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129159/
    http://www.jissn.com/content/9/1/34

    #2 is informational only and reaches no conclusions

    #3 states "which MAY have an impact on the balance between anabolic and catabolic processes and subsequently influence the effectiveness of training" ... but if you read[/u[ the study (even just the abstract) it showed clearly that:

    "Neither the magnitude nor the pattern of the hormonal changes were affected by L-CHO diet except the NA (noradrenaline) threshold, which was lowered ... It is concluded that restriction of CHO intake (a) does not affect the pattern of changes in plasma A, hGH, and T concentrations during graded exercise but lowers NA threshold"
    While opening up some discussion about the importance of noradrenaline in muscular development, this study does nothing to support your claims.

    #4 and #5 are again, informational and again, neither is a study. Nor do they support the claim you can't build muscle while ketogenic.

    #6 is a rat study about why seizures are suppressed by the ketogenic diet. They determined:
    Because mTOR signaling has been implicated in epileptogenesis, these results suggest that the KD may have anticonvulsant or antiepileptogenic actions via mTOR pathway inhibition.
    The extrapolation of this rodent study to mean ketogenic diets cause muscle loss in humans isn't warranted or even logical.

    The last study again shows what we've known for a while, and again is on epileptic children. No scientist would automatically associate this with healthy bodybuilders, especially based on the information I provided on epilepsy and growth above.

    While I appreciate that it can be difficult for some people to gain mass on a ketogenic diet - It's not impossible, nor does science reach the consensus that it promotes muscle loss. More studies show that even when hypocaloric, it is, by nature, muscle sparing. And experts like Lyle McDonald agree.

    Also in counter to your claims is an excellent article with 15 scientific references here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/can-you-build-muscle-on-a-ketogenic-diet.html

    This. I believe the original post just got thoroughly mythbusted.

    +1.

    I have a number of friends who have degrees in Kinesiology, are certified personal trainers, follow a ketogenic diet and they are very muscular.

    Definition and actual muscle mass are two entirely different things. They may appear muscular, but that does not mean they "built" muscle mass. I am eating at a deficit and seeing definition..why? Because I had a layer of fat covering up already available muscle. I did not "build" more muscle.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Options
    I've been on a ketogenic diet for a little over 41 months now.

    While I agree much of what you state may be true on a Standard Ketogenic Diet - it's not necessarily true of either a TKD (Targeted Ketogenic Diet) or CKD (Cyclical Ketogenic Diet).

    BTW in ketogenesis the body isn't "desperate" for energy. That idea is laughable. One could possibly suggest desperation during a starvation experiment, but not on a ketogenic diet. That comment alone leads me to conclude your article is highly-biased.

    Your references about mTOR activation do nothing to suggest that while on a hypercaloric ketogenic diet one cannot gain muscle, and in-fact loses mass. None of your reference support this. Nor does any science I've ever seen.

    Once I started lifting (a little over a year into the diet) I did gain muscle - about 5 pounds in the first year - without having a clue what I was doing. But honestly, that was to be expected as I'd severely atrophied after 5 years of heavy bed-rest due to a spinal injury, and my results aren't common or replicable in the vast-majority of others.

    There is no doubt that building muscle now is MUCH more difficult - but I'm certainly not losing mass. DEXA scans show a whopping 2 lb increase in lean mass over this time last year. It's not very much (barely 1% increase in lean mass), but I'm thrilled with it. It's roughly the same increase I had last year, FYI.

    The ONLY way I've found to do this for myself is adopt a TKD - a targeted ketogenic diet. I time my highest carbohydrate intake to be just prior to exercise, and eat a moderate caloric surplus during my 2 bulking cycles each year. I only add about 10lbs of weight in total during each bulk as I can't afford the decreased insulin-sensitivity that comes with more added bodyfat. Doing this I *stay* ketogenic, but have the carb-intake required to push heavy (I do 5x5 three days per week) and the insulin and growth factors required to build some lean mass.

    As a Type I diabetic I *have* to stay ketogenic unless I inject bolus insulin, which I prefer not to do (because I have all the insulin-resistance issues of a Type II as well.)

    That's me - that's anecdotal. Now for your studies:

    The studies in which ketogenic diets impaired growth in children were on epileptic children, and showed it was likely in those that ate < 80% of their recommended calories AND < 80% of their recommended daily protein intake, and was possible in those that ate protein based on the old recommendations of intake.

    Further studies have shown an increase in dietary protein is warranted for epileptic children on a ketogenic diet, and most specialists recognize and prescribe that now.

    The nail in the coffin on your ketogenic-diet/stunted grown argument is that epileptics that experience seizures prior to age 18 are universally statistically shorter than norm, REGARDLESS of diet. The statistics on stunted-growth are higher for those that took phenytoin prior to completing growth as well. It's not just the diet that matters, it's the disease.

    There are no studies that show a ketogenic diet stunts / alters growth in non-epileptic children.

    As for the references showing muscle loss:

    #1 is an article, not a study, that states simply "On the other hand some less desirable immediate effects such as enhanced lean body mass loss ... have been reported. But it should be noted that this was on "low-carb" diets, not ketogenic per se, AND there are more studies show the ketogenic diet is lean-mass-sparing than show a loss.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129159/
    http://www.jissn.com/content/9/1/34

    #2 is informational only and reaches no conclusions

    #3 states "which MAY have an impact on the balance between anabolic and catabolic processes and subsequently influence the effectiveness of training" ... but if you read[/u[ the study (even just the abstract) it showed clearly that:

    "Neither the magnitude nor the pattern of the hormonal changes were affected by L-CHO diet except the NA (noradrenaline) threshold, which was lowered ... It is concluded that restriction of CHO intake (a) does not affect the pattern of changes in plasma A, hGH, and T concentrations during graded exercise but lowers NA threshold"
    While opening up some discussion about the importance of noradrenaline in muscular development, this study does nothing to support your claims.

    #4 and #5 are again, informational and again, neither is a study. Nor do they support the claim you can't build muscle while ketogenic.

    #6 is a rat study about why seizures are suppressed by the ketogenic diet. They determined:
    Because mTOR signaling has been implicated in epileptogenesis, these results suggest that the KD may have anticonvulsant or antiepileptogenic actions via mTOR pathway inhibition.
    The extrapolation of this rodent study to mean ketogenic diets cause muscle loss in humans isn't warranted or even logical.

    The last study again shows what we've known for a while, and again is on epileptic children. No scientist would automatically associate this with healthy bodybuilders, especially based on the information I provided on epilepsy and growth above.

    While I appreciate that it can be difficult for some people to gain mass on a ketogenic diet - It's not impossible, nor does science reach the consensus that it promotes muscle loss. More studies show that even when hypocaloric, it is, by nature, muscle sparing. And experts like Lyle McDonald agree.

    Also in counter to your claims is an excellent article with 15 scientific references here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/can-you-build-muscle-on-a-ketogenic-diet.html

    This. I believe the original post just got thoroughly mythbusted.

    +1.

    I have a number of friends who have degrees in Kinesiology, are certified personal trainers, follow a ketogenic diet and they are very muscular.

    Definition and actual muscle mass are two entirely different things. They may appear muscular, but that does not mean they "built" muscle mass. I am eating at a deficit and seeing definition..why? Because I had a layer of fat covering up already available muscle. I did not "build" more muscle.

    My thought as well.....
    Let's not mix the two that we are talking of here.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    This is not the most likely reason, as it's not as easy to eat too much protein unless you take protein supplements. Phinney and Volek in their book "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" recommend 0.6 - 1 gram of protein per a pound of lean mass / 1.3 - 2.2 grams of protein per a kilogram of lean mass a day (lean mass = total body weight without fat).

    That was assuming you eat a balanced diet, most people into body building don't. Check the recommended protein numbers.


    That was not a sales ad, just a blog post with ads on it, as it is a free website, which is irrelevant, because they information comes from the "Lead researcher Dr. Charles V. Mobbs, professor and researcher at the Fishberg Center for Neurobiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City"

    But your premise earlier was that if insulin is produced in the body, then you are not in ketosis.

    I am saying that no matter what you eat, your body always produces an insulin response.
    Except when certain fats are ingested.
  • Collier78
    Collier78 Posts: 811 Member
    Options
    I've been on a ketogenic diet for a little over 41 months now.

    While I agree much of what you state may be true on a Standard Ketogenic Diet - it's not necessarily true of either a TKD (Targeted Ketogenic Diet) or CKD (Cyclical Ketogenic Diet).

    BTW in ketogenesis the body isn't "desperate" for energy. That idea is laughable. One could possibly suggest desperation during a starvation experiment, but not on a ketogenic diet. That comment alone leads me to conclude your article is highly-biased.

    Your references about mTOR activation do nothing to suggest that while on a hypercaloric ketogenic diet one cannot gain muscle, and in-fact loses mass. None of your reference support this. Nor does any science I've ever seen.

    Once I started lifting (a little over a year into the diet) I did gain muscle - about 5 pounds in the first year - without having a clue what I was doing. But honestly, that was to be expected as I'd severely atrophied after 5 years of heavy bed-rest due to a spinal injury, and my results aren't common or replicable in the vast-majority of others.

    There is no doubt that building muscle now is MUCH more difficult - but I'm certainly not losing mass. DEXA scans show a whopping 2 lb increase in lean mass over this time last year. It's not very much (barely 1% increase in lean mass), but I'm thrilled with it. It's roughly the same increase I had last year, FYI.

    The ONLY way I've found to do this for myself is adopt a TKD - a targeted ketogenic diet. I time my highest carbohydrate intake to be just prior to exercise, and eat a moderate caloric surplus during my 2 bulking cycles each year. I only add about 10lbs of weight in total during each bulk as I can't afford the decreased insulin-sensitivity that comes with more added bodyfat. Doing this I *stay* ketogenic, but have the carb-intake required to push heavy (I do 5x5 three days per week) and the insulin and growth factors required to build some lean mass.

    As a Type I diabetic I *have* to stay ketogenic unless I inject bolus insulin, which I prefer not to do (because I have all the insulin-resistance issues of a Type II as well.)

    That's me - that's anecdotal. Now for your studies:

    The studies in which ketogenic diets impaired growth in children were on epileptic children, and showed it was likely in those that ate < 80% of their recommended calories AND < 80% of their recommended daily protein intake, and was possible in those that ate protein based on the old recommendations of intake.

    Further studies have shown an increase in dietary protein is warranted for epileptic children on a ketogenic diet, and most specialists recognize and prescribe that now.

    The nail in the coffin on your ketogenic-diet/stunted grown argument is that epileptics that experience seizures prior to age 18 are universally statistically shorter than norm, REGARDLESS of diet. The statistics on stunted-growth are higher for those that took phenytoin prior to completing growth as well. It's not just the diet that matters, it's the disease.

    There are no studies that show a ketogenic diet stunts / alters growth in non-epileptic children.

    As for the references showing muscle loss:

    #1 is an article, not a study, that states simply "On the other hand some less desirable immediate effects such as enhanced lean body mass loss ... have been reported. But it should be noted that this was on "low-carb" diets, not ketogenic per se, AND there are more studies show the ketogenic diet is lean-mass-sparing than show a loss.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129159/
    http://www.jissn.com/content/9/1/34

    #2 is informational only and reaches no conclusions

    #3 states "which MAY have an impact on the balance between anabolic and catabolic processes and subsequently influence the effectiveness of training" ... but if you read[/u[ the study (even just the abstract) it showed clearly that:

    "Neither the magnitude nor the pattern of the hormonal changes were affected by L-CHO diet except the NA (noradrenaline) threshold, which was lowered ... It is concluded that restriction of CHO intake (a) does not affect the pattern of changes in plasma A, hGH, and T concentrations during graded exercise but lowers NA threshold"
    While opening up some discussion about the importance of noradrenaline in muscular development, this study does nothing to support your claims.

    #4 and #5 are again, informational and again, neither is a study. Nor do they support the claim you can't build muscle while ketogenic.

    #6 is a rat study about why seizures are suppressed by the ketogenic diet. They determined:
    Because mTOR signaling has been implicated in epileptogenesis, these results suggest that the KD may have anticonvulsant or antiepileptogenic actions via mTOR pathway inhibition.
    The extrapolation of this rodent study to mean ketogenic diets cause muscle loss in humans isn't warranted or even logical.

    The last study again shows what we've known for a while, and again is on epileptic children. No scientist would automatically associate this with healthy bodybuilders, especially based on the information I provided on epilepsy and growth above.

    While I appreciate that it can be difficult for some people to gain mass on a ketogenic diet - It's not impossible, nor does science reach the consensus that it promotes muscle loss. More studies show that even when hypocaloric, it is, by nature, muscle sparing. And experts like Lyle McDonald agree.

    Also in counter to your claims is an excellent article with 15 scientific references here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/can-you-build-muscle-on-a-ketogenic-diet.html

    This. I believe the original post just got thoroughly mythbusted.

    +1.

    I have a number of friends who have degrees in Kinesiology, are certified personal trainers, follow a ketogenic diet and they are very muscular.

    Definition and actual muscle mass are two entirely different things. They may appear muscular, but that does not mean they "built" muscle mass. I am eating at a deficit and seeing definition..why? Because I had a layer of fat covering up already available muscle. I did not "build" more muscle.

    My thought as well.....
    Let's not mix the two that we are talking of here.

    oookaay *sigh

    oic.gif
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
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    So you are suggesting that I never entered ketosis yet I lost 50lbs in 3 months eating on average 4,000 calories a day? And as much as 10,000 calories on my carb nite? My friend, there is only one explanation for that fat loss and it is ketosis.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Options
    oookaay *sigh

    oic.gif

    So you are saying that muscle mass and muscular strength are the same???
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
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    This is not the most likely reason, as it's not as easy to eat too much protein unless you take protein supplements. Phinney and Volek in their book "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" recommend 0.6 - 1 gram of protein per a pound of lean mass / 1.3 - 2.2 grams of protein per a kilogram of lean mass a day (lean mass = total body weight without fat).

    That was assuming you eat a balanced diet, most people into body building don't. Check the recommended protein numbers.


    That was not a sales ad, just a blog post with ads on it, as it is a free website, which is irrelevant, because they information comes from the "Lead researcher Dr. Charles V. Mobbs, professor and researcher at the Fishberg Center for Neurobiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City"

    But your premise earlier was that if insulin is produced in the body, then you are not in ketosis.

    I am saying that no matter what you eat, your body always produces an insulin response.
    Except when certain fats are ingested.


    ??? No. You are twisting my words. My only statement was that too much excess protein (above what your body needs) will kick you out of ketosis, because they are converted to glucose!

    I only mentioned the insulin response, because excess protein causes an insulin response just like carbs, whereas most fats do not.

    Fats do not produce an insulin response (except when eaten with ample amounts of other foods, and even then it only slightly adds to the insulin response from carbs).

    A miniscule insulin response to get rid of 20 grams of sugar over the course of the day will not kick you out of ketosis. A large insulin response to get rid of 100 grams of sugar caused by 50 grams of carbs and say 50 grams of glucose converted from excess protein, WILL kick you out of ketosis.
  • Collier78
    Collier78 Posts: 811 Member
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    oookaay *sigh

    oic.gif

    So you are saying that muscle mass and muscular strength are the same???

    Not at all! I was agreeing with you that it was a subject better left for another time. That mixing the two would cause chaos..that's my you are right gif..LOL :flowerforyou:
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Definition and actual muscle mass are two entirely different things. They may appear muscular, but that does not mean they "built" muscle mass. I am eating at a deficit and seeing definition..why? Because I had a layer of fat covering up already available muscle. I did not "build" more muscle.

    There are plenty of bodybuilders out there that follow a TKD and have put on plenty of mass doing so. Is it optimal compared to a diet that includes more carbs? Hard to say, but I'd probably wager they could add mass faster on a non-keto bulk. But the fact remains that there are plenty of people using TKD/CKD diets to recomp/lean bulk and adding muscle mass in the process.

    You can debate what's optimal, but the notion that it's impossible to add muscle on a keto diet is nonsense.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
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    So you are suggesting that I never entered ketosis yet I lost 50lbs in 3 months eating on average 4,000 calories a day? And as much as 10,000 calories on my carb nite? My friend, there is only one explanation for that fat loss and it is ketosis.

    Are you suggesting that you lost 50lbs eating at a caloric surplus? Keto doesn't mean eat everything you want as long as your carbs are low, you still have to eat at a deficit to lose. That's why it works for a lot of people, because they can eat foods that satisfy them with less calories.