Most people on a ketogenic diet are confused about taking creatine supplements with specific dietary restrictions. Thankfully, you should know that creatine monohydrate supplements are keto-friendly. When the supplement is consumed properly, it contains few to no carbohydrates. Therefore, the supplementation will not disturb your ketosis or increase blood sugar levels.
As a matter of fact, research reports have revealed that when you take creatine supplements in combination with a ketogenic diet, it tends to improve overall performance & body composition when compared with a low-carb diet alone.
Still, you need to consider several aspects to take the supplement safely, especially from leading brands like Wellversed. You should aim to get the highest quality and purest creatine supplement that is free of fillers & artificial preservatives.
An Overview of Keto: How Does It Work?
The keto diet, or the ketogenic diet, has become quite popular due to the overall potential to help you lose weight and promote overall well-being. In essence, the keto diet involves reducing carbohydrate intake significantly to only 20-50 grams per day. This significant reduction in carbohydrate intake forces the body to depend on fat as the primary source of energy. This leads to the state of ketosis in which the liver breaks down stored fat into molecules known as ketones. These ketones are used as energy sources for the body.
While understanding the science behind a keto diet can be complicated, the ultimate goal tends to be simple: limiting carbs to alter the body’s metabolism and focus on fat-burning. Ultimately, all of these lead to weight loss.
Can You Add Creatine Supplements to Your Keto Diet?
Creatine monohydrate has been under immense scrutiny for the overall benefits on muscle strength, athletic performance, and overall well-being. When you include creatine supplements into your keto diet, it could lead to several benefits, including:
- Better Lean Body Mass
Creatine supplements have been shown to be effective in increasing muscle mass, power, and strength, especially when used in combination with resistance training. Creatine supplements work by providing energy to the muscles during intense exercise. In turn, this leads to better workout performance and better gains in muscle mass over time.
When creatine supplements are combined with a keto diet, which is low in carbs and high in fat, the supplement can help boost lean body mass and overall physical fitness.
- High-intensity Exercise on a Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is believed to be beneficial for those doing high-intensity exercise. This is because it boosts fat oxidation and reduces dependence on carbs for energy. However, some individuals might experience a decrease in overall performance during the initial adaptation phase of the keto diet.
Creatine monohydrate can help minimise these effects by increasing ATP production and boosting performance during high-intensity exercise on the keto diet.
- Alternatives to Post-Workout Carbs
Carbs are an essential macronutrient that helps with post-workout muscle glycogen replenishment and muscle recovery. However, when you are on a keto diet, your overall carb intake is limited. In such a case, creatine monohydrate serves as a better alternative to post-workout carbohydrates by boosting muscle glycogen and creatine stores.
In turn, this leads to better performance and recovery, even when you are not taking a high-carbohydrate intake.
- Increasing HDL & Decreasing Triglycerides
According to the latest study reports, it is observed that creatine monohydrate can deliver additional health benefits in addition to increasing muscle growth and improving exercise performance.
For example, a study report has revealed that creatine monohydrate can increase HDL (high-density lipoprotein) levels in the body. HDL is also known as the ‘good cholesterol.’ At the same time, creatine supplements also reduce triglyceride levels. According to these reports, creatine monohydrate also delivers cardiovascular benefits. This is further enhanced when combined with a ketogenic diet.
- Potential Therapeutic Benefits
According to some research, it is observed that creatine monohydrate can also deliver therapeutic benefits for specific health conditions, like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Huntington’s Disease. To top it all, some studies reveal that creatine monohydrate can also improve cognitive function in healthy adults, leading to better memory retention, reasoning abilities, and overall attention.
When creatine supplementation is combined with a keto diet, which also delivers certain neurological benefits, the overall therapeutic benefits multiply.
What is the Recommended Dosage of Creatine Supplements on a Keto Diet?
This cannot be a simple answer. There are several individual factors, including muscle mass, body weight, and exercise intensity, that might affect the recommended dosage. However, a commonly suggested approach is to start with a loading phase of 20 grams every day for a week. Then, you should follow it with a maintenance period of 3-5 grams every day.
While creatine monohydrate delivers a wide range of health benefits, you should consult your dietician or doctor before using it with a keto diet. This will help you understand the right dosage depending on your particular needs.
Tips to Include Creatine Into Your Keto Diet
- Choosing high-quality creatine supplements: You should choose only top-quality, pure creatine monohydrate supplements to reduce the risk of contaminants and enhance the effectiveness of the supplement.
- Starting with a lower dose: When you are adding creatine to the keto diet, you should start with a lower dose to avoid the chances of any adverse effects. This offers the body a chance to adapt to the supplement effectively.
- Taking creatine with a meal: You should consume creatine with a combination of meals. This will improve your body’s ability to absorb and use the supplement effectively. When you consume a meal rich in protein can support the natural generation of creatine in the body.
Conclusion
Overall, creatine monohydrate or a creatine supplement is a great addition to your ketogenic diet when you consume the same in moderate amounts. With the help of the right food intake and dosage, you can obtain all the benefits without affecting your body negatively. To make sure that you are adding it safely into your diet, you can consult a professional nutritionist or a dietician to come up with a personalized plan for your body.