It is the year 2009, when I was already working on the topic of the "Anabolic Diet" (AD) here on Team Andro. Anyone who has been in the fitness scene for a while should know this for sure. On May 8, 2009 I published an article in the subforum on the Anabolic Diet called "This is what a clean AD looks like". And this thread is still active and growing...
Now it's 2017, I'm still dealing with AD and I live according to the principles of AD or even straight ketogenic for most of the year. When I visited the corresponding thread a few days ago, I had to realize that after almost 8 years it's time for an update again. And since ketogenic nutrition is already a trend in the fitness industry, we will build the whole thing up again in detail from the ground up.
Step 1: The keto adaptation!
The first and most important step when it comes to starting an AD or generally implementing a ketogenic diet in practice is the so-called conversion phase or achievement of keto-adaptation.
This describes the shift from glucose metabolism to primary fat metabolism. But not only does the body now increasingly switch to fat burning, it also begins to form more ketone bodies. These can then be used as alternative energy sources for glucose by tissues such as the muscles, but above all the brain.
With increasing keto adaptation and activation of the fat metabolism, our brain becomes more and more efficient in using ketone bodies and our muscles tend more and more to gain energy mainly through the oxidation of free fatty acids.
for many people, however, the primary question is why keto-adaptation is actually desirable. Or why change to a ketogenic diet or AD at all? There can be many reasons for this:
The body's glycogen storage capacity is limited
Our organism is not able to store large amounts of carbohydrates. More than 400 - 500 g, which corresponds to approximately 1600 - 2000 kcal, cannot be stored in our muscles and liver. And the stored glucose can only be used where it is stored.
It is therefore not possible to use glucose stored in the quadriceps for an intensive chest workout.
If the body is primarily dependent on glucose metabolism, then it is also important that the corresponding muscles, which we use frequently and intensively, are always supplied with sufficient amounts of glucose. However, we can only control this to a limited extent.
The whole thing is more drastic for our brain. Our brain needs larger amounts of glucose, which can then only be provided by the liver.
Unless...yes...unless you supply the brain with enough ketone bodies. Our brain enjoys working with ketone bodies and is even able to produce them on a small scale. However, if we constantly eat carbohydrates, ketogenesis and fat metabolism are constantly suppressed. We must therefore rely on our limited glucose metabolism, and that this is not always sufficient, we notice at the latest when we have eaten too little on one day or when we do not eat carbohydrate-rich meals regularly or in sufficient quantity.
We notice how we can concentrate less and less and get tired. However, this is not really good for our "Every-Day-Performance". If, on the other hand, we are in ketosis and our tissue is now "trained" to use ketones to provide energy (aka keto adaptation), then we do not have this problem. Because the fat metabolism practically always supplies sufficient energy. Even if we have a very low body fat percentage anyway. We are therefore much less dependent on regular meals.
But all well and good. But what does this bring me as an athlete? Especially as a fitness athlete who wants to reduce fat and build muscles?
Ketone bodies are protein-saving
This means that ketones have anti-catabolic effects. Directly and indirectly. However, let us start with the indirect way.
If the body needs glucose, for example to supply our brain with sufficient energy substrates, but does not get enough carbohydrates through nutrition (as it can sometimes be the case with typical fitness diets towards the beach figure), the liver has to produce glucose itself. This happens in a process called gluconeogenesis.
However, in order to produce glucose, we need starting material. And these include amino acids. In particular, the amino acid alanine and this in turn extracts the liver from the muscles. The body thus "sacrifices" a few muscles in order to supply the brain with energy.
Another substrate for gluconeogenesis is glycerol. This in turn is provided by the fat metabolism. In a ketogenic form of nutrition, it is particularly active, as described in the video above. And ketogenesis produces a lot of it.
Ketogenesis therefore provides a substrate for gluconeogenesis. It has been proven that less alanine has to be released from the muscles. At the same time, the need for glucose is already reduced with a ketogenic diet, since the brain now specializes in ketone bodies. Two birds with one stone.
The direct effect of the protein-saving effect of dietary ketosis is due to reduced leucine oxidation. In the case of leucine, all fitness athletes should be able to hear clearly. Leucine plays a key role in the operation of muscle protein synthesis and stimulates and activates it. In addition, BCAAs, which also include leucine, are amino acids that occur almost exclusively in muscle metabolism and fulfil their functions and effects there.
However, a reduced oxidation rate of this essential amino acid also helps to protect the muscle better against degradation. But that's not all. It was even found that elevated blood ketone cells themselves contribute and can lead to an activation and increase in muscle protein synthesis. And this although ketone bodies on the other hand can inhibit mTOR. And mTOR is an important signalling pathway that activates and stimulates muscle protein synthesis.The effects of ketone bodies and mild ketosis are therefore also varied and interesting for fitness athletes and bodybuilders.
Ketone bodies have anti-inflammatory effects
It's not like inflammation is basically a bad thing. Inflammations are even necessary if you want to build muscles. They initiate regeneration and growth in the first place. Inflammations become problematic, however, when they are either highly exuberant or chronic. Or at worst, both. Keyword: joint pain.
Sooner or later, almost every fitness athlete and bodybuilder has to struggle with this. A ketogenic diet can definitely help if you are already confronted with such problems.
![fleisch-tot1.jpg](What happens during keto adaptation?
So we have already explained some of the advantages of a ketogenic diet. At least the points that are potentially relevant to our objectives. But now the question arises what exactly happens in our body during the keto adaptation.
The first days are certainly the toughest. You eliminate virtually all carbohydrates from your diet. Unfortunately, the entire metabolism is still primarily designed for the glucose metabolism and the fat metabolism is not yet active enough to intercept all this.
One evades one's main source of energy, so to speak. Only when the glycogen stores are emptied, lipolysis picks up speed and can operate ketogenesis, things slowly but surely get better. Not from now on the same, but if you stick to it consistently for a few more days, the use of ketones will continue to increase.
Therefore, it is also important to make the first refeeds after two weeks at the earliest, and better after three weeks if the AD is clean. Although fat adaptation and maximum fat utilization have already reached a stable norm value after a few days, the brain needs a little longer to be able to use the ketone bodies efficiently immediately.
The first days are also the most critical for muscle loss. This is because there is a strong increase in gluconeogenesis activity and increased protein degradation in the muscles for this purpose. Therefore, it makes sense to make the first days of the conversion somewhat richer in protein than a classical ketogenic dietary recommendation would suggest.
The classic ketogenic splitting of macros recommends a protein intake of 15 - 25 % of daily calories or 1.2 - 1.4 g protein per kilogram body weight. And in fact, you should stick to the lower standards than many may be used to. Why, we will find out in another serial article.
However, if you start the keto adaptation phase with the classic AD macros of 30 - 35 % protein, you are on the safe side.
It is also important to know that a reduction in carbohydrate intake is accompanied by a reduction in insulin secretion, which in turn leads to increased excretion of water and electrolytes.
Of course, if every gram of glycogen binds about 3 g of water and we reduce 400 - 500 g of glycogen in our body, then of course a lot of fluid and weight is lost in the first days of conversion.
At the same time, however, the low insulin levels also lead to increased "rinsing" of electrolytes via the kidneys. Above all, a lot of sodium is lost. This is often reflected in poor concentration, muscle cramps and fatigue. It is therefore important that you read the following section carefully if you intend to follow a ketogenic diet.
Keto adaptation phase: What should be considered?
If we lose a lot of sodium through the kidneys, it makes sense to feed sodium through food to replace it. A cup of vegetable stock or beef stock daily would be recommended here. It also makes sense to supplement with coconut oil. This is because the MCT contained in the liver is quickly and easily converted into ketone bodies. This leads to an increased blood ketone level more quickly and the brain is trimmed from day 1 to work with ketone bodies. This makes the changeover phase much easier.
Also make sure that you eat enough fat. As you learned in the first video, it depends on the fats and the reduced amount of carbohydrates in your diet to stimulate ketogenesis as much as possible. So it is best not to reduce your carbohydrates and at the same time still the fats, because you start in a calorie deficit.
This project is in fact doomed to failure. Here you would deprive your body of its primary energy source, would not supply enough of the energy source to which your body should prepare itself in the future and at the same time generally supply too few calories. Sounds logical when I say this isn't going to work, right?
A keto-adaptation should be well planned, but then brings a lot of advantages.