MBAdmin2023

Cheat meals, a dispensable temptation or a necessity? The dilemma ensues for anyone who is chasing muscle anabolism with utmost dedication.

For someone eating clean, pumping iron and counting reps and sets, day in and day out, cheat meals come as a trap. Something that they look forward to, as it breaks the boredom of pristine nutrition, albeit with a twinge of guilt. Get the guilt out of sight, because cheat meals are required for muscular folks on anabolism trail. There is a method to cheat, but first the basics.

DO YOU NEED A CHEAT MEAL

Before you sink your teeth in the luxury of a cheat meal, assess for yourself.

• Feeling cold all the time
• Stuck on a weight loss plateau
• Trapped in less than average workouts
• Lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time

If you’ve any or all of these symptoms, a cheat meal will help you reset your metabolism, refill glycogen reserve and regulate insulin.

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT WITH CHEAT MEAL

If you’re serious about carving an awesome physique, you can’t discount the role of diet. However, strict dieting can be callous and catabolic, and even upset the leptin-ghrelin duo. A cheat meal can offer a way out from the weight loss plateau.

 1.   OFFSET SLOW METABOLISM

Extreme diet required during the run-up to competitions and events can slow your metabolism. When you consistently eat fewer calories, your body slows metabolism in the last ditch effort to spare the calories it is gaining from the limited intake of food.

 A weekly cheat meal of surplus calories ensures your body that the food is plentiful with the secretion of leptin hormone. When leptin kicks in your body begins to use fat for energy by improving metabolism, rather holding on to it.

2.   MOVE TO AN ANABOLIC STATE

Moreover, as much as you dislike, the continuous limited intake of food in a strict diet is a starvation signal for your body and it responds by sparing the fat and burning your hard-earned muscle for fuel, a situation where you would not like to be in at all.  

As your metabolism improves with a weekly cheat meal, your body switches to fat as a source of fuel, thereby moving you into an anabolic state.

Most importantly, strict  dieting upsets your leptin-ghrelin balance. Leptin is the satiety hormone that your body releases after a satiating meal to signal your brain to work the energy it has acquired with the recent intake of the food. Leptin levels are naturally low in leaner folks. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone. A long-term low-calorie diet and chronic exercise has been shown to increase the ghrelin levels. This leads to increase in food intake and body weight.

Within 72 hours of calorie restricted diet, significant changes occur in the leptin-ghrelin levels. A once- a- week cheat meal assures your body that there is enough food it doesn’t need to hold on to the energy reserves. Consequently, leptin the satiety hormone kicks in and ghrelin goes down, thereby making metabolism amends.

3.   REFILL GLYCOGEN STORES

Glycogen is the longer chain version of glucose. Stored in your muscles, it is the primary fuel used by the muscles for work-out. Extreme dieting and workout can dry your glycogen reserve. The carb content in the cheat meal is the shortcut to replenish the muscle glycogen, much needed for that bang in your workouts.

THE GOOD CHEAT MEAL 

Wolfing down anything or everything in sight is not the idea of a cheat meal. Like discussed earlier there is a method to it.

1   Sugar-laden treats, foods with poor nutrients are best left untouched in a cheat meal because you do not want to spoil a week’s hard work by giving in to a temptation. A good cheat meal incorporates foods that are rich in protein and carbs with limited fats. The calorie content will, of course, exceed your normal intake. Two slices of pizza with meat and veggies as toppings, cheeseburger, a helping of pasta or noodles with meat for protein qualify as good cheat meals.

2   Equally important is the timing of a cheat meal. Dinner is a preferable time because it’s the last meal of the day; hence, there is no scope for limitless munching throughout the day.

3    Moreover, fasting on a cheat day is not such a good idea after all, because chances to over indulge increase on an empty stomach.

It’s equally important, to be honest with your coach about your cheat meals. Watch out for intense food cravings. They may signal macronutrient deficiency. Plan your cheat meals in advance and make the most of these much looked forward to meals.

Whey protein and its benefits are known to many. It is a popular supplement used by many fitness enthusiasts, bodybuilders, and athletes. For those who want to enhance muscle growth and muscle recovery, whey protein serves as the aptest solution. Whey protein is rich in amino acids and is quickly digested.

Protein makes for a very essential macronutrient that we must consume to help provide strength to our muscles and enhance muscle growth. Protein is helpful in building lean muscle mass and also helps with weight management. Whey protein out of various other proteins is considered the best protein.

Whey protein not only helps in building muscles, but it also helps in: 

• Enhancing muscle protein synthesis
• Boosting fat burn
• Enhancing the immune system
• Reducing hunger
• Improving insulin sensitivity

The sports and fitness market today is flooded with various whey protein powders available in a variety of flavors and forms. Whey protein can be broadly categorized into 3 categories:

• Whey protein concentrate
• Whey protein isolate
• Whey protein hydrolysate

Out of these 3, the most popular ones are whey concentrate and whey isolate. In this article, we will be talking about whey protein concentrate and whey isolate and try to understand the differences and whether one is better than the other.

Fitness freaks are head over heels for both the versions of whey protein. Both of them serve the same purpose of building muscles, enhancing muscle size and speeding up muscle recovery. The reason people prefer one over the other is due to a few differences in their nutrition profile.

When we tell you that there is a difference in nutritional profile, that doesn’t mean that one is inferior in comparison to the other. Let’s understand the difference between the two:

Whey protein, as we know, is derived from milk sources. It is obtained while the separation of curd from milk and during the cheese-making process. The watery portion left behind is whey. This liquid whey is processed to be converted into powdered form, as we know it to be, and then sold in the market with various modifications.

Whey concentrate

Whey protein concentrate contains around 60-85% protein and the remaining ratio comprises fats, lactose, and carbs. Whey protein concentrate tastes good and provides all the benefits of whey protein and helps in muscle building. Along with it, whey protein concentrate is also known to increase the production of glutathione- the key antioxidant of our body.

Whey Isolate

Whey isolate is obtained from whey concentrate. The difference lies in the processing of these two. Whey isolate goes through a rigorous filtration process and this leaves it with a higher amount of protein and a lower amount of fats, carbs, and lactose. On the taste part, whey isolate tastes smoother than whey concentrate. It can contain up to 95% protein depending on the filtration process.

Whey isolate also provides all the benefits of whey protein.

Whey isolate has minimal lactose content thus it is a perfect choice for lactose-intolerant people. People who are looking forward to cutting down on their calorie intake and follow a low-calorie diet can also choose whey isolate as it contains very low fat and carbs percentage. Whey isolate is priced more than whey concentrate owing to the added cost of manufacturing.

Whey protein concentrate has higher lactose, fats and carbs content as compared to whey isolate. If you look that way, the amount of these elements present in whey concentrate is not much and these are also beneficial for your body. Apart from protein, your body needs other nutrients too, and whey protein concentrate offers you that. So if calorie intake is not your problem, you can go for whey protein concentrate.

Here, the point to be noted is that, when the protein is denatured, there are no changes made to its amino acid sequences and the muscle-building qualities of the protein stays unaffected.

Whey concentrate or Whey isolate: Which one should you choose?

You should choose your whey protein while considering your goals, budget, and any allergies. Whey protein concentrate can create troubles for those who have low tolerance towards lactose. Such people might suffer from digestive issues if consuming whey concentrate. For them, whey isolate is a wiser choice. The muscle-building process won’t experience any change whether consuming whey isolate or concentrate.

If budget is your constraint, you might find whey concentrate to be more budget-friendly. If you are calorie conscious and restricting your carb intake, whey isolate would suit your needs and goals.

Whey isolates get absorbed faster than whey concentrate and create a more thorough insulin response. Whether the changes in the rates of absorption have any effect on the anabolism, is yet a debatable issue.

If you want to limit insulin spikes, you can avoid whey isolates considering their effects on insulin release.

The Crux

Both forms of whey protein have similar benefits to offer you. Both help in muscle building and muscle recovery. So we cannot say that one is better than the other. Both have their unique properties and it depends on your situation and priority that which one will you choose.

If you don’t have milk allergies, whey protein concentrate is a good choice for you. Your body will get other important nutrients along with protein. If the budget is not your constraint and you also face lactose intolerance, whey isolate would be a better choice as it offers faster absorption and better digestion.

Bonus section

Still worried about the digestion part?

We have the ultimate solution for you- MuscleBlaze Biozyme Whey Isolate. A whey protein supplement made from the finest quality whey isolate, designed exclusively for Indian dietary habits. Indian diet often misses out on protein and thus we, Indians, face issues with protein digestion. MuscleBlaze has made a significant effort in reducing this problem by crafting a protein exclusively for Indian bodies.

It is enriched with EAF (Enhanced Absorption Formula) by MuscleBlaze, which gives you 50% higher absorption than other whey isolates. With MuscleBlaze Biozyme Whey Isolate, experience 60% lower stomach discomfort and 60% higher BCAA absorption.

Don’t worry about the cramps and any other issues and just focus on your goal with MuscleBlaze Biozyme Whey Isolate.

We have for you a solution to India’s Protein Problem.

Collagen is a popular supplement and for all good reasons. It is considered to be a wonder element for skin and hair and is used in various beauty products and regimes. But, what if we told you that collagen works wonder for your muscles? Get back the jaw you dropped just now and read the post to know more about this wonder supplement.

What is collagen?

It is a primary structural protein that is found in the tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones, vasculature, cartilage, skin and the GI system of the human body. This is the heaviest protein found in your body, which makes up 35% of the total protein content in your body.

The term ‘collagen’ is derived from a Greek word which means ‘glue’. Collagen, in fact, acts as an adhesive that binds your body together. Collagen is made up of conditionally essential amino acids which are proline, glycine, and arginine. Conditionally essential amino acids are those which your body produces, what you need to intake is the essential amino acids, as your body cannot produce the on its own. This is one of the reasons why collagen supplements are enjoying exploding popularity.

A total of 29 types of collagen are discovered to date. Out of these, type I, II and III are majorly found in the human body.

There are enough researches that state that collagen positively affects the quality of the skin and helps reduce wrinkles. It also improves the health of hair and nails. Collagen has also known to be helpful in reducing joint pain.

Nowadays you can find widespread use of collagen in various functional foods like protein bars, baked goods, etc. The fitness industry has been marketing collagen on the claim that it helps in muscle building. Is this claim true? Let’s understand.

The functioning of collagen supplements

Be it collagen, whey protein or any other form of protein, upon ingestion, they are digested and broken into individual amino acids by the enzymes of the GI tract. When these reach the small intestine, they are transferred to the bloodstream and move further to the liver.

Those amino acids that the liver is unable to use, are discharged again into the bloodstream where they are used by the body to perform a variety of functions such as:

• Muscle growth and recovery
• Repairing of cells
• Improving appearance and health of skin, hair, and nails
• Production of hormones
• Enhance joint integrity
• Neurotransmitter synthesis

The reason behind the stark popularity of collagen supplements is that when we age, our natural collagen production rate declines. Consuming collagen supplements can help in providing our body with the required amino acids to enhance collagen production.

Amino acids in collagen

Collagen is made up of various amino acids. Out of these various amino acids, 3 are main:

• Glycine
• Proline
• Hydroxyproline

Hydroxyproline is not found in good quantity in a majority of foods that people normally consume. Collagen offers the human body this vital amino acid. Collagen’s unique composition of amino acids helps in muscle building.

To lose weight or form big muscles, weight training is very important. It gives your muscles strength and helps in burning body fat. Collagen is said to be helpful in building muscles and thus helping those who are undergoing weight training.

Let’s dig deeper to find out the actual deal.

Collagen for muscle building and weight training individuals

Collagen is the main component providing structural support to your body. It is present in 90% of the connective tissues. The high bioavailability and high amino acid profile of collagen labels it as great post-workout nutrition which is absorbed quickly and repairs and replenishes the proteins that break down while working out.

• Collagen helps in muscle repairing and restoration: When you work out for longer durations, your muscles lose protein because of oxidation, muscle microlesions, and inflammatory reactions. There are various researches that show that while exercising, protein synthesis reduces and increases quickly post-workout for an extended time period. Consuming a high-protein diet after a workout helps to restore the lost proteins in muscles by increasing muscle anabolism. Collagen has a great amino acid content and thus it qualifies for muscle repairing and recovery.

• Collagen might help in speeding up recovery time: Regeneration of muscle fibers along with the generation of connective scar tissue are the two main factors that lead to the healing of torn and ruptured muscles. For these two factors to happen, collagen formation is very important. A study was conducted to measure the rates of collagen production for 3 weeks after a muscle tear. The researchers found that collagen synthesis rates were raised in muscle cells during that time. During the first week of the healing of muscle tear, Type III collagen synthesis was at its highest. It is in connection with the development of flexibility of the connective tissue. As and when the healing process went further, Type I collagen started forming and was linked to enhanced strength of the newly formed muscle fibers and connective tissues.

• Collagen can help in preventing injuries by providing strength to joints, bones, and ligaments: When you perform weighted movements, like lifting heavy weights, the pressure is generated on your joints. This might sometimes invite injuries. You need strong bones and joints to avoid injuries. A study conducted on three distinct category athletes showed that supplements when combined with collagen peptides, arginine, and BCAA over a course of 2 years, minimized tendon-ligament and joint injury rates. One more study to measure the effect of regular collagen peptides intake on the Achilles tendon structure was conducted. It was discovered that there was an evident rise in collagen fiber diameter, indicating enhanced tendon strength due to supplementing collagen. So, people doing weight training can experience a certain level of ease while lifting heavyweights.

• Collagen can be helpful in reducing joint pains that are connected to sports-related injuries: Getting involved in weightlifting, doing heavy-duty weight exercises, etc. or being involved in various sports or intense workouts can lead to joint pain. Various studies have proven that collagen might be helpful in reducing joint pain arising due to exercises or other intense physical activities. Collagen supplements help in enhancing joint functions and improve flexibility while working out. 

• Collagen is helpful in enhancing natural creatine production: When you are doing heavy lifting in the gym, your muscles lookup to a fast and instantly available source of energy, which is available in the form of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). It is a chemical substance that requires creatine to be present in order to exist. To generate creatine you require glycine, methionine, and arginine. These three are amino acids out of which collagen contains arginine and glycine in a huge amount. That is why collagen can have a positive impact on creatine and eventually ATP production. Higher the ATP levels, more will be your muscle energy and you will see a difference in your workout capacity at the gym.

• Collagen helps in enriching muscles with nutrients: Arginine present in collagen helps in enhancing blood flow in the body. It is known as a vasodilator, i.e., it aids in relaxing and broadening the blood vessels. When the blood vessels increase in size, your muscles get more amount of oxygen and other essential nutrients. This helps in muscle recovery. For weight training individuals, it is extremely helpful as it helps muscle recovery after an injury or overexertion. It also relaxes the tired muscles you get after heavy workouts.

Collagen has various benefits to offer to bodybuilders and people undergoing weight training. But if you are looking to entirely shift to collagen for all your protein needs, hold back. Collagen has a unique amino acid profile but misses out on one of the 9 essential amino acids. It can be taken in combination with protein supplements such as whey protein and a healthy and nutrient-rich diet.

Huge muscles are always a result of diet, exercise, and supplements combined. MuscleBlaze recommends that you should keep working out and don’t forget to eat healthy and workout along with consuming supplements like collagen.

In a world where we have become habitual of a sedentary lifestyle and less of manual work, health issues have surfaced a lot than ever before. This is why people are turning towards gyms and various diets to stay fit and healthy. Exercising is the best way to lose weight, build strength and stay fit. But, diet also plays an important role in shaping up your physique.

In an era where various diets have taken over the storm, intermittent fasting is something that the bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts are going gaga over. There are a lot of misconceptions about fasting and some people think that fasting is almost starving your body. This is why they think that it will make them lose muscle instead of gaining.

But is it really so? In this article, we will tell you what is intermittent fasting and how it can help you build muscle.

Life without food is dull. The majority of us love to eat a variety of foods but often end up curbing this desire due to fear of getting fat. People give up on their favorite food to stay lean and muscular. But what if we told you that you can stay fit and muscular while you enjoy the foods you love? It is possible through intermittent fasting. Read below to learn how.

What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

IF is a practice to stay without consuming any calories for a longer period of time. It means that all you need to do is drink water or black coffee or tea. There are various modes of performing IF, but the most popular one is 16:8 mode. This means that you keep your body on fasting mode for 16 hours and eat during the 8-hour window known as the ‘feeding window’.

Sounds difficult? Not really!

We are just asking you to stay calorie-less for 16 hours but you still have black coffee, green or black tea to feed on. Still, thinking its too much of struggle? Well, here is a hack to get you past the 16-hour fasting window.

Try and have a protein shake before going to bed. Take 8 hours of sound sleep and when you wake up, you are already past 8 hours of fasting. Yes! The sleeping hours count as the fasting period. Now you have 8 hours to go and during this, you can have coffee, of course without any added sugars, cream or milk. You can also have green tea. The basic idea is to avoid having any calories during the fasting window. Leave the calories for the feeding window.

What can you consume during your fasting window?

Whatever you have, it should contain zero calories. That doesn’t leave you with any choice other than water, green/black tea and black coffee. You can also go for zero-calorie beverages that are unsweetened. Artificially sweetened beverages should be avoided as they can be responsible for insulin response, which affects your capacity of burning body fat. So try and stick with the mentioned drinks. If you need to have something other than these and cannot just bear at all, try lightly flavored sparkling water.

Do I get to eat a pizza during the eating window?

Well, we know, now you can finally eat something during your much-awaited feeding window, but do you get to eat pizza? Well, before we tell you yes or no, learn how you need to eat during this time-frame.

You should not over-eat and neither should you under-eat in compared to your standard diet plan that you follow on a regular basis. Consuming the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, and protein is necessary when you are eating during the feeding window.

Before going on an IF diet, the diet plan that you were following to keep yourself fit is the diet that you need to consume within the hours that you get to eat while on IF. If you under-eat, your performance at the gym will be affected. Anyone looking for building lean muscle mass and developing strength should consume all the nutrients, especially protein.

So all-in-all, your total calorie intake and macros intake stays the same with a shift in the schedule of eating. As per your physique and training goals, you can adjust your calorie intake.

So now you know the answer to this question.

Why Intermittent Fasting?

Here is the most important question- why should one go for an IF? We will tell you why and then you decide when are you taking up IF as your regime to build sturdy muscles and meet your fitness goals.

• Boosts fat burning: Various researches have stated that when you fast for longer periods, your body’s fat-burning capacity increases and speeds up the fat loss, even when your calorie intake is the same. Many people have noticed that they can more of the food from their ‘cheat meal’ menu than ever before when they consume it during their feeding window while on IF. This is one of the reasons why IF is good for most people.
• Easy to follow: As compared to other diets, it’s relatively easy to follow.  Your body just needs to adjust to the new schedule of eating and once you get used to it, it’s easy to stay on this diet. And this is a diet that you can keep going with for years. It is not tough on your body once you get used to it. There is no hassle of preparing special kinds of meals. You can consume your regular meal during the feeding window. Carrying out IF for longer-term has no adverse effects on your body, rather you will be benefited from it.

How does your body burn more fat during IF as compared to other standard diets?

The crucial factor in the fat loss that is induced by fasting is the increase in gene activity that ultimately increases the number of calories the body utilizes and the quantity of fat it burns.

When you are on fasting mode, your body turns on the genes that encrypt for all the uncoupling proteins and enzymes that are responsible for increasing fat oxidation, i.e. the fat-burning mechanism of your body is turned on.

The uncoupling proteins that we are talking about here are like ‘poke holes’ in the mitochondria present inside the muscle cells. Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cells and most of the energy you get is from mitochondria. When you poke holes in it, mitochondria’s energy production declines and thus your body needs to burn more calories than usual to generate the same amount of energy in the form of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

To put it in simpler terms, you will be able to utilize more calories as a source of fuel when into fasting mode, which will help you with weight-loss.

I’m a bodybuilder. Why should I go for IF?

We know your goals, we know what you want to achieve. Intermittent fasting can make it easy for you. Earlier, not much was established on how IF helps in muscle building. Some recent studies stated how it can help in building muscles and be helpful for bodybuilders. In a study released in 2016, resistance-trained males were the subject of study. The study results showed that males who were following intermittent fasting and did resistance training lost more fat mass as compared to those who ate the standard diet and did resistance training. The muscle mass maintenance was similar in both the groups and the number of calories burnt while resting was also the same.

Some researches conducted on the effect of IF on bodybuilding/muscle-building states that:

• Combined with resistance training, IF helps in strengthening the muscles (1)
• Combined with endurance training, IF helps maintain muscle mass and promotes weight loss (2)
• To maintain lean muscle mass and reduce body fat, one should practice IF with resistance training (3)

How to build muscles with IF? Easy tips to follow to meet your goals and enhance bodybuilding

Follow a proper bodybuilding meal plan along with IF: Strategic eating and exercising are the keys to a successful IF routine. Ensure having 1g of protein in your diet per kg of your body weight. When in your feeding window, sip on BCAAs drink as the amino acids present in it helps improve muscle protein synthesis along with minimizing protein muscle breakdown. To gain energy prior to the workout, you can also have caffeine, but not in a large amount.

Exercise calculatingly

Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to count the number of reps while you are working out but deciding when to work out. Depending upon your goals, the workout time may vary. If you aim at fat-loss, workout 2 hours before your feeding window. To stay energized, try working out during your fasting window. Experiment and decide what is best suited for your body as per your goals.

See, it’s that simple to shape yourself with intermittent fasting.

The first meal of your feeding window

The best part about intermittent fasting is that it has a less-stricter diet routine as compared to other diets. But protein still remains an essential component. A diet high in protein combined with a sufficient amount of complex carbs and healthy fats is your ideal diet when consuming your first meal after the fasting period. 

The reason for a high-protein and low-carb diet is that when you fast and then consume a low-carb diet, the activity levels of genes that build-up calorie consumption and fat burning are enhanced with the meal you consume. A high-carb meal, on the other hand, decreases the activity of these genes.

Sipping on to my favorite flavor of BCAAs while in the fasting window won’t have any effect on IF, or will it?

When we say that you are fasting, that means you are keeping your body without any calories for a certain period of time. BCAAs are your Branched Chain Amino Acids and as you might be aware that amino acids come together to form the protein. There are a total of 20 amino acids that act as building blocks of protein. Out of these 9 are essential amino acids and 11 non-essential amino acids. Consuming any of these amino acids means consuming protein in smaller quantity and this, therefore, drags you out of the fasting zone. So technically, not consuming BCAAs is the best option when fasting. 

An exception to the consumption of BCAAs during IF is when you are training when fasting. In such a situation you can have a sip of BCAAs while you workout. BCAAs are a great source of energy and boost your workout capacity. And when you just sip from a BCAA drink, you are not consuming a lot and, burning your energy in a workout.

Diet plays an important role in your fitness routine and fasting techniques like IF help you meet your fitness goals. But, one should not give up on proper training and workout. A solid workout plan combined with intermittent fasting and a healthy protein-rich diet will give you optimum results.

Intermittent fasting is easy to follow and you can continue it for a long period of time and get the desired results. Don’t forget to eat healthy and workout hard.

Burning fat by eating fat- no matter how weird and unbelievable it sounds, the keto diet has made it possible for many individuals. Not only the keto diet has proved itself to be capable of burning fat but it also has been worthy of muscle building.

You might have heard a lot about the keto diet and ketosis- the state under which your body goes when following a keto diet. But whether to go for a keto diet or not is still a troubling question for you. MuscleBlaze, via this article, is presenting a detailed overview of the keto diet so that you can make a final call on following this diet routine.

What is a keto diet?

A keto diet demands you to get your carb intake totally low and rely on fats and protein for your calorie intake.

How does the keto diet work?

When you make your body stay low on carbs every day, it runs out of fuel i.e. your blood sugar that is used quickly. This usually takes up to 3-4 days. Now, when your body is literally carb-starved, to get the required energy it will start breaking down the protein and fats for energy which in turn results in weight loss. This whole process is known as ketosis.

Let’s understand ketosis more…….

Ketosis is a metabolic state that suggests that the number of ketones in your blood is more than the normal levels. When your body is under ketosis, your lipid energy metabolism is intact. Your body will start using fat as its energy source for all the regular activities that you perform throughout the day.

Wondering what is so special about your body being in a ketosis state? We tell you how it benefits you.

Benefits of ketosis

• Enhances the body’s ability to utilize fat for getting energy: Your body generally derives the energy from carbs. But when you undergo ketosis, your body starts utilizing the stored fats for energy as you don’t provide carbs to fuel your body. This way body becomes more able to burn fats for fueling itself.
• Ketosis has a protein-sparing effect: If you are consuming enough protein throughout the day, ketosis gives a protein-sparing effect. When your body undergoes ketosis, it prefers ketones instead of glucose. You are giving your body ample amount of fats, so oxidization of protein is not required for glucose production through gluconeogenesis.
• Higher lipolysis and free glycerol release: Following the keto diet, you get lower insulin levels, which leads to having high lipolysis and free glycerol release in the body when compared to the standard diet. Your body becomes habitual of using fatty acids for energy as insulin gives a lipolysis blocking effect. When the insulin level in your body goes down, your body releases beneficial hormones like growth hormones and other impactful growth factors.
• Appetite suppressor: When your body experiences ketosis; ketones, and protein together work towards suppressing your diet. Foods rich in carb contribute towards high hunger levels. Under the keto diet, you consume more fats and protein which keeps you full and results in reduced hunger.

There is a very common misconception that states that carbs are a must if you want to build muscles. This means that if you are on a keto diet, you cannot build muscles. But is it so?

Well, the reality is, you can not only build muscles while on keto but also increase your gains while your body has adapted ketosis. Keto helps you to gain strength and build more muscles along with minimum fat gain. Pounding on carbs for bodybuilding is now outdated, keto is the new way to build muscles.

This article will tell you how keto will help you achieve your fitness goals and build the muscles to your desire.

Why carbs are not what you need to get the sturdy muscles?

Earlier it was believed that carbs are a very important component required for muscle building. You can still see some bodybuilders relying on carbs to get the glycogen so that they can have spiked up insulin levels to generate an anabolic response. This is all to build muscles.

The truth, however, is you can effectively build muscles while staying on a low-carb diet, given you do it correctly. Various studies have stated that when strength training is combined with a keto diet, lean muscle mass goes up with very low weight gain.

But as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day! So is the case here. If you want to see positive results, you need to give your body some time so that it fully adapts to the new routine. Your body is in habit of using carbs for fuel, getting used to utilizing fats for energy demands some time. All this while your body is adjusting to the new routine, there is an entire phase known as ‘keto-adaptation’. You might experience a lot of odd symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fever, etc. and your workout performance will also go down for around 1-4 weeks while your body is in the keto-adaptation phase.

Why you should expect low strength during keto-adaptation?

When starting with the keto diet, you will experience a downfall in your body strength and you might not be able to perform exercises with the same amount of energy and intensity as you were when consuming carbs. The reason behind it is the transformation your body is internally going through. It is learning to break down fats to ketones than glucose for glycolysis that is used for energy.

So, to see positive results, you need to follow a keto diet for the long-term.

Your body needs a certain time to adjust as it is used to burning glucose from carbs which acts as the main source of energy for it. When you lower down your carb intake, your body needs to find some other source of energy. This is the time when ketones serve as the body’s main source of energy.

The longer you follow the ketogenic diet, the more effective your metabolism becomes and burns ketones for fuel and your workout performance eventually increases.

When your body learns to use ketones instead of fat, the mitochondrial density is enhanced. This enables you to have a longer and speedier training session.

To put it in simple words, once your body is all ketofied, it combines more energy from the stored body fat and dietary fat to produce energy for workouts. It is known as ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate).

Multiple studies have stated that a low-carb and high-fat keto diet gives a muscle-sparing effect. This means that once your body fully adapts the fats, it will restrict itself from breaking down the muscle even when you are burning via fats.

How do you gain with the keto diet?

Eat more protein: If you consume very high protein while following a keto diet, you throw your body out of ketosis. This process is known as gluconeogenesis where the body converts excess protein to glucose in your bloodstream. When this glucose is present in your body, it will restrict the production of ketones, kicking your body out from ketosis.

What one might overlook is the importance of glucose for your brain. Glucose is very crucial for your brain’s survival. Even when you are going all keto, you need some glucose for your specialized cells, especially the brain cells which can only function on glucose. You can produce glucose from fats; fatty acids have glycerol that helps you form glucose.

Why should I follow a keto diet, if I still need glucose?

When you are on a standard diet, most of you consume a carb-rich diet which leads to insulin resistance and creates trouble in burning the stored fats in the body for energy. This results in a fat gain which is not healthy and also various other problems like high blood sugar, system inflammation, insulin resistance, etc. 

When you are following a keto diet, you offer your body the right amount of glucose which is derived from fats and protein. Being on ketones lets you have a more effective energy source allowing you to build muscles via protein synthesis. You don’t have to worry much about gaining excessive body fat.

Consume more calories to gain muscles

If you want to lose weight or build muscles, keeping a count of your calories is a must and by far the best way to achieve your goals. To have the muscle gain while on keto:

• Have 150-500 more calories than what you would normally consume
• 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass
• Acquire your remaining calories from healthy fats

To have keto gains you need to consume more calories than you burn on a daily basis. Having a caloric surplus and a good amount of protein will help you develop a muscular body that you have been working on.

I am a bodybuilder looking for muscle building. How should I target my ketogenic diet?

If you are looking for muscle gains with the keto diet, you need to have a targeted ketogenic diet that allows you to take 20-50g carbs right before or after your workout session. This quantity sums up your entire carb intake for the day. This enables your body to utilize the quick glucose to fuel your workout sessions. If you carry it out properly, your body becomes efficient in burning carbs quickly and get back to the ketosis state.

The targeted ketogenic diet is the formula best suited for people who have been practising the keto diet for around a month and are involved in heavy-duty workouts.

The number of carbs that you consume has a direct connection to your workout intensity. Mentioned below is an estimate of how much carbs you are required to consume based on your activity levels:

• Individuals who are involved in high-intensity training such as CrossFit can have up to 50g of carbs every day
• Athletes who take part in competitions can have around 100g of carbs per day
• An average individual who workout on an average of 4-5 times per week can have 20g or lesser carbs every day

If you just want to lose weight, this approach is not much helpful. It is for people looking for bodybuilding. To lose weight you should try a standard ketogenic diet plan which lays emphasis on other factors that enhance performance like adequate protein intake.

Keep a check on your electrolyte consumption

To get maximum athletic performance, it is very important to maintain your electrolyte levels. The electrolytes should comprise of potassium, sodium, and magnesium. These 3 electrolytes easily get drained away through urine and sweat. It is very important to recharge yourselves with foods that are rich in nutrients and keto-friendly. This will enable your body to perform its best while working out.

Foods that are rich in magnesium and keto-friendly are:

• Spinach
• Avocado
• Dark chocolate
• Cashews
• Almonds 

Foods rich in potassium along with being keto-friendly are:

• Salmon
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Cucumber
• Mushrooms

Get more sodium intake

You are committing a mistake if you don’t consider your sodium intake while on a keto diet. Under the ketogenic diet, you are cutting down on carbs and thus your body excretes more electrolytes than it does normally, especially at the beginning of keto diet. If you feel low while working out when on the keto diet, try and increase your sodium intake. It would be more beneficial if you have sodium before workouts.

Sodium is very essential for having healthy muscles, nerve activity and also helps in regulating muscle contraction, blood levels, and nerve function.  You should try and consume 5000mg to 7000mg of sodium on a daily basis. To enhance performance, have 1000-2000mg of sodium before training.

How to build muscles with a keto diet?

1. Reduce your carb intake: This is the most crucial demand of a keto diet. Lower down the intake of carbs. Don’t let it exceed 15-20% of your total calorie intake if you are an average individual looking for weight loss or muscle building. Replace the carbs with healthy fats and protein like nut butter, avocados, and grass-fed cow whey protein.
2. Make sure to have an adequate amount of protein: Protein is quintessential for muscle building. However eating too much protein won’t help you here, but ignoring it is also not the option. Choose your protein as per your preference.
3. Do strength training: There is no substitute for hard work. Resistance training is said to be a mood lifter and by combining strength training with the keto diet you can experience good muscle gains.

So this is how a keto diet helps you in getting big and sturdy muscles. Remember, you will experience symptoms like nausea, bloating, vomiting, fever, etc. when starting with the keto diet, but once you bear with it, there is no looking back.

MuscleBlaze recommends following a low-carb and high-fat diet along with adequate protein intake while on a keto diet so that your body can undergo ketosis and you can see favorable results.