What is the cyclic ketogenic diet? All you need to know

The ketogenic diet is a diet high in fat and very low in carbohydrates.

When on a ketogenic diet, you normally limit carbohydrates to less than 50 grams per day (1).

When carbohydrate consumption is significantly reduced, your body must burn fat to produce energy instead of glucose or blood sugar, according to a process called ketosis.

In case of ketosis, your body uses ketones – by-products of the breakdown of fat produced by your liver – as a source of alternative energy (2).

Although the cyclic ketogenic diet is a variation of the standard ketogenic diet, there are major differences between the two.

A cyclic ketogenic diet involves adhering to a standard ketogenic diet protocol 5-6 days a week, followed by 1-2 days of higher carbohydrate consumption.

These high carbohydrate days are often called "recharge days" because they are meant to replenish your body's depleted glucose stores.

If you are on a cyclic ketogenic diet, you are leaving ketosis on the days of re-eating in order to enjoy the benefits of consuming carbohydrates for a temporary period.

The cyclic ketogenic diet is popular among those looking for muscle growth and improved physical performance.

Although research to support this claim is lacking, some people assume that the cyclic diet is superior to the standard version for strengthening strength and muscles.

Is it the same as Carb Cycling?

The cyclic ketogenic diet is often compared to the carbohydrate cycle – but it's not the same thing.

Cycling carbs involves reducing carbohydrates on certain days of the week and increasing your consumption of others. As a general rule, each week is divided between 4 and 6 days of lower carbohydrate consumption and between 1 and 3 days of higher consumption.

Even though the method is the same, the carbohydrate cycle does not reduce overall carbohydrate consumption drastically enough to reach ketosis.

Carbohydrate cycling is often used to promote weight loss, improve athletic performance and encourage muscle growth (3).

summary The keto cyclic diet is to change the standard keto diet with higher carb days to bring your body to ketosis.

There is no standard set of rules for a cyclic ketogenic diet.

However, anyone wishing to start taking it should follow a standard ketogenic diet 5-6 days a week, adding 1-2 days of higher carbohydrate intake.

Stick to a standard Keto diet 5-6 days a week

During the usual ketogenic days, it is important to consume less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day.

During this phase of the keto cyclic diet, healthy fats should provide about 75% of your total caloric intake.

Healthy fat options include:

• Eggs
• Coconut oil and unsweetened coconut
• Lawyer
• Fat dairy products
• Low carb nuts and seeds
• Nut butters
• Fatty meat
• MCT oil

Proteins should account for about 15 to 20% of your total caloric intake, while carbohydrate intake is usually limited to less than 10% (4).

Be sure to follow the standard keto diet 5 to 6 days a week.

Increase carbohydrate consumption 1-2 days a week

The second phase of the keto cyclic diet is to choose 1-2 days a week to "replenish" your glycogen stores.

During the days of re-diet, you should consume more carbs to overcome ketosis.

The days of re-feeding:

• Carbohydrates should be 60 to 70% of your total caloric intake.
• Protein should be 15 to 20% of your total caloric intake.
• Fats should only provide 5 to 10% of your total caloric intake.

Although the goal of the replenishment phase is to increase the number of carbohydrates, carbohydrate quality also counts.

Instead of relying on unhealthy sources like white bread and baked goods, you should get the majority of your carbs from healthy sources.

Here are some examples of nutritious and complex carbohydrates:

• Sweet potatoes
• Butternut squash
• Brown rice
• L & # 39; oats
• quinoa
• Whole wheat or brown rice pasta
• Beans and lentils

These carbohydrates are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, which nourish your body and stabilize blood sugar levels.

Avoid high-sugar foods and beverages, such as sweets, fruit juices, soft drinks and cakes, as they are devoid of nutrients and cause irregularities in blood sugar levels that can cause increased hunger and irritability (5, 6).

Return to ketosis quickly

After days of high carbohydrate meals, you should consider intermittent fasting to quickly return to ketosis.

The most common intermittent fasting method is fasting 16 hours a day.

High intensity workouts in the days following the feeding are also recommended to achieve ketosis while optimizing muscle growth.

summary In the keto-cyclic diet, you follow a standard ketogenic diet most days of the week, then "re-fuel" with high-carbohydrate foods a few days a week.

Research on the cyclic ketogenic diet is very limited. Nevertheless, this can offer advantages.

Can help muscle gain

Although some evidence suggests that the standard keto diet is effective at building lean body mass in resistance-trained athletes, some argue that the cyclic version is better for muscle growth (7).

Anabolic hormones, such as muscle building, are suppressed during very low carb diets such as the keto diet (8, 9).

Insulin regulates muscle growth by allowing amino acids and glucose to enter muscle cells, increasing protein synthesis and reducing protein breakdown in muscle tissue (10).

The use of the cyclic keto diet to increase the insulin level strategically some days could allow you to use the anabolic effects of insulin to promote muscle growth.

Do not forget that there is not enough research on this diet to prove the effectiveness of this method.

May boost performance in athletes

The carbohydrate diet can benefit elite athletes who follow very low carb diets.

A study conducted with 29 elite walkers revealed that athletes enjoyed a high periodic intake of carbohydrates – although she did not specifically test the keto cyclic diet.

The study found that walkers who received periodic high-carbohydrate meals before workouts had significant improvements in performance compared to those on a standard keto diet (11).

The researchers concluded that athletes who regularly consumed a lot of carbohydrates had seen their performance improve, unlike those who followed a strict diet.

Decrease side effects related to keto

The ketogenic diet is associated with unpleasant side effects known as keto flu.

Symptoms of keto flu include nausea, fatigue, headache, constipation, weakness, trouble sleeping and irritability (12).

These symptoms appear when your body is struggling to adapt to the use of ketones as the main source of fuel.

Cycling in carbohydrates 1 to 2 days a week can reduce these symptoms.

Add more fiber to your diet

Constipation is a common problem for people who switch to the keto diet.

Some people find it difficult to get enough fiber by eating foods rich in fat and carbohydrates.

Although it is possible to consume enough fiber with a standard keto diet, switching to a cyclic ketogenic diet can make it much easier.

During the days of re-feeding, high fiber carbohydrates, such as oats, sweet potatoes, beans and quinoa, are allowed.

Makes the Keto Diet easier to follow

The keto diet is associated with a variety of health benefits, such as weight loss, glycemic control and reduced risk of heart disease. However, it can be difficult to follow in the long term (13).

Because you have to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake to achieve ketosis, many healthy, but high carbohydrate foods are banned.

By following the cyclic keto diet, you can eat high carbohydrate foods on re-diet days, which can make the diet more sustainable in the long run.

However, as there is currently little research on the keto-cyclic diet, its long-term benefits are unknown.

summary Cyclic keto diet can reduce the symptoms of keto-flu, make the standard keto diet more feasible, improve athletic performance, increase fiber intake and promote muscle growth.

Since research on the keto cyclic diet is limited, its side effects are largely unknown.

Until the studies on the plan are complete, it is impossible to determine all its effects.

Keep in mind that many people can eat too many calories on meal days, which goes against the benefits of a standard keto diet for weight loss.

In addition, it should be noted that the transition from a keto diet to a cyclic keto diet can result in temporary weight gain, mainly due to an excess of water retained during consumption. Foods rich in carbohydrates.

In fact, your body stores every gram of carbohydrates in the muscle with at least 3 grams of water (14).

For those looking to increase their muscle mass or improve their athletic performance, it is not known if the cyclic keto diet is more effective than the standard diet.

As research supports the standard keto diet for muscle growth and the physical performance of athletes, it may not be necessary to switch to a cyclic keto diet solely for these benefits (15, 16).

summary Although there is little known about the potential side effects of the cyclic keto diet, it can be easy to consume too many calories on the days of refeeding.

A cyclic ketogenic diet involves adhering to a standard keto diet 5 to 6 days a week, followed by 1 to 2 days of higher carbohydrate intake.

Although this method claims to reduce the symptoms of keto-flu, improve sports performance and promote muscle growth, research on its effectiveness and its potential disadvantages is lacking.

Whatever type of keto diet you choose, it's always important to choose healthy, nutrient-rich foods to achieve your goals.