Keto low-carb diet vs higher-carb diet for gymmaxxing/muscle growth

[mXN3L]

A lot of people argue about what the most optimal diet for gymmaxxing is. Some say you shouldn’t eat carbs at all, while others say carbs are necessary for energy and performance. I wanted to make this small thread to break down a study that compared a ketogenic diet with a regular higher-carb western diet in natural bodybuilders, focusing on muscle growth, body fat, strength, and other important factors.


There was a study on 19 natural competitive bodybuilders who followed either a ketogenic diet or a higher-carb diet for 8 weeks while keeping their usual training. The main goal was to see how it affected body composition, muscle size, strength, and some blood markers.

Keto Burns Fat but Stalls Muscle Growth
The keto group lost a noticeable amount of body fat and kept their strength gains. Their lifts improved just like the normal western diet group. However, they did not gain much lean muscle. The normal diet group added more lean mass over the same period, so if your main goal is getting bigger, carbs are a must.

Strength Gains and benefits in a KD diet
Muscle strength increased in both groups similarly. This shows you can still get stronger on keto even if you aren’t adding a lot of muscle mass. Keto did improve some health markers more than the normal diet, like lowering blood sugar, insulin, and triglycerides, and reducing inflammation.

Keto or Carb: Which Works Better for Body Composition and Health?
KD can help lose fat while keeping muscle and strength. It does not build as much new muscle as a higher-carb diet but reduce inflammation and increased BDNF, which can support motivation and stress management during training. Depending on your goals and training, you should choose the diet that suits you specifically.

 

[mtbsmasher]

exactly I love doing low carb when cutting and higher carb for bulks its so efficient

 

[chudtotyrone]

Do wtv sounds less gay

 

[TrueOgreGymcel]

All this can be summarized with one simple concept ; carb cycling.
You don't have to pick one or the other ; a balance of the two works wonders. Just prioritize heavy carb loading meals on refeed/training days and follow a low carb diet the rest of the time. Let's not try to reinvent the wheel here.

 

[mXN3L]

.

 

[salosyla]

You increase the water retention with higher carbs. Could explain the difference in muscle mass and similarity in stregth. Keto is superior

 

[Lonely]

You increase the water retention with higher carbs. Could explain the difference in muscle mass and similarity in stregth. Keto is superior

Every bodybuilder is high carb FYI

 

[vi24v_]

You increase the water retention with higher carbs. Could explain the difference in muscle mass and similarity in stregth. Keto is superior

mfs on their regular keto bs

 

[salosyla]

Every bodybuilder is high carb FYI

No shit, u dont need cholesterol while on steroids

 

[Lonely]

No shit, u dont need cholesterol while on steroids

You can get enough dietary fat for all organ needs under 50g a day and that’s pushing it. 25g is sufficient provided you get it from the right sources.

For hormones it’s probably closer to 50g to 100g

 

[salosyla]

You can get enough dietary fat for all organ needs under 50g a day and that’s pushing it. 25g is sufficient provided you get it from the right sources.

For hormones it’s probably closer to 50g to 100g

Based on what

 

[Lonely]

Based on what

I saw it in a dream

 

[salosyla]

I saw it in a dream

I overdosed high meat and idk if im alive rn, hopefully gon see daddy aajonus in heaven

 

[Lonely]

I overdosed high meat and idk if im alive rn, hopefully gon see daddy aajonus in heaven

It’s funny because like every jacked guy eats some meat and gets a decent amount of protein but is almost always high carb and pounds rice, pasta, oats etc

 

[salosyla]

It’s funny because like every jacked guy eats some meat and gets a decent amount of protein but is almost always high carb and pounds rice, pasta, oats etc

Who give a fuck

 

[salosyla]

Like every jacked guy is pinning

 

[Lonely]

Who give a fuck

Like every jacked guy is pinning

You can achieve the same results albeit on a smaller scale by copying them lol

 

[combatingNorwooding]

A lot of people argue about what the most optimal diet for gymmaxxing is. Some say you shouldn’t eat carbs at all, while others say carbs are necessary for energy and performance. I wanted to make this small thread to break down a study that compared a ketogenic diet with a regular higher-carb western diet in natural bodybuilders, focusing on muscle growth, body fat, strength, and other important factors.


There was a study on 19 natural competitive bodybuilders who followed either a ketogenic diet or a higher-carb diet for 8 weeks while keeping their usual training. The main goal was to see how it affected body composition, muscle size, strength, and some blood markers.

Keto Burns Fat but Stalls Muscle Growth
The keto group lost a noticeable amount of body fat and kept their strength gains. Their lifts improved just like the normal western diet group. However, they did not gain much lean muscle. The normal diet group added more lean mass over the same period, so if your main goal is getting bigger, carbs are a must.
View attachment 4617353

Strength Gains and benefits in a KD diet
Muscle strength increased in both groups similarly. This shows you can still get stronger on keto even if you aren’t adding a lot of muscle mass. Keto did improve some health markers more than the normal diet, like lowering blood sugar, insulin, and triglycerides, and reducing inflammation.
View attachment 4617350
Keto or Carb: Which Works Better for Body Composition and Health?
KD can help lose fat while keeping muscle and strength. It does not build as much new muscle as a higher-carb diet but reduce inflammation and increased BDNF, which can support motivation and stress management during training. Depending on your goals and training, you should choose the diet that suits you specifically.

View attachment 4617386

NO CARBS DIET ARE A PROPAGANDA. CARBS ARE A MUST IF YOU WANNA MAXIMIZE MUSCLE GROWTH

 

[salosyla]

NO CARBS DIET ARE A PROPAGANDA. CARBS ARE A MUST IF YOU WANNA MAXIMIZE MUSCLE GROWTH

how come

 

[combatingNorwooding]

exactly I love doing low carb when cutting and higher carb for bulks its so efficient

Literally the most retarded thing you can do

 

[salosyla]

You can achieve the same results albeit on a smaller scale by copying them lol

well they don't really need diatery fat

 

[Lonely]

well they don't really need diatery fat

Neither do you beyond like a small amount

 

[salosyla]

Neither do you beyond like a small amount

You don't need carbs, excess blood sugar is toxic as it creates AGEs. You need fat for energy and hormones

 

[combatingNorwooding]

how come

ENERGY. How can you maximize your muscle growth without consuming the best macro for energy? Workout out is the only way to create stimulus, so you might as well max your sessions by eating a relatively lot of daily carbs

 

[Lonely]

You don't need carbs, excess blood sugar is toxic as it creates AGEs. You need fat for energy and hormones

You absolutely need carbs

Your body will make carbs if it doesn’t have any

It’s the most efficient way of getting energy and is stored in your muscles

Gluconeogenesis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[salosyla]

ENERGY. How can you maximize your muscle growth without consuming the best macro for energy? Workout out is the only way to create stimulus, so you might as well max your sessions by eating a lot of daily carbs

You don't need exogenous sugar for that

 

[salosyla]

You absolutely need carbs

Your body will make carbs if it doesn’t have any

It’s the most efficient way of getting energy and is stored in your muscles

Gluconeogenesis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yeah i meant exogenous

 

[Lonely]

Yeah i meant exogenous

It’s simply more efficient lol

 

[salosyla]

It’s simply more efficient lol

Its just not, gluconeogenis happens every day, in everyones body. Your body can make the exact amount of sugar your body needs

 

[combatingNorwooding]

You don't need exogenous sugar for that

why not? Consuming carbs lowers your perception of effort and your Supra CNS fatigue therefore letting you perform better in the gym thus helping reach high amounts of mechanical tension hence recruiting high threshold motor units=hypertrophy.

 

[Lonely]

Its just not, gluconeogenis happens every day, in everyones body. Your body can make the exact amount of sugar your body needs

You’re right bro it’s better to rely on your body converting one macro to another via an expensive process than to just eat it straight up and have glycogen in your muscles to train hard and stimulate IGF 1

 

[combatingNorwooding]

You’re right bro it’s better to rely on your body converting one macro to another via an expensive process than to just eat it straight up and have glycogen in your muscles to train hard and stimulate IGF 1

No bro but ketogenesis

 

[Lonely]

No bro but ketogenesis

Carnivore bro

 

[salosyla]

You’re right bro it’s better to rely on your body converting one macro to another via an expensive process than to just eat it straight up and have glycogen in your muscles to train hard and stimulate IGF 1

It is, at least ur not creating toxic by product

 

[salosyla]

why not? Consuming carbs lowers your perception of effort and your Supra CNS fatigue therefore letting you perform better in the gym thus helping reach high amounts of mechanical tension hence recruiting high threshold motor units=hypertrophy.

Based on what

 

[mtbsmasher]

Literally the most retarded thing you can do

how so? carbs arent as important when cutting

 

[combatingNorwooding]

how so? carbs arent as important when cutting

They are MORE important when cutting. When you cut your performance is shit since you have less energy. So utilizing high carbs during cut is much more important

 

[mtbsmasher]

They are MORE important when cutting. When you cut your performance is shit since you have less energy. So utilizing high carbs during cut is much more important

depends, i use test or tren when cutting and dont have a problem with energy levels, ig if natty then yea u def need the energy since ur hormones tank

 

[DrLean]

Its just not, gluconeogenis happens every day, in everyones body. Your body can make the exact amount of sugar your body needs

highly stressful on your body to have to constantly be converting

 

[salosyla]

highly stressful on your body to have to constantly be converting

Even if ur on high carb diet u still have gluconeogenesis happening. It's a natural process and not stressful on the body

 

[DrLean]

Even if ur on high carb diet u still have gluconeogenesis happening. It's a natural process and not stressful on the body

it is when ur consistently getting no exogenous carbohydrates they're the preferred source of energy. ur not meant to be in that state for a prolonged period its a stressor