For bodybuilders looking to build muscle and get in shape, it’s absolutely essential to ensure that our diet and nutrition is on point. They say that muscle is built in the kitchen, and whilst that statement shouldn’t be taken too literally, you get an idea of where it’s coming from. Basically, it doesn’t matter how hard you train, how regularly you train, and which routine you follow, if your diet isn’t right you won’t make any real progress at all. In the world of bodybuilding, the ketogenic diet is becoming increasingly popular. Here are some useful keto diet tips for bodybuilders.
What is the keto diet?
The keto diet is basically a low carb, moderate protein, high fat diet that is designed to promote energy, health, muscle retention, and fat loss. It is not the same as Atkins, as your primary macronutrient on keto is fat. The idea behind keto is that by cutting out carbs, your body has to look for an alternative energy source. After a few days on low carbs, your body will enter a state of ketosis. Ketosis is where your living produces ketones which your brain and body uses for energy. The kicker comes from the fact that ketones can only be synthesized with the help of fat. So, basically, you burn your body’s own body fat stores for energy.
Keto diet tips
If you’re thinking of following the keto diet, here are some tips to help you out.
Choose the right fats – People see that keto is a high fat diet and they automatically assume that they can eat whichever fats they like, as long as they watch their carb intakes. While it is true that you can eat foods like bacon, to ensure you’re healthy and get the most from your diet you should emphasize healthy fats instead. Oily fish, healthy oils, natural nut butters, seeds, avocados, grass-fed butter etc, should all be emphasized on keto.
Read the ingredients – On keto, it’s vital that you remain on ketosis, which means that you need to ensure that you watch your carb intakes. Get into the habit of reading the ingredients labels of the foods you consume. Some foods have hidden carbs. Processed meats for example, are often bulked out with breadcrumbs for flavour, texture, and to make the product go further. Consuming these hidden carbs could knock you out of ketosis, which would be a disaster. To ensure this doesn’t happen, always read the ingredients.
Get enough protein – Keto is a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, as well as cellular health. Therefore, it’s vital that you get enough protein as you’re looking to build and maintain muscle. Again, focus on the right proteins, but just make sure that you get enough. To keep things exciting and fresh, be sure to switch up your protein sources.
Be prepared to feel awful at first – When you restrict carbs and transition into keto, you’ll find that you feel awful for the first few days. This is often known as ‘keto flu’ because you feel as if you have the flu. You’re tired, weak, you have a headache, you have no energy, and you just want to sleep. This will almost certainly negatively impact your workouts. When you enter ketosis after a few days, though, you will feel fantastic
