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Can You Build Muscle on a Low Carb Diet?

Jun 6, 2011 | By Anthony Marrone
Can You Build Muscle on a Low Carb Diet?
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A ketogenic, or low-carbohydrate diet primarily burns fat, and does so just as effectively as a low-fat diet, according to a 2007 study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association." If you wish to add lean muscle mass, you can do this using a low-carbohydrate approach, but some variations of your diet may provide better results. Consult a health care professional before beginning any dietary program.

Low-Carbohydrate Dieting

Low-carbohydrate dieting allows you to remain in ketosis, the state in which you are primarily burning ketones, or fatty acids that can be used for fuel. While you will always burn carbohydrates to a degree, the more glycogen, or sugar that you have freely available, the less likely you are to burn ketones for fuel. This is why a ketogenic diet is built around restricting carbohydrate intake. The fewer carbohydrates you consume, the less sugar your body has to burn. The consumption of fats allows your body to rely on fats for fuel, and should you consume large quantities of carbohydrates, you will not remain in ketosis, or burning fat as your primary fuel.

Fats For Gains

One of the distinct advantages of attempting to gain muscle on a ketogenic diet is the ease with which you can consume critical fats. Fats such as omega-3 fatty acids can improve muscle protein synthesis, according to a 2011 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Omega-3 fatty acids are primarily found in oily fish, olives, nuts, seeds and flax. An additional benefit of a ketogenic diet is the fact that your ability to produce testosterone is, in part, dependent upon your dietary fat intake. A low-fat diet will limit your ability to produce testosterone, a powerful muscle-building hormone.

Protein

Another benefit of attempting to gain muscle with a low-carbohydrate diet is that getting sufficient protein is built right into the diet. Your muscles are composed of amino acids, and the only way to replenish many of the amino acids that you damage during training is through dietary protein. A 2000 study published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" showed that athletes engaged in regular resistance training may require up to twice as much protein as non-training individuals. Get most of your protein from beef, oily fish, eggs and milk.

Carbohydrates

The limitation of a low-carbohydrate diet with respect to muscle gain is energy. Pushing through a heavy workout without carbohydrates can leave you tired and weak. After weeks of ketogenic dieting, your muscle glycogen, or the primary fuel that your muscles burn, can become depleted. A way to avoid this is by consuming a small amount of carbohydrates post-workout. Immediately after your workout your blood sugar levels are low and your insulin levels are high. Consuming a quickly digesting carbohydrate such as glucose or dextrose will refill your depleted muscle glycogen without disturbing your ketogenic state. Consuming dextrose or glucose with whey protein will not only refill your muscle glycogen, but will help you recover and build muscle.

References

Article reviewed by Tad Cronn Last updated on: Jun 6, 2011

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