The Art Of Keto

Dispelling keto misinformation and helping you lose fat.

KETO SUPPLEMENTS

The Best Keto Supplements According To Science For 2020

Often, vitamins and supplements are the first line of defense people look towards when trying to lose weight. What you should keep in mind is no amount of vitamins and supplements can make up for a poor diet.

It is also important to note that supplements are not required to lose weight or gain muscle.

By definition, they are supplemental, meaning something that completes or enhances something else when added to it, in this case, your diet. 

Investing more time, energy, and money into improving your ketogenic nutrition and exercise habits will positively yield better fat loss and muscle gain than any supplement would provide. While this is a hard pill to swallow, no pun intended, it's the reality of the situation.

Believe me, I wish there were a pill that I could buy that would magically burn fat. As the saying goes, if it were that easy, everyone would be doing, or in this case, taking it.

 Very few supplements, regardless of what they say, carry sufficient scientific backing to make it worth investing in and taking. 

That said, I would be lying if I said I didn't spend countless amounts of money on worthless supplements in the attempts to make up for a poor diet and exercise routine In my earlier years. Therefore, you can learn from my mistakes and benefit from my years of research.

What Are The Best Supplements For Keto?

Not all supplements are created equal, even for the ones I'm about to list below. For this reason, I've chosen to break the supplements down into tiers versus rank them best to worst.

Supplements in the higher tier (Tier 1) are the ones you should first consider before looking at the lower levels.

The vitamins and supplements listed down below will be a mix geared towards a wide range of goals, meaning not only fat loss, but sports performance (muscle gain), and general well-being to supplement a healthy keto lifestyle.

 In general, these supplements can be broken down into three key factors: 

  • Safety – Is it safe? Any side effects?
  • Efficacy – Does it do what it claims to?
  • Cost – Is it worth the price?

If you're listed on learning a bit more about nutrition, more specifically about keto, I've given my recommendations on best keto books to further your knowledge.

Best Keto Supplements – Tier 1

There is a great amount of research to support the supplements in this tier, in addition to being relatively inexpensive.

If I were to hedge my bets on supplements that will benefit your ketogenic journey and help improve your performance and physique, these would be them.

Electrolytes or Mineral-Rich Foods

Adding in electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, is an excellent idea for anyone just starting a ketogenic diet. While you might not necessarily need a supplement for electrolytes, it's usually a good idea for many, especially during the transition phase. 

The first couple of weeks can be a challenge as the body is adapting to a reduced number of carbohydrates and glycogen. This decrease in carbohydrates and glycogen results in a significant loss of body water.1 

 This would explain the significant weight loss that you may experience the first week. 

As water leaves the body, levels of sodium, potassium, and magnesium may drop as well.2 A lot of the adverse side effects that people experience within the first few weeks of a ketogenic diet are usually a result of this electrolyte imbalance. 

If you've experienced the keto flu, you may have experienced some or all of these symptoms:

By supplementing electrolytes, you can potentially prevent all of the adverse side effects that many tend to experience.

Of course, you may also get adequate amounts of sodium and potassium from your diet. You must make sure to salt foods liberally and to taste, while also increasing potassium-rich foods, such as dark leafy greens and avocados.

Electrolyte supplement I recommend:

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, functions like a hormone, cells throughout your entire body has a receptor for it.

It is referred to as the sunshine vitamin because your body makes it from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun. Additionally, vitamin D may be found in certain foods, but it is challenging to get from diet alone.

While vitamin D is not specifically deficient for those following ketogenic diet, according to a 2011 study, over 40% of adults in the US are deficient.3

Signs of vitamin D deficiency can include:

  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle weakness
  • Pain 

Since very few foods offer an adequate amount of vitamin D, many health professionals recommend vitamin D supplementation to ensure proper levels.

Supplementing with vitamin D has been associated benefits such as:

  • Increased cognition 4 
  • Immune health 5 
  • Bone health 6 
  • Increased testosterone levels 7 

Of course, the only real way to know if you are deficient is by getting a blood test.

Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it's best taken alongside a meal with fat, which should be hard on a ketogenic diet.

Here is the vitamin D supplement that I take.

Creatine

Creatine is the most studied supplement in the world and has been shown to significantly improve strength and power, enhance muscle hydration, and increase muscle size.8 

The international Society of sports nutrition considers creatine to be the safest and most effective ergogenic aids.

Also, recent data suggests that creatine may even have neuroprotective properties.9 

Anyone with muscle or strength-building goals, which I think should be everyone, should supplement 5 g of creatine monohydrate per day. With a year supply costing you less than $50, can you afford not to supplement creatine?

Here is the creatine that I personally take.

Protein powder

People place too much emphasis on fat intake while on a ketogenic diet, but a high-fat intake is only a byproduct of limiting carbohydrates.

Since fat and carbohydrates are primarily used as energy, when you eliminate one, the other must go up to compensate.

What many people also don't realize is that the more fat you eat in your diet, the less fat your body will need to burn from your body. While it's not as simple as that, in general, this is where many people get stuck in not losing weight or plateauing.

Protein, similar to that of carbohydrates, gets demonized by the ketogenic community. Similar to electrolytes, many individuals find themselves with a protein deficiency, likely due to the advice of some other information found on the Internet.

People following a ketogenic diet sometimes end up with skin, hair (loss), and nail problems. If these symptoms describe you, there may be a chance that you are deficient in protein.

When it comes to protein, too much is better than too little, especially when it comes to changing your body composition (gaining muscle and losing fat). 1011

The amount of protein you need on a ketogenic diet is often a controversial topic. However, when it comes to protein, we know that:

  • Most essential in repairing and building muscle
  • Helps spare lean tissue while dieting
  • Protein is the most thermogenic (burns the most calories during digestion)
  • The most a satiating (feeling of fullness)

When it comes to body recomposition i.e., losing fat and gaining muscle protein is King. 

Protein is the best muscle building and fat burning macronutrient. Therefore, limiting protein intake is counterproductive if looking better is your primary goal. 

What's even worse is when you limit your protein intake due to some arbitrary percentage, or someone fear mongering you in believing that protein will keep you out of ketosis. Ketosis is established by reducing carbohydrates, not eating high-fat, or reducing protein.

Daily protein intake should be calculated depending on body fat and lean mass. For a better idea of how to calculate your protein intake, check out my keto macro calculator.

While protein needs can be met through diet alone, some people find it easier to supplement with a little bit of protein powder. 

Pick any protein powder that suits your preferences and budget. 

Here is the protein powder that I currently consume.

And for the vegan / vegeterians.

Caffeine

Similar to creatine, caffeine has a large body of evidence supporting its use for maximizing acute fat oxidation, prolonged fatigue, increasing strength, improving cognitive function, and much more.

monitor caffeine intake to help sweat on keto

This is one of the main reasons that you will find caffeine in almost all of the fat-burning supplements you see on the shelves today.

For those with the primary goal of fat loss, a low-dose of caffeine may be beneficial before doing cardio.

Additionally, caffeine impacts energy expenditure. Meaning, ingesting caffeine throughout the day burns calories almost in a linear and dose-dependent manner. 

Other benefits of caffeine include:

  • Appetite suppression12 
  • Improved exercise performance13 
  • Better insulin sensitivity
  • Increased muscle glycogen synthesis 

Of course, caffeine affects everyone differently. I can drink a few shots of espresso and go right to bed, and others may become wired after half a cup of coffee. Habitual intake and tolerance of caffeine are significant factors.

Additionally, if you want to learn more about fat burners and keto, check out my article.

And that concludes the Tier 1 vitamins and supplements to help optimize your ketogenic diet.

Ketogenic Supplements – Tier 2

Consider the supplements in this tier as an “insurance policy.” If you're consuming a variety of whole-nutrient-dense foods and eating a portion of fatty fish ~2x per week, you may be covered.

However, there is one supplement listed in particular that you may not be able to get from diet alone.

Fish Oil

Since a ketogenic diet is a relatively high-fat diet, chances are you may be getting enough essential fatty acids. Of course, this is assuming you are eating healthy sources of fats such as:

  • Pasture-raised egg yolks
  • Fatty Fish
  • Grass-fed meats
  • Walnuts

Just to name a few…

That being said, the typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Most people only consume 0.1 to 0.2 g per day when research indicates that you should at least consider 0.3 – 0.5 g. Furthermore, health markers are optimized been consuming between 4 to 6 g per day. 

Deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids can lead to:

  • Fatigue
  • Poor memory
  • Depression
  • Risk of cardiovascular disease

In sum, these effects may negatively impact your fat loss goals.

Also, a study showed that people following a ketogenic diet who also supplemented with omega-3 experience a greater decrease in insulin and inflammatory markers, and decreased triglycerides compared to those who did not.14 

As with any supplement, not all fish oil is created equal. Make sure to choose a reputable brand.

Here is the fish oil supplement that I personally use.

Multivitamin

It may not always be easy to get micronutrient requirements met from foods alone, especially for those who are very active or athletes. 

Furthermore, since most people reading this will be dieting, meeting your daily requirements in a caloric deficit makes it that much harder.

For this reason, and the fact that they are relatively cheap and low risk, you may want to consider supplementing with a daily multivitamin.

You can think of a multivitamin as an insurance policy to make sure your intake is at least meeting the minimum requirements.

When choosing a multivitamin, it is crucial to realize that there is a vast discrepancy in quality from one brand to another. 

Many of the popular brands of multivitamins are filled with cheap ingredients. This usually means that some of the vitamins are significantly less bioavailable versions of the vitamin, not readily absorbed.

Here are two multivitamins brands I recommend:

  1. Pure
  2. Thorne

Magnesium

Research suggests that due to mineral depletion in our soil and magnesium depleting medications, a significant portion of the population has or is at risk of developing a magnesium deficiency.15

Supplementing with magnesium has been shown to help reduce muscle cramps, promote restful sleep, and help regulate blood sugar levels.16

For these reasons, 200 to 400 mg of magnesium per day may be beneficial.

Keto-friendly foods rich in magnesium include:

  • Spinach
  • Mackerel
  • Avocado
  • Pumpkin seeds

When supplementing with magnesium, I prefer to stick to the forms glycinate, gluconate, or citrate.

Here is the magnesium supplement I use.

And that concludes the supplements in Tier 2.

Best Keto Supplements – Tier 3

In Tier 3, these supplements have the potential to be beneficial, but the effects are relatively small, and the scientific results are mixed or few. For any supplements listed in Tier 3 or Tier 4, you should consider the financial cost to benefit and if it is worth it to you. 

Digestive enzymes

A major complaint of those new to the ketogenic diet is the processing and digestion of relatively high amounts of fat. If you're experiencing digestive issues like diarrhea, nausea, and bloating, a digestive enzyme may help with that digestion, more specifically lipase. 

Check the prices of lipase here.

Ashwagandha 

Ashwagandha is considered a natural herbal adaptogen, meaning it has been utilized to help reduce stress and anxiety. 

Many people don't realize that dieting itself, i.e., trying to lose weight, is a stress on the body.

Additional research suggests that ashwagandha may improve strength, glucose uptake, and even testosterone levels.17 1819 

Other benefits include:

  • Enhanced memory 20
  • Increase anaerobic running capacity 21
  • Help thyroid output 22 

While I personally noticed a benefit, I know others who do not experience the same effects. As of now, ashwagandha supplementation seems to be safe, but it needs more long-term research for its efficacy. 

Most research suggests 300 to 500 mg of the root extract per day is a good dose to take, more specifically, the KSM66 version.

This is the ashwagandha supplement I personally use.

MCT Oil

With the rise of bulletproof, aka keto coffee, coconut oil and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT Oil) has been garnering a lot of attention.

MCT oil is primarily found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and dairy fat, and may have a benefit in regards to fat loss among other benefits such as:

  • Improved insulin sensitivity 23 
  • Decrease in cholesterol 24 

For some, MCT oil in their morning coffee or even as a pre-workout may be an effective strategy for decreasing hunger and improving energy. Just be cautious since some people react to MCT oil differently from others, meaning it does cause gastric upset in some individuals.

Start with a low dose of about one teaspoon and gradually work your way up to 1 to 2 tablespoons if you decide to supplement with MCT oil.

Anecdotally, MCT oil has also been shown to help people adapt much quicker to a ketogenic diet since MCT oil increases levels of ketone bodies in the bloodstream. 25

While coconut oil is a good source of MCT's, the reality is you can't get enough of the useful MCT's (C8 and C10) from coconut oil alone. MCT is primarily made from four different types of fatty acids:

  • Caproic acid (C6)
  • Caprylic acid (C8)
  • Capric acid (C10)
  • Lauric acid (C12)

An MCT supplement, or even better, a further extracted supplement of just C8 would be best. Caprylic acid (C8) is what seems to be the acid that has been shown to increase energy, increased ketone production, and even help with weight loss.

Of course, in addition to a sound weight loss diet. 

Here are the MCT products I recommend:

  1. MCT Powder (Use code AOK to save 15% off your ENTIRE order)
  2. C8 Oil
  3. If you prefer a powdered version

 And for the last tier…

Best Keto Supplements To Take – Tier 4

Since this is a ketogenic diet, people have questions related to keto-specific supplements, and for this reason, I included this tier.

First, to address some questions.

Is it the same if I eat carbs but take exogenous ketones?

While you may artificially be in the state of ketosis for a short period while supplementing exogenous ketones, I would say no, as it's not the same.

Will exogenous ketones burn fat?

Exogenous ketones will not directly burn fat but may help with weight loss indirectly. Meaning, if exogenous ketones help suppress hunger, increase energy, or do a combination of both, then yes, it will help with weight loss.

To read more about exogenous ketones, I wrote an article about whether they were worth the cost or worthless.

Exogenous Ketones and Ketone Salt Supplements For Keto

With limited research on exogenous ketones, I would list these along with the salts as luxury supplements to experiment with. 

The efficacy of which I've found these supplements beneficial is during the transition process, possibly after a “cheat day,” and as a pre-workout supplement.

The difference between ketone esters vs. ketone salts is ketone esters are bioidentical versions of the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and ketone salts are not.

Bioidentical simply means the hormones in the product are chemically identical to the ones your body would have produced in a ketogenic state. This isn't to say that ketone salts are useless, but they may not be as effective.

Ketone esters will raise blood ketones far higher than ketone salts. 26 The drawback of ketone esters is that they are significantly more expensive and taste horrendous relative to ketone salts. 

That said, if you would like to give either one a try, here are a few versions of each I would recommend.

Ketone Salts and Ester Recommendation

  1. Perfect Keto BHB (Use code AOK to save 15% off your ENTIRE order)
  2. HVMN Ketone Ester

The Bottom Line

 Taking supplements is a great way to optimize your nutrition and training program, but not make up for them. 

While we all wish there were a magic pill that would help us shed the pounds without trying too hard, the truth is that is still takes a consistent effort with your nutrition to make a meaningful difference.

It's this consistent effort that will allow you to shed the weight but, most importantly, developed great habits and keep the weight off.

At the end of the day, supplements are just there to help you with your journey, not carry you through them. 

How Vitamins May Or May Not Kick You Out Of Ketosis

One thing I wondered when I first started a keto diet was whether or not almost anything would kick me out of ketosis.

So I don't blame you if you're wondering whether or not some of the vitamins you are taking would kick you out.

Can vitamins kick you out of ketosis? Vitamins alone will not kick you out of ketosis unless they are filled with sugar or mixed with something sugary.

In this article, I will go more in-depth about whether or not vitamins will kick you out of ketosis, which vitamins may kick you out of ketosis, and what to look out for.

Can vitamins kick you out of ketosis pinterest

Can Vitamins Kick You Out Of Ketosis?

For the most part, most vitamins that you would purchase in pill form should be relatively safe.

That's not to say that there aren't an occasional few that might kick you out, but still not very likely.

 While specific vitamins, especially capsules, may have undesirable fillers, it wouldn't be enough to kick you out of ketosis. 

That being said, many of the vitamins available at your local retailer tend to use fillers that may contain trace amounts of carbohydrates. Some of the most widely used and notorious fillers are maltodextrin and dextrose, which are basically simple sugars.

But as I stated, the amounts are so minute usually that it isn't worth worrying about.

Of course, if you are taking your vitamins in the form of a drink or possibly even a gummy, then you should consult the nutrition label to see if there are any added sugars. From there, you would decide if taking the vitamins in that form, assuming the carbohydrates fit in your total, is worth it to you.

How You Get In And Stay In Ketosis

Often, some people believe that ketosis is a list of foods, but keto is actually a metabolic state. This metabolic state is achieved by limiting your carbohydrate consumption under a certain amount.

That means, as long as you eat under that amount of carbohydrates, you shouldn't have any trouble getting in or maintaining ketosis. Also, that means you can also get into ketosis without having to eat high-fat or restricting your protein.

The same way you get into ketosis is going to be the same way that you maintain a state of ketosis, which is through carbohydrate restriction. Therefore, as long as you stay with your carbohydrate limits should be generally okay.

I would also like to mention that just because you are in ketosis, it doesn't give you a free ride to eat as much food as you want, assuming weight loss is your goal. While you don't have to count calories, you still know that they do matter as far as weight loss is concerned.

For some more information about ketosis and common questions that people ask about what may kick them out, feel free to give my article about being kicked out of ketosis a read.

Best Vitamins And Supplements For Ketosis

Now that you know what ultimately determines how we get in and staying in ketosis, what are the best vitamins and supplements to add to your ketogenic diet.

First, let me say that vitamins and supplements should be in an add on and support a well-rounded diet. Vitamins and supplements should be added to make up for a poor diet, but rather, help optimize a proper diet.

What you should also know is that the same vitamins and supplements that would be beneficial for any other diet are the same ones that I believe would be beneficial on a ketogenic diet. That said, there are only a few vitamins and supplements I would recommend that would be beneficial according to the current scientific literature.

Those vitamins and supplements in no particular order are:

Vitamin D

Vitamin d ketosis

What most people don't realize is that vitamin D is a steroid hormone produced from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun.

 This is why vitamin D referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.” 

Another interesting fact about vitamin D is that over 41% of the US population is deficient in vitamin D.27 Unless you live in an area with plenty of sunshine year-round, chances are you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

Also, if you're only exposing your face and hands, inside most of the day, or always covered in sunscreen, being in a sunny area may not be enough.

For this reason, I believe vitamin D supplementation can be beneficial for a lot of people.

When supplementing vitamin D, vitamin D3 supplements seem to be more effective in raising vitamin D levels than other vitamin D supplements.

Plus, vitamin D supplements are relatively cheap. Below is a link to the one I personally take.

Check the prices of vitamin D supplements.

Fish oil

Fish oil vitamins and ketosis

While not technically a vitamin, the typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. More specifically, people are deficient in EPA and DHA, which are two fatty acids found in foods such as fish, seaweed, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.

A deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids may lead to fatigue, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, and even poor memory, among many other negative symptoms.

According to research, you should consume about 0.3 to 0.5 g of combined EPA plus DHA per day, and multiple health markers are optimized and consuming anywhere from 4 to 6 g per day.23 

Check the prices of fish oil supplements.

Multivitamin

It may not always be easy to get all of your micronutrient requirements from food alone. In this case, a multivitamin can act as an excellent insurance policy against deficiencies.

While multivitamins are relatively cheap, many of the popular brands are filled with inferior ingredients not readily absorbed. Choosing a high-quality multivitamin may be a step toward enhancing your health, improving your energy levels, which will ultimately help you lose weight in the long term.

These are just a couple of the multivitamins or recommend:

Since this article is about vitamins, I won't go into too much detail about different supplements. If you would like to learn more about various supplements, including fat burners on keto, glucosamine, and even bodybuilding supplements, then check out those articles.

I go over various supplements that can enhance your diet, such as caffeine, creatine, green tea extract, and more.

 Just remember that the best vitamins and supplements don't compare to a great diet, adequate sleep, and sufficient exercise. 

After all, they are called supplements for a reason.

While there are many more such supplements and vitamins that may marginally make a difference, these are what I would consider as vitamins that are safe, effective, and worth the small price.

The Take Away

Vitamins in and of itself will not keep your ketosis. However, if your vitamins are filled with added sugars, such as those found in gummy form, or even in a flavored drink mix, they do carry the potential to kick you out of ketosis.

Therefore, it's always wise to take a vitamin in pill or capsule form, or at the very least, make sure there are no added sugars on the nutritional label.

What vitamins are you currently taking on your ketogenic diet?

How Glucosamine Affects The Ketogenic Diet Or Does It?

I used to take glucosamine at one point in time. During my previous days as an endurance athlete, I would use glucosamine as a little insurance policy for my joints, especially my knees. However, I can't say without a doubt whether I found it useful or not.

Can I take glucosamine on keto? Glucosamine may be taken on a ketogenic diet without kicking you out of ketosis.

In the article I’ll go over whether glucosamine affects ketosis and weight gain, if it’s even worth using, and possibly a better alternative.

Can i take glucosamine on keto pinterest

Does Glucosamine Affect Ketosis?

Understandably, you're wondering whether or not glucosamine affects ketosis. After all, glucosamine is technically an amino sugar, hence the word ‘glucos' in the name, which is another word for sugar.

Early research even suggested that glucosamine could cause insulin resistance. Rest assured, follow up studies cleared glucosamine supplementation and any effect on blood glucose levels, glucose metabolism, or insulin sensitivity.4

As long as you're not consuming glucosamine in a form that contains additional added sugars, such as gummy form or in a ready to drink (RTD) mix, you should generally be ok. 

However, glucosamine does contain calories, and they do come from carbohydrates. On average, a serving of glucosamine sulfate from most brands lists each serving as having ten calories and 2g of carbs, which isn't enough to knock you out of ketosis. 

Glucosamine keto nutrition facts
 While there doesn't appear to be any adverse reaction between glucosamine and insulin, you should consult a medical doctor if you're pre-diabetic or diabetic before supplementing with glucosamine. 

 Also, since glucosamine is derived from shellfish, those with shellfish allergies should take caution if supplementing with glucosamine. 

Things That Knock You Out Of Ketosis

While a single serving of glucosamine isn't enough to knock you out of ketosis, the 2 grams of carbohydrates should be added to your daily carb total if you want to play it safe.

The determining factor whether or not you'll achieve or maintain a state of ketosis is the TOTAL amount of carbohydrates you consume over the day. Ketosis is a metabolic state established by eliminating or restricting carbohydrates under a certain amount.

i.e., If you can eat 50 grams of net carbs per day and maintain a level of ketosis, by which you've tested by measured ketone levels, even eating a small bowl of oatmeal wouldn't necessarily knock you out of ketosis.

How many carbohydrates you can consume in a given period without being knocked out of ketosis is individual, but 20 – 50 grams of net carbs seems to be safe for most people generally.2 

Factors that influence how many carbohydrates you can “get away with” include:

  • Overall body size
  • Muscle mass
  • Activity levels (the most prominent factor)

In essence, the more active you are, the more carbohydrates you can consume and maintain a state of ketosis. Athletes and highly active individuals may be able to get away with upwards of ~100 to 200 grams of carbohydrates and still achieve and maintain a state of ketosis. 

If you have more questions about what will or won't kick you out of ketosis, I've compiled some of the most common questions people have and wrote the truth about what really kicks you out of ketosis.

Athlete on keto taking glucosamine

Benefits of Glucosamine

Most people supplement with glucosamine for joint health. Studies show that supplementing glucosamine sulfate reduces the rate of collagen degradation and symptoms of osteoarthritis.34 

Studies on athletes suggest doses as high as 3,000mg of glucosamine sulfate may be able to slow joint degradation. If you're an athlete participating in high impact sports, glucosamine may be worth considering.5 

Also, glucosamine has even been used to treat conditions due to inflammation. One study found a 28 percent and 24 percent reduction in two markers of inflammation, CRP and PGE.6 

While these numbers aren't statistically significant, it does show there is potentially something happening, but further research must happen before any reliable conclusions.

Typical glucosamine dosage is about 1,500 mg per day, with studies going as high as 2,000 – 3,000mg per day. To supplement glucosamine, 300 – 500mg, three times per day with food seems best. 

Glucosamine sulfate salts followed by glucosamine sulfate are the best way to supplement glucosamine, as shown by the research.

Glucosamine side effects and weight gain

For the most part, glucosamine seems to be safe for most people. Aside from the shellfish allergy, some experience taking glucosamine, possible adverse reaction include7:

  • Heartburn
  • Headaches
  • Drowsiness
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea 

Also, a study in 2013 found glucosamine may increase the risk of glaucoma, a condition that damages your eye's optic nerve.8 Again though, there's nothing definitive about the adverse side effects.

Then, there's the issue of weight gain. Glucosamine will NOT cause you to gain weight. No supplement will inherently cause you to gain weight unless the supplement causes you to overeat. 

The only way to gain weight is by eating more calories than you burn. Likewise, the only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn.

Therefore, the only way glucosamine would be able to cause weight gain would be if it stimulated your appetite, causing you to overeat.

Best supplements for a keto diet

If you're looking for effective supplements to optimize your ketogenic diet or contemplating taking fat burners on keto, there are very few that are shown to be effective. For joint health, collagen may be a better option than glucosamine and chondroitin combined according to one study.9

Compared to the glucosamine and chondroitin group, collagen supplementation was found to reduce pain during exercise by 20 percent versus 6 percent.

Another study in persons with knee osteoarthritis either took 1,500mg of glucosamine sulfate or 10g of hydrolyzed collagen per day over 90 days.10 Those that took hydrolyzed collagen had significant improvement in pain scores and quality of life over the glucosamine group.

Glucosamine knee osteoarthritis keto

In a study of subjects with NO history of arthritis reported that supplementation helped improved knee range of motion almost 8 degrees. Subjects taking collagen also experienced a longer time for joint pain to occur during exercise and faster recovery.11 

Hydrolyzed collagen protein can be bought in supplement form or obtained in collagen-rich foods like bone broth. A dose of 10 grams per day for skin health and minor joint benefits seems to be the dose most studied.

The Takeaway

Glucosamine naturally occurs within your body, and supplementing with it shouldn't kick you out of ketosis. While it appears to be safe for most people, some individuals may experience an adverse reaction, especially those allergic to shellfish.

Another possible supplement that may be worth considering is hydrolyzed collagen protein, which has shown some benefits to joints, contains no carbohydrates, and is rich in glycine.12

[The Top 3] Fat Burners On Keto

We all want to lose weight as fast as possible. It's no wonder why there are hundreds, if not thousands, of fat burners on the market. Naturally, you're wondering if you can combine fat burners with keto to help speed up weight loss, but should you?

Can I take fat burners on keto? Fat burners may be taken on a ketogenic diet without knocking you out of ketosis. Most fat burners offer very little in terms of effectiveness, but fat burners like caffeine are thoroughly studied. 

In this article, I'll go over what fat burners will help increase your weight loss, which ones to stay away from, and other helpful tips to speed weight loss while in ketosis. 

Can i take fat burners on keto pinterest

Do Keto Fat Burners Work? 

Fat burners won't help you magically lose weight, at least not legal ones. No amount of supplements in the world will help you lose weight if you're overeating.

 First and foremost, you must burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. 

Think of fat burners as icing on the cake after you've nailed down your diet and exercise. If you're not exercising, you can probably increase your weight loss on keto more with a short 15-minute walk than with any supplement. 

That aside, fat burners shouldn't knock you out of ketosis if that's what you're worried about. Of course, if the fat burner is a sugar-filled drink, you may get knocked out of ketosis in addition to negating the effects with the extra calories. 

What about carb blockers on keto?

First, if you're on a ketogenic diet, then you shouldn't need carb blockers as you are already restricting them through your diet. Second, there isn't a great deal of scientific evidence that carb blockers do much, if at all. 

In theory, carb blockers work by inhibiting the production of enzymes responsible for digesting carbohydrates. If you can't digest the carbohydrate, you don't get any calories from them, and they should pass out the other end. 

FAT BURNERS ON KETO TP

Not a strategy I would probably rely on.

What Fat Burners Work?

So you have your diet and training in order, what fat burners work? Most fat burners on the market are a mash-up of different ingredients that don't offer much benefit mixed with caffeine.

Keto fat burners or fat burning supplements, in general, are commonly referred to as thermogenics. The majority of weight loss supplements are referred to as thermogenics since the primary mechanism as to how they work is through increased thermogenesis, how your body produces heat. 

By increasing your metabolism through fat burners, you burn more calories, at least that's the goal.

Here are supplements that may be worth considering.

The Top 3 Keto Fat Burners Back By Science

Not all supplements are created equal, and most supplements do nothing at all. For this reason, I've listed the top supplements that may help speed up your weight loss on keto based on three key factors:

  • Safety
  • Effectiveness
  • Cost

Caffeine Pills On Keto

Fat burners on keto caffeine

Most' fat burners' on the market contain a bunch of ingredients, but the main ingredient is usually caffeine. That's because caffeine is one of the only supplements that has a large body of evidence supporting its use. 

Aside from caffeine's use for cognitive function and increasing strength, caffeine has been shown to maximize acute fat oxidation, increases metabolic rate, and Dietary Induced Thermogenesis (DIT) 132 

In essence, DIT if the caloric cost of processing food, in this case, caffeine. DIT is another term used to describe the thermic effect of food (TEF). TEF is the calories we expend digesting and processing the foods we eat and drink.

One cup of coffee or caffeine pill every other hour throughout the day has the potential to burn 150 extra calories. Of course, caffeine's effectiveness and tolerance vary from person to person.

Excessive caffeine supplementation has been shown to decrease sleep quality, which potentially has a more significant effect on fat loss and muscle gain compared to what a supplement can offer. If you're sensitive to caffeine, you may want to skip on the coffee or cut it off early in the day, so it doesn't interfere with your sleep.

Green Tea Extract (EGCG)

Green tea extract, most notably EpiGalloCatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG), is the most abundant and active catechin polyphenol in green tea. Aside from the health benefits of ECGC, there is some evidence supporting its use for fat loss.

One study examining the effects of green tea supplementation used three groups, green tea, and caffeine combined, caffeine by itself, and a placebo with neither caffeine or green tea extract. Researchers found that the group consuming EGCG showed a four percent increase in energy expenditure at rest compared to caffeine supplementation alone.3 

Another study over 12 weeks compared caffeine and EGCG to caffeine alone. While results were not statistically significant, the group stacking the green tea extract with caffeine lost more abdominal fat (~7.7 percent vs. ~0.3 percent).4 

Yohimbine HCL

Yohimbine is a supplement derived from Yohimbine Tree Bark shown to enhance fat loss and decrease appetite.5 Yohimbine will help mostly to mobilize and breakdown stubborn fat. 

Insulin inhibits yohimbine's effectiveness, which makes it a great supplement on a ketogenic diet where insulin is kept low. Still, it's probably best either on an empty stomach or at least 2 to 3 hours after a meal stacked with caffeine before doing cardio. 

Another thing to note, there's no need to worry about “stubborn fat” until you've gotten to relatively low body fat levels where the majority of the fat remaining are those stubborn fatty areas. Additionally, it may also lead to increased anxiety and increased heart rate in some individuals.

Will exogenous ketones speed up fat loss?

Exogenous ketones may help you lose weight by decreasing your appetite, causing you to eat less. One study had subjects take a ketone ester drink after an overnight fast compared to a sugar-filled drink.6 

The group who ingested the ketone ester experienced 50% less hunger, which was attributed to lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin. 

 Aside from reducing appetite, it wouldn't seem that exogenous ketones offer much when it comes to actual fat burning or increasing the metabolic rate. However, exogenous ketones and ketone esters are still be studied. 

Fasted cardio on keto

Fasted cardio on keto

While not a “supplement,” fasted cardio doesn't seem to have any benefits in terms of overall fat loss. However, fasted cardio, in addition to the supplements listed above, may aid in mobilizing and burning stubborn fat when you get to those last few pounds. 

Supplements: Putting it all together

When it comes down to it, very few supplements have the scientific backing to show any efficacy. If I had to put my money on one supplement in terms of effectiveness, it would be caffeine followed by green tea extract, then yohimbine for the very last few pounds. 

Caffeine – 1-2mg/kg every 2 – 4 hours ~3x daily
Green Tea EGCG 125 – 250mg taken with caffeine doses
Yohimbine 0.2 mg/kg (ideally on an empty stomach before cardio for stubborn fat loss)

How To Speed Weight Loss In Ketosis

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

The most significant impact on how fast you lose weight ultimately comes down to diet, followed by non-exercise-activity-thermogenesis (NEAT), the thermic effect of feeding (TEF), and then physical exercise (PA).

Can i take fat burners on keto tdee

NEAT or non-exercise activity thermogenesis is all the activity you perform throughout the day that isn't formal exercise (lifting weights, cardio, etc.). NEAT is everything you do that expends calories, such as tapping your feet, walking the dog, doing the dishes, walking to your car, etc.

Neat vs exercise on keto

Most of us wouldn't think of these activities as ways to burn calories. Still, evidence shows that all of the little things we do every day add up and make a considerable amount of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). NEAT can vary as much as 2,000 calories between people with similar heights and weight.7 

All things equal, this may be why a friend of similar build may lose weight quickly, eating roughly the same amount of calories. 

NEAT is also a significant reason why weight loss begins to slow down as you lose weight. Aside from expending fewer calories due to moving a smaller body, you subconsciously start to move less and less. 

Losing weight isn't exactly something your body wants to do. As a result, one of the ways your body tries to outsmart you is by decreasing your energy, causing you to move less.

One effective method I've found to monitor your NEAT is by using a daily step count using your phone or another fitness tracker such as an Apple Watch or Fitbit. 

For example, If you currently average 4,000 steps per day, try aiming for 6,000 steps per day. At the very least, maintain your step count to ensure it's not one of the reasons you're no longer losing weight on keto.

Parking a little further, walking to the grocery store across the street instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or even playing a little extra with your children and pets begin to add up. 

Increased neat for fat burner on keto
 NEAT is an easy way to expend calories that doesn't require any formal exercise, nor is taxing on the body. 

Picking up a hobby you've been putting off or finally getting around to mowing the lawn and doing your spring cleaning are easy ways to expend calories.

Increase protein intake

Remember, dietary-induced thermogenesis (DIT) from our caffeine talk? It takes energy to digest food (TEF), and protein is the most costly macronutrient when it comes to digestion at 20 to 35 percent of its calories lost through digestion. 

Compare protein to fat, which only has a DIT of 0 to 3 percent, and that's a significant difference. Protein contains nitrogen, which is removed before amino acids can be put to use for energy-demanding processes, which makes the DIT of protein so high.

Consider exchanging some of your fat grams for protein grams in a 1:1 exchange. You may even exchange 2 grams of protein for 1 gram of fat since fat has nine calories per gram, and protein contains four calories per gram. 

Most people on ketogenic diets are under-consuming protein as it is. Head to the keto macro calculator to get a general ball-park of how much protein on keto you need and to calculate the rest of your macros.

 Just remember, too much protein is better than too little. 

Protein also produces the highest satiety of any macronutrient, so it's a win-win.

Altering your diet, most notably, your total calories will have the biggest impact with Increasing weight loss on keto. 

Ketosis Fat Burning Rate

Sometimes we take fat burners in an attempt to speed up the process, but how fast should you be losing weight? 

While you may see rapid weight loss during the first couple of weeks on a ketogenic diet due to glycogen and water loss, weight loss inevitably slows down. How fast you lose weight versus how quickly another person loses weight will vary based on a lot of different factors. 

When it comes to fat burning, I often suggest a rate of 0.5 to 1 percent of body weight per week. For very overweight individuals, this number can be upwards of 1 to 2 percent of body weight per week. 

For a 200 pound individual, you would be looking at losing between one to two pounds per week. By auto-regulating weight loss to a percentage of body weight per week, weight loss will scale down as you become smaller. 

Fat burners on keto weight loss rate

Losing at too fast of a rate is generally unsustainable and increases the risk of muscle loss. Muscle loss not only slows your metabolism but often leads to looking “skinny-fat,” which is opposite of what you're probably after. 

There's a time and a place for faster weight loss, such as meeting a deadline or kickstarting a diet, but as a general rule, one percent per week is a good starting point.

The Takeaway

In reality, “fat burning supplements” pale in comparison to altering your diet and exercise. However, they do have their place and may make a small difference if your diet and training are in order. 

The most notable fat burner to compliment your ketogenic diet is caffeine, followed by caffeine with green tea extract (ECGC) and saving yohimbine for stubborn fat at the tail end of a diet. 

Have any questions about any other fat burning supplements? Leave them in the comments down below.

How To Bulk On Keto Without Getting Fat

For whatever reason, there's a lot of misconception about how to bulk on keto and gain quality muscle. In fact, some people question whether or not you can put on any muscle while following a low-carb or ketogenic diet.

Not only have I cut on keto, but I’ve successfully bulked up and added muscle to my frame while on a ketogenic diet. 

How to bulk on keto? To bulk on keto, you must make sure you’re in a caloric surplus, eating sufficient protein, and providing the necessary muscular tension to gain muscle. 

In this article, I’ll go over how to bulk on keto WITHOUT getting fat, how to calculate your keto bulking macros, and even a few examples of keto bulking meals.

How to bulk on keto pinterest

How To Bulk On Keto

First, let’s address the elephant in the room 8 You certainly CAN build muscle on a ketogenic diet. I and plenty of others have managed to do so. 

By the time you’re done reading this, hopefully, you will have the knowledge and confidence to go out and have a successful keto bulk as well. Now, this isn’t an article meant to tell you whether or not keto is the best or most optimal way to bulk, but rather how to build muscle on keto effectively.

Building Muscle On Keto

Building muscle on keto can be broken down to a few factors, most notably, your total energy (calorie) intake, having sufficient protein, and progressive overload via resistance training. 

First and foremost, the most optimal training and nutrition won’t mean a thing if you can’t stick to it. Learn to pick and choose your battles to avoid feeling burned out and making your approach unsustainable. 

  • Adherence
  • Energy balance
  • Macronutrients
  • Micronutrients
  • Nutrient timing
  • Supplements
Bulk on keto order of importance

Keto Adaptation Period

If you’re transitioning to a ketogenic diet, it will take three to four weeks on average for your body and brain to adjust utilizing free fatty acids (FFA) and ketones as its primary fuel source. While the transition period affects everyone differently, you may notice a decrease in performance during this time.

The worst thing you could do during this period is to throw in the towel on your keto bulk. Rest assured, your performance and strength in the gym should return and likely increase after this period if it decreases at all.

Another thing to note, during the first few weeks of a ketogenic diet, protein requirements should be increased due to the increased rate of gluconeogenesis.2

One hundred fifty grams of protein should be the minimum amount of protein during the adaptation-phase to achieve nitrogen balance. This amount will serve to supply enough amino acids and prevent muscle breakdown during the keto-adaptation phase.3 

How Many Calories To Bulk On Keto?

There’s often a misconception of how many calories one should consume to gain weight, more importantly, lean mass. After all, your goal isn’t simply to gain weight; it’s to put on muscle. Once you hit a specified rate of gain, a disproportionate of it will be fat.

A study by Garthe et al. on elite performance athletes led the non-control group to gain ~5x more fat mass than the control-group eating ad-libitum.4 On average, the calorie intake of the non-control group was only ~500-600 calories more than the control group. Yet, they didn't gain any notable amount of lean body mass over the control group, only a significant amount of fat mass.5 

Bulk on keto too much

So How Fast Should You Bulk?

Some key factors usually dictate the rate at which you can gain muscle:

  • Current body composition 6
  • Training experience 7 
  • Detrainee 8 

Current body composition

Before getting started, as a general rule, I recommend men over 18% body fat and women over 28% body fat to first begin with a cutting phase before trying to bulk on keto. I say to cut first because doing so will set you up for long term success allowing more calories to be partitioned towards muscle versus fat when you do decide to do your keto bulk. 

Additionally, losing some fat can offer a drastic change to your appearance, often making you look more muscular. After all, the ultimate goal is to look more jacked. If you’re interested in the BEST way to lose fat on keto, I wrote about that in detail, 12,000+ words, to be exact. 

These aren’t black and white rules, but it’s an excellent place to start, especially if you’re wondering if you’re on the fence of whether to cut or bulk first. 

Training experience

In short, the more training experience you have, the closer you’ll likely be to your natural genetic limit. As a consequence, the more advanced you are in the weight room, the more difficult it will be for you to gain lean mass.

Conversely, if you are new to weight training, you should theoretically be able to gain muscle much faster, possibly while simultaneously losing fat (i.e., body recomposition). 

What’s this mean for you? 

If you’re a beginner, you can use a more substantial caloric surplus with less risk of gaining fat. When you’re advanced, a large caloric surplus will lead to more fat gain rather than muscle, since you are more “resistant” to muscle gain. 

Categorizing training experience for your bulk 9 

  • Beginner: 0-2 years of lifting on average.
  • Intermediate: 2-5 years of training on average.
  • Advanced: 5+ years of serious lifting on average.

Detrainee

BULK ON KETO MYONUCLEI

If you used to lift weights routinely way back when there may be good news for you, it’s much easier to re-build lost muscle than it is to build that muscle from scratch.

If you’ve ever heard of the phrase ‘muscle memory,’ it turns out that it does exist. The old school bodybuilders were onto something when they noticed this phenomenon occurring. 

It turns out that the nuclei in the muscle (myonuclei) created during hypertrophy (muscle growth) is never lost, even though the muscle fibers decrease in size (atrophy) due to inactivity. Once you begin training again, the myonuclei can signal muscle growth much quicker than had you never trained before.10 11 

A de-trainee could potentially fall under the category of beginner since they're often able to achieve the same results as a beginner would in respect to muscle gain and fat loss.

How To Calculate Your Keto Bulking Calorie Surplus

Now that I’ve outlined the different scenarios, you should have a good idea of where you might fall on the spectrum from beginner to an advanced trainee. The below recommendations will outline how much of a surplus you should generally be in to maximize muscle gain, but while minimizing the amount of fat gain. 

All numbers are relative to theoretical caloric maintenance. 12

A more accurate body fat test such as a DEXA scan, bodpod, and other similar method should be utilized to determine body fat percentage. If you want to take a stab at guessing I've included a visual guide below for reference.

  • Beginner – Male < 12% body fat | Female < 22% body fat – ~25% caloric surplus 
  • Intermediate – Male < 12% body fat | Female < 22% body fat – ~15-20% caloric surplus
  • Advanced – Male < 12% body fat | Female < 22% body fat – ~10-15% caloric surplus
  • Beginner – Advanced Male ~13-18% body fat | Female ~23-28% body fat – ~5-10% caloric surplus

If you want to make things even more straightforward, a good rule of thumb is to eat between 100 – 300 calories above maintenance. Beginners and detainees would stick more toward the higher end while intermediate and advanced will gravitate toward the 100 – 200 calorie surplus range. 

You should expect to gain 1 – 4 pounds of weight on average per month. Again, beginners and detainees will want to stick with the higher range of ~4 pounds per month, while intermediate and advanced trainees should be closer to the ~2 pounds per month. 

If you do not see the appropriate amount of weight gain, increase calories by an additional ~5-10% until you achieve the desired rate of gain.

How To Calculate Maintenance Calories On Keto

Maintenance calories are the number of calories needed to maintain your weight. While the number of calories will vary slightly day to day, our goal is to calculate what our average theoretical maintenance is to calculate our surplus.

Bodybuilding keto calculator

There are three general methods I like to use to calculate maintenance calories:

  1. Use a formula
  2. Use a simple multiplier
  3. Food diary

Use a formula

There are a few popular formulas for calculating your maintenance calories. These calculators usually take into account your height, weight, lean mass, and activity level. 

I won’t go into too much detail about the formula in this article. I’ll point you to our keto macro calculator, where it takes the average of the most popular formulas in an easy to use plug and play fashion and gives you a number. 

Use a simple multiplier

A simple way to calculate maintenance calories for most people is to use the simple multiplier method. Take your body weight in pounds (lbs) and multiply it by 14 to 16. 

If you are less active or a smaller individual, stick to 14. If you fall on the heavier or more active side, perhaps start with 16 as your multiplier. You’ll find that if you use the keto macro calculator and select maintain as your goal, that these numbers should be pretty close.

Food diary

Using the food diary method is the most time consuming, but it is the MOST accurate method compared to the previous two. If you have the patience or were previously tracking, then I would recommend this method over the previous ones mentioned.

A little caveat, if you HAVEN’T transitioned to a ketogenic diet yet, these numbers may be skewed. Water fluctuations within the first two weeks of adopting a ketogenic diet are normal but don’t give us consistent enough data to determine our maintenance calories. If you find yourself in this scenario, I would first get the ball rolling with your keto diet and start tracking starting on the third week after the dust settles. 

To use the food diary method:

  • Track body weight and calories every day for two weeks and average them out
  • Determine average weight gained or lost
  • Determine your maintenance calories based on weight gained or lost
  • If your weight remained the same, then you’ve found your caloric maintenance
  • If you lost weight, assuming you need a 500 calorie deficit per day to lose one pound per week, you could determine your maintenance by calculating how much of a deficit you were in.
 Example: If you ate 2,500 calories per day on average and lost 0.5 pounds between the first and second week, then to calculate maintenance:
(2,500 + .5 x 500 = 2,500 + 250 = 2,750 calories) 

An additional example

 Example: if you ate 2,500 calories per day on average and GAINED 0.5 pounds between the first and second week, then to calculate maintenance:
(2,500 – .5 x 500 = 2,500 – 250 = 2,250 calories) 

Whichever method, take your maintenance calories and add the appropriate surplus based on the appropriate percentage outlined in the previous section.

How To Calculate Your Keto Bulking Macros

To calculate our bulking macros on keto is pretty straight forward. After all, we are limiting or eliminating carbohydrates from the equation, thus making protein and fat the only variables we have to worry about it. 

Once calories are determined and carbs limited (to whatever number you are sticking with, but generally 0 to 50 net carbohydrates for most), our next step is to determine protein intake. The amount of protein needed to optimize muscle gain is a highly debated topic. Still, there’s one thing that’s certain; protein is the most essential macronutrient when it comes to repairing and building muscle. 13 

How Much Protein To Bulk On Keto

How much protein for keto bulk

By nature, a ketogenic diet is protein sparing through a variety of mechanisms, making it an excellent diet for those wishing to lose fat while retaining as much lean mass as possible. Combine a diet that is protein sparing with a caloric surplus, and you may be wondering just how much protein you may need to build muscle optimally. 

To make this as simple as possible, the recommendation for protein while bulking on keto will default to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. 14 However, if you prefer more protein due to preference or satiety purposes 15, you may increase this number to 1.6 grams, but per pound of LEAN BODY MASS, not weight.

There is a reason to believe that higher intakes of protein may be optimal for muscle gain and body recomposition1617, but 1 gram per pound of body weight is a fast and straightforward general rule. Whether you prefer more or want to experiment with higher intakes is left for you to decide. 

If you are unsure of your body fat percentage, and do not have access to get it accurately tested, utilize the visual chart below to get a rough estimate:

VisualBodyFat for bulk on keto

How Much Fat To Bulk On Keto

Since we calculated our caloric surplus, limited our carbs, and picked a protein level… the only macronutrient left is fat. 

This macronutrient is the easiest to calculate. By default, all the remaining calories after carbohydrates and protein will come from fat.

Example: A 200lb male

  • 3,000 calories
  • 50g of carbohydrates x 4 calories per gram = 200 calories
  • 200g of protein x 4 calories per gram = 800 calories
  • 200 + 800 = 1,000 calories from carbohydrates and protein leaving 2,000 calories from fat
  • Fat has 9 calories per gram (2,000 / 9 = 222 grams of fat)

Bill’s calories and macros for his keto bulk are 3,000 calories, 200 grams of protein 222 grams of fat, and 50 grams of carbohydrates.

How Frequent To Eat On Your Keto Bulk

It seems as if the entire ketogenic community is doing some version of intermittent fasting (IF), whether it’s 16:8 or one meal a day (OMAD). While you can still gain muscle using an intermittent fasting eating schedule, it may not be the most optimal. However, if you prefer to eat this way due to adherence or preference, you can still make progress. 18

 What’s most important is your total calories and total protein intake, but if you wish to maximize your gains further, the rest of this section is for you. 

If you’re looking to make the MOST gains possible during your keto bulk, and willing to do everything necessary to maximize muscle gain, I suggest a meal frequency of approximately three to five meals per day. Spreading out your protein in three to five meals will help maximize muscle building for reasons I will outline below.

You see, there are a minimum AND a maximum amount of protein per meal that helps to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Eating any more protein than this amount will not stimulate MPS any higher, and not eating enough protein won't maximally stimulate MPS.

Muscle protein synthesis is the process of building muscle protein, the opposite of muscle protein breakdown (MPB). 

Both MPS and MPB are happing all the time, and it is the sum of these two processes that determine your net balance. If muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown, your muscles will grow. 

You may be wondering, why can’t you consistently eat boluses of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis? Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) experiences a ‘muscle full effect.’ MPS can be stimulated for a short period, after which a refractory period ensues and will not respond to any more amino acids. 

MPS peaks 90 to 120 minutes post-meal, after which MPS returns rapidly to baseline.1920 

For most individuals, 20 grams of protein in one sitting is enough to stimulate protein synthesis while going up further to 40 grams of protein may yield you a 10 – 20% increase.2122 

Smaller individuals may get by with 20 grams, while larger individuals should aim closer to the 40 grams per meal. To be more specific, 0.40 g/kg/meal is what you should aim for to maximize MPS response. 

Keto Bodybuilding Supplements

Keto supplements for bulking

Supplements are the last 5 – 10% that can potentially take your training and nutrition to the next level. Consider supplements only after you have all the other big rocks in place. 

 Supplements are NOT REQUIRED to gain muscle, and fine-tuning your nutritional and training approach will yield you better results than any supplement. 

Remember, they are called supplements for a reason. They are meant to supplement your diet and training, not make up for it. Subpar diet and exercise couldn’t be made up for with all the supplements in the world. 23 

Not all supplements are created equal. The truth is, most supplements on the market will offer very little to no benefit. When considering if you should take a supplement, ask the following:

  • Is it worth the cost? 
  • How effective is it?
  • Are there any adverse side effects?

While cost is subjective, the other two are not. Based on the criteria outlined above, these are the supplements I would recommend or are worth considering.

Highly recommended supplements for your keto bulk 

Protein powder

Think of protein powder as a powdered version of a chicken breast or egg whites. There is nothing magical about protein powder that you couldn’t get from eating whole foods. However, protein powder is a convenient and effective way to reach your daily protein requirements when you don’t have the time or the appetite to eat solid food.

Creatine

Creatine is the most studied and effective supplement shown to increase performance and muscle size.24 Additionally, creatine has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective properties.25

Any brand of creatine with the main ingredient “creapure” is fine. ~5g of creatine per day, any time of the day is recommended.

Check prices for creatine here.

Caffeine

Evidence supports the use of caffeine for increasing strength, prolonging fatigue, cognitive function, and much more.26 

If looking to maximize strength and performance, doses between 3-6mg/kg are what’s shown to be effective. 

The more frequent you use caffeine, the less effective it becomes. Essentially, over time, your body begins to build a tolerance to caffeine.

 To maintain the effectiveness of caffeine, reserve it for your hardest workouts, or cycle off of caffeine periodically. 

Check the prices of caffeine here.

Supplements worth considering for your keto bulk

Multivitamin

While it’s recommended to try and fill your nutrition needs from unprocessed whole foods, It’s not always easy to fill your micronutrient requirements from diet alone, especially for athletes. 

Think of a multivitamin as a micronutrient insurance policy. However, not all multivitamins are created equal. Some multivitamins include forms of vitamins that are less bioavailable. Subpar types of particular vitamins make the vitamin less effective, if at all. 

A few multivitamins I recommend:

Fish oil (Essential Fatty Acids)

The typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Deficiency in Omega 3 fatty acids may lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, fatigue, poor memory, depression, and other negative symptoms. 27

A great way to increase your intake of EFA’s in your diet is by consuming fatty fish, grass-fed meats, and pasture-raised eggs. Supplementation wise, certain studies suggest that you may benefit from increased absorption with krill oil over fish oil, though not conclusive. 

Around 2g of combined EPA and DHA per day is recommended.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is considered an herbal adaptogen, a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress. Further research suggests it may improve strength performance and even testosterone levels.28 

When supplementing with ashwagandha, choose one with the KSM-66 stand of ashwagandha, the most studied in the literature. An average dose of ashwagandha is between 500mg to 1,000mg and suggested to be taken either post-exercise or before bed. 

Check current prices for ashwagandha here.

Best Way To Gain Muscle On Keto?

I’ve gone over how to set up your keto bulk to maximize muscle gain while limiting fat gain, which is inevitable when eating in a surplus. Specific individuals may achieve body recomposition, which is simultaneously gaining muscle while losing fat, but usually only occurs under a variety of circumstances.

If you’re serious about taking up a keto diet and bodybuilding, I’d suggest giving my other article a read. In my keto diet bodybuilding guide, I go over all the different aspects of setting up your diet, training, nutrition, and other important, but often overlooked aspects of gaining muscle in an 8,000+ word article.

The Takeaway 

Muscle can effectively be built on a ketogenic diet as it can on a standard diet based on carbohydrates. Many of the same principles apply whether you’re keto or not. That is, the most critical factors are sufficient energy intake (calories) and progressive overload (resistance training).

The most important thing you can do is to pay close attention to your biofeedback and make adjustments as necessary to both your training and nutrition to ensure continued progress.

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