Punching Through Keto Training Myths: You Can Get Fit On Fat

Being on a keto diet means you’ll lose weight quickly but you will be so weak you can’t train, right? 

• Wrong! 

Sure, you restrict your carb intake with keto, but that doesn’t stop you from working out, or building muscle. In this article we are going to look at some common training myths associated with the ketogenic diet and squash them, so you can understand your true fitness potential on this fat-burning diet:

Myth: You Feel Too Ill On Keto To Do Anything

• Truth: For the first couple of weeks some people get keto flu which is where you feel tired, nauseous and generally run down. This is just your body adjusting to a different way of working, and it does pass. Sure, you’ll be a cute little grumper worm at home for a few days, but that’s it. Energy, and good vibes are enroute. 

Myth: You Need Carbs To Build Muscle

• Truth: It isn’t black and white, but there are studies that suggest this is not the case. Carbohydrates are useful in building muscle, but studies have shown that a keto diet doesn’t disrupt muscle-building in certain types of athletes, especially those in a weight class. There are also plenty of keto-based fitness influencers online who are doing more than fine gaining muscle on a low carb diet. 

One thing you can look into if you are looking into doing high intensity exercise on keto is a Targeted Ketogenic Diet which involves consuming carbs during a specific timeframe around when you train. 

Myth: You Can’t Be A Runner On A Keto Diet

• Truth: There are some great examples of runners who are keto, one such runner is Zach Bitter who has been doing great on the diet since 2011. The truth is that long-distance running especially, does well on high-fat as fuel, but shorter, faster racing may require targeted keto as mentioned above. 

Myth: You’ll Lose Your Muscles On Keto

• Truth: It’s Complicated. If you are losing weight, it can be hard to gain because you usually need to increase your calorie intake to grow your muscles. Some evidence also suggests that you can be losing muscle mass even whilst training on keto. 

However, it is also said that you can strip away fat and gain muscle on keto if the diet is right. You may need to focus a little more stringently on the details of what you consume, when you consume it, and the training you do. However, the results could bring keto around in your favour if you are looking to maintain your muscles whilst you effectively drop the pounds. 

“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” - Bethenny Frankel

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It’s true that the keto diet is surrounded by controversy, excitement, and a whole bunch of myths. The best thing you can do if you want to train and make keto gains is to check in with your GP, and do your research. You can train on keto, you just need to know how to do it right.