MD
By Steve Blechman18 MD musculardevelopment.com July 2019W
T
F?Just One Cheat Meal on a
Keto Diet Damages Blood Vessels
Ketogenic diets have become a popular
method for promoting weight loss but are not
useful for building muscle! Ketogenic diets
lower the anabolic pathways: insulin, IGF-
and mTOR because of low protein intake.
Ketogenic diets are great for weight loss and
fat loss but not good for building muscle!
Research has shown that taking 6.
grams of whey protein with a high dose
of leucine (5 grams) can enhance protein
synthesis at the same rate as four times
as much whey protein (25 grams)! Leucine
is the key anabolic trigger of muscle
protein synthesis. Increases in muscle
protein synthesis are dependent on leucine
concentration. 5 grams of leucine can increase
the anabolic effects of protein synthesis
when eating less protein, which is ideal on a
ketogenic diet. Research has also shown that
pure leucine is more anabolic than leucine in
food. Recent research has shown that leucine
intake from a supplement may be better for
muscle protein synthesis than leucine from
a meal! Leucine is the key amino acid for
enhancing the mTOR pathway that regulates
cell growth and protein synthesis. Leucine
is a powerful anabolic trigger— it’s the most
potent branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)
and a key activator of the mTOR pathway
that is critical for muscle protein synthesis
that promotes muscle growth. Testosterone
acts through the mTOR pathway to promote
muscle protein synthesis. Leucine has many
benefits: powering muscle growth, preventing
muscle loss, increasing insulin sensitivity,
enhancing fat metabolism and enhancing
recovery.
Lower whey protein supplements
with added leucine may represent an
advantageous approach for people on
ketogenic diets where protein levels must be
kept low. Normally, ketogenic diets contain at
least 70 percent fat, approximately 20 percent
protein and 10 percent or less carbohydrates.
Daily carbohydrate intake on ketogenic diets
is 50 grams of carbohydrates or less.
ScienceDaily recently reported that, “The
often embraced ‘cheat day’ is a common
theme in many diets and the popular
ketogenic diet is no exception. But new
research from UBC’s Okanagan campus saysthat just one 75-gram dose of glucose— the
equivalent to a large bottle of soda or a
plate of fries— while on a high-fat, low-
carbohydrate diet can lead to damaged
blood vessels.” This article was supported
by a study that was published in the journal
Nutrients on February 25, 2019. ScienceDaily
also reported that, “Since impaired glucose
tolerance and spikes in blood sugar levels
are known to be associated with an increased
risk in cardiovascular disease, it made sense
to look at what was happening in the blood
vessels after a sugar hit.”
A recent study in the March 2019 issue of
the Journal of Circulation found that the more
sugar beverages people drank including
soft drinks, fruit drinks and energy drinks,
the greater the risk of death! One way to
eliminate spikes in blood sugar after a cheat
meal is to take a low-dose whey protein
shake 30 minutes before a meal. Research
has shown that low-dose whey protein taken
before a meal is effective in reducing glycemia
(elevated blood sugar) after a meal. Peopleconsuming a diet high in protein or high-dose
whey protein supplements on a ketogenic diet
can potentially throw their body out of ketosis.
People following the ketogenic diet try to keep
protein levels low to maintain ketosis.
Drinking red wine with a cheat meal has
been shown to lower postprandial glycemia.
Recent research has shown that drinking
red wine with a high-carbohydrate meal
such as a big bowl of pasta and bread can
lower postprandial glycemia from a high-
carbohydrate meal. So, with your cheat meal
that is rich in carbs and sugar, try and drink
some red wine with it. That may be the reason
why the French drink red wine and have a
lower risk of heart disease and diabetes,
according to the traditional French diet.
Bottom line: do I have to give up my cheat
meal on a ketogenic diet? WTF?! NO WAY!
Just drink a low whey protein drink before
the cheat meal and one or two glasses of red
wine with your cheat meal. Enjoy. Cheers!
References:- University of British Columbia Okanagan
campus. On the keto diet? Ditch the cheat day: Just
one dose of carbohydrates can damage blood vessels.
ScienceDaily, 27 March 2019. http://www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2019/03/190327112657.htm - Durrer C, Lewis N et al. Short-Term Low-Carbohydrate
High-Fat Diet in Healthy Young Males Renders the
Endothelium Susceptible to Hyperglycemia-Induced
Damage, An Exploratory Analysis. Nutrients, 2019; 11 (3): 489
DOI: 10.3390/nu - Malik V, Li Y et al. Long-Term Consumption of Sugar-
Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk
of Mortality in US Adults. Circulation 2019; DOI: 10.1161/
CIRCULATIONAHA.118. - Chanet A, Verlaan S et al. Supplementing Breakfast
with a Vitamin D and Leucine-Enriched Whey Protein
Medical Nutrition Drink Enhances Postprandial Muscle
Protein Synthesis and Muscle Mass in Healthy Older Men.
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 147, Issue 12, December 2017,
Pages 2262-2271. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.117. - Allerton D, Rumbold P et al. Effect of supplemental
whey protein timing on postprandial glycaemia in centrally
obese males. British Journal of Nutrition, February 2019;
121(6), 637-646. doi:10.1017/S - Stevenson E and Allerton D. (2018). The role of whey
protein in postprandial glycaemic control. Proceedings of
the Nutrition Society, September 2017, 77(1), 42-51. doi:10.1017/
S - Allerton DM, Campbell MD et al. Co-ingestion of whey
protein with a carbohydrate-rich breakfast does not affect
glycemia, insulinemia or subjective appetite following a
subsequent meal in healthy males. Nutrients 2016; 8, 116. - King DG, Walker M et al. A small dose of whey protein
co-ingested with mixed-macronutrient breakfast and lunch
meals improves postprandial glycemia and suppresses
appetite in men with type 2 diabetes: a randomized
controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2018; 107, 550-557.
Just one 75-gram dose of
glucose— the equivalent to
a large bottle of soda or a
plate of fries— while on a
high-fat, low-carbohydrate
diet can lead to damaged
blood vessels.