Bodybuilding, can you build muscle on a low carb diet?

One question that is often asked in the world of bodybuilding is whether or not you can effectively build muscle while following a low carb diet approach.

Low carb diets have been all the rage lately for those who want to lose weight as they generally help to better control hunger levels and some people find that they are much easier to stick with.

But what about when it comes to building muscle? Is A Low Carb Muscle Building Nutrition Program A Smart Approach? Let’s see a little more.

Ketosis

One very important thing to keep in mind is that if you keep your carbs low enough while on a low carb diet, you can enter a state called ketosis. This is when the body will switch from consuming carbohydrates for fuel to consuming fat.

The big problem with ketosis is that it is also generally associated with being in a catabolic state, therefore it will almost always be detrimental to building muscle.

If you are not in ketosis then this is fine, as your body can still be anabolic (building muscle), assuming you are given a calorie surplus.

To stay out of ketosis on a low carb diet, make sure you are consuming at least 100 grams of carbohydrates each day (this is what is necessary to fuel the brain while not in ketosis) and then the additional carbohydrates necessary to maintain your training).

Energy and intense exercise

The next issue that needs to be addressed when going on a low carb diet is how it will affect your energy levels. Some people are fine with a low-carb approach, while others don’t. Since when you are trying to build muscle you want to do very intense workouts, you cannot have your energy levels lagging behind.

Also, the body requires carbohydrates to lift weight effectively (since fat cannot be used as fuel for this movement time), therefore you will be asked to eat carbohydrates in the periods before and after training (for fill muscle glycogen). , or do a weekly carb load to give your muscles the carbohydrates they need to function during the week.

Decreased rate of fat gain

However, one of the benefits of a low-carb approach may be its ability to slightly better control the amount of fat added to the body.

Since fat and protein have minimal effect on insulin levels, and insulin is the driving hormone that causes fat storage, it is possible for you to gain a greater proportion of muscle with a muscle-building program with less carbohydrates than if I had increased in carbohydrates.

However, keep in mind that it still comes down to total calories. You simply cannot consume thousands of excess calories per day from fat and hope not to gain weight. We still have to look at this realistically.

So there is definitely a place in bodybuilding for low carb diets assuming that:

1. You are supplying at least 100 grams of carbohydrates per day plus any additional necessary to support the workout.

2. Eat carbohydrates in the pre / post workout period or choose to do a big weekly carb boost.

3. You find that you do not feel completely exhausted on this type of diet and can still lift weight effectively.

If all of these factors are in line, then yes, you can build muscle while on a low carb diet.