Can the Ketogenic Diet Improve Muscle Mass?

There is a lot of confusion surrounding weight loss and muscle mass. It is frequently claimed that the ketogenic diet is responsible for muscle loss as the body recruits amino acids from muscle to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. However, studies have repeatedly shown that this isn’t the case when the keto diet is correctly followed.

It’s a challenge to begin a diet as intensive as the ketogenic diet – but the payoffs are worth it. As long as you understand what your body needs, and how to adhere to the ketogenic diet, your body will thank you.

Let’s dispel those myths about the ketogenic diet contributing to muscle mass loss.

Studies show that weight loss from very low carb diets contributes to fat loss, not muscle loss.1

Several studies have been done to examine how very low carb diets (such as the ketogenic diet) affect weight loss. One study found that ketogenic weight loss is “rapid, consistent, and almost exclusively from body fat stores.”2

Another recent study examined the effects of a six-week ketogenic diet in healthy, normal-weight men. The results confirmed that fat mass significantly decreased while muscle mass increased.3

This demonstrates that by adhering properly to the ketogenic diet, virtually your entire weight loss will be from body fat, not muscle mass. In fact, studies show that the ketogenic diet – when followed properly – aids in the preservation and synthesis of muscle mass.

People who follow the ketogenic diet see an increase in leucine, the amino acid that slows the degradation of muscle.4

An increase in leucine interacts with insulin, which aids in the maintenance of muscle mass. Keep in mind, in order for this to work, those on the ketogenic diet should have a healthy intake of protein. Recent studies show that the ketogenic diet increases muscle proteins.

Not only that, but leucine is instrumental in promoting protein synthesis, which rebuilds and repairs muscle tissue. No protein synthesis, no muscle gains.

Lower blood sugar in those on the ketogenic diet naturally increases growth hormones that result in better muscle gains.5

With an increase in dietary protein comes an increase in natural growth hormones which spurs muscle protein synthesis. A study found that people who stuck with a ketogenic diet for only seven days experienced a two-fold increase in growth hormones that contribute to increased muscle mass. This clearly shows how important protein is for muscle health.

So before drawing a conclusion about the effect on the ketogenic diet on muscle health, don’t be afraid to dive into some research. You might be pleasantly surprised at the findings.