WORKOUTS AND THE KETO DIET: HOW TO DO THEM CORRECTLY

Exercise is critical for establishing a healthy body and maintaining an active lifestyle while on the Keto diet. However, the Keto diet alters how your body obtains energy in comparison to a traditional diet that relies on carbohydrates. This can have an effect on how your body responds to exercise while in ketosis. As a result, it's critical to plan ahead to get the most out of your workout on the Keto diet.

We'll cover everything you need to know about exercising on Keto to ensure that your body responds the way you want and expect it to. We'll discuss how frequently you should exercise and how you should fuel your workout.

How Do You Conform to the Keto Diet Correctly?

To get the most out of your Keto diet, you'll want to closely monitor your macronutrient intake prior to exercising and engage in activities that won't deplete your energy and keep you in ketosis. This can be a difficult balance to strike, but once you find your groove, it can be an effective strategy for losing weight without losing muscle.

Keeping an Eye on Your Macros Prior to Working Out

To avoid stress and drag during your workout, you should fuel your body with proteins and carbohydrates.

Selecting Healthy Carbohydrates

While the majority of people on the Keto diet strive to keep their carbohydrate intake between 20 and 35 grams per day, it is critical to consume some of these carbs prior to exercise to maintain energy levels.

Additionally, if you are extremely active, you may wish to increase your carbohydrate intake to compensate for the increased intensity of your workout. If you choose wisely, this increase should not knock you out of ketosis.

As part of a targeted Ketogenic diet, you should eat 25-50 g of digestible carbs within a half-hour of working out. Then your body can immediately use all the glucose for energy during your workout and not disrupt ketosis.

Watching Your Protein Intake

To protect your body from muscle loss on the Keto diet, you need to be very mindful of how much protein you eat each day. As a general rule, you should strive to eat between 0.6 g to 0.9 g of protein per pound of body weight every day on the Keto diet.

This means an adult that weighs 150 lbs should be eating between 90 g – 135 g of protein to build and maintain muscle mass. Lower intensity workouts will allow lower levels of protein. But this can feel like a lot of protein. You’ll want to balance your meals with different proteins for variety and reduce protein burnout. Protein-rich foods include the following:

Beef, Chicken, or Pork
Eggs
Fish and Shellfish
Low-Carb Protein Powders

Consume Protein Throughout the Day

Additionally, avoid consuming an excessive amount of protein in one sitting. You'll want to spread your protein intake out over the course of the day. Four protein-packed meals per day would be ideal.

According to one study, the optimal way to maximize protein for tissue growth is to consume 20-25 g of high-quality protein per meal. Protein in excess of 25 g has the potential to oxidize into other bodily compounds, thereby disrupting ketosis.

Therefore, while you should increase your protein intake, you should spread it out and keep your protein intake between 20-25 g per meal.

How Much Exercise Should I Do on a Keto Diet?

While on the Keto diet, you should aim to exercise 3-5 times per week, combining cardio and weight training. To burn fat, you should engage in moderate- to low-intensity exercises such as jogging, cycling, circuit training, or swimming that maintain your heart rate at about 70% of your maximum heart rate.

If It Feels Too Difficult, Concentrate on Strength Training Rather than High-Intensity Exercise.

Because high-intensity exercise emphasizes short, intense bursts, it is better fueled by carbohydrates. Because Keto burns fat rather than carbohydrates, it is less efficient for high-intensity training and can feel extremely draining, limiting performance.

According to a study, the Keto diet may impair performance, and as a result, you should avoid it if you're training with a team or for a specific high-intensity physical activity or sport. Another study discovered that when used in conjunction with high-intensity workouts, the Keto diet can:

Have an effect on endurance
Reduce peak power
Contribute to a faster rate of exhaustion
While on the Keto diet, you may want to consider low-intensity exercise or strength training.

Exercise Accelerates Weight Loss in Ketosis?

Yes, low to moderate-intensity exercise is an excellent way to increase your metabolism and thus accelerate weight loss. Exercise increases your ability to enter ketosis more quickly by depleting glycogen and establishing a caloric deficit.

Exercise Can Assist You If You've Reached a Keto Plateau

If you want to maximize your weight loss while on the Keto diet, you should incorporate a low- to moderate-intensity exercise routine that you can do 3-5 times per week. Exercise will assist you in burning more fat, speeding up your metabolism, and maintaining a healthy energy level.

Controlling your macronutrient intake is also critical for weight loss and muscle mass growth on the Keto diet. When you consume high-quality protein and easily digestible carbs approximately 30 minutes before your workout, you'll ensure that you have the energy necessary to burn calories and fat without disrupting your ketosis.