At the end of the six weeks, both the low-calorie ketogenic diets lost weight and fat mass, but the VLCKD combined with interval training had superior results. The VLCKD plus interval training resulted in greater retention of lean muscle mass and greater fat loss compared to the VLCKD alone.
KETO DIET FOR WOMEN OVER 40 PRESERVES MUSCLE ARTICLE SUMMARY
- A keto diet for women over 40 for weight loss preserved muscle.
- A low-calorie, high-protein keto diet combined with interval training resulted in greater fat loss and muscle than a low keto diet alone.
- Gaining muscle in ketosis is possible as long as protein intake is high and combined with resistance exercise.
The question, is keto diet effective for women over 40, is often raised, especially considering the diet’s popularity for fat burning, requiring the intake of less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. Preserving lean muscle mass in aging adults is a concern for health practitioners.
KETOSIS AND MUSCLE BUILDING
There has never been a more controversial subject than gaining muscle on a keto diet. Losing muscle is the last thing you want to happen while dieting.
Weight training is essential to maintain lean body mass while dieting, especially when following a keto diet meal plan for women over 40.
Ketogenic diets are characterized by high-fat and moderate to high protein content but an insufficient level of carbohydrates (usually 20 g-50 g per day), thus forcing the body to primarily use fat as a fuel source.
The ketogenic diet mimics metabolic starvation, increasing the body’s use of fat as an energy source. Ketone levels rise as your body utilizes more fat as an energy source. Ketones are a chemical your liver produces when it breaks down fats.
When glycogen stores are low (i.e., glycogen is a stored form of carbohydrates in the muscle and liver), ketone levels rise. Your body uses ketones for energy, typically during fasting, long periods of exercise, or when you don’t have as many carbohydrates.
This is accomplished by reducing carbohydrates and increasing fat intake. Carbohydrates will kick you out of ketosis, which the diet is based upon very little carbohydrates.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE KETO DIET: FROM BACON TO KETO BOMBS
The original keto diet was high in saturated fat, low in carbohydrates, and low in protein. In a 4:1 ratio of fat to protein and carbs, 90% of calories come from fat, 6% from protein, and 4% from carbs. Today, it is known that protein is extremely important for muscle growth, so the newer versions of the keto diet have all increased the amount of protein to consume daily. is crucial for those who are on a keto diet and weight loss for women over 40, as it aids in maintaining muscle mass while losing fat.
CAN YOU BUILD MUSCLE IN KETOSIS?
Today, it is known that protein is extremely important for muscle growth, so the newer versions of the keto diet meal plan for women over 40 have all increased the amount of protein to consume daily.
There are at least 10 versions of the keto diet, such as the Lean Keto Diet, Keto Carnivore Diet, Keto Green Diet, Keto Liquid Diet, Keto 2.0 Diet, etc. The popular blog show The Joe Rogan Show has resulted in many men trying the keto diet.
Joe Rogan’s keto diet principles consist of
- Consuming a lot of game meat, mostly wild game
- Eating veggies, preferably greens
- Making it spicy by adding some jalapenos
- Drinking lots of fluids
- Sneak in some healthy snacks
What can I eat before a workout on a keto diet is a very popular question? For a quick energy boost on a keto diet, Keto pre-workout snacks are also available, such as keto peanut butter fat bombs. Keto diet fiber supplements are also advocated when following a ketogenic diet.
The reduction of dietary carbohydrates decreases plasma insulin and increases glucagon. This shifts from carbohydrates as a fuel source to fat. This process is known as ketosis. How often you should check ketone on a keto diet is a matter of debate. Most recommend once a day, but once you follow the diet and get in your groove, less frequent ketone monitoring is needed.
Ketogenic diets increase the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood, usually above >0.5 mmol/L, indicating nutritional ketosis. (2) As the brain depends on glucose when following a ketogenic diet, the brain depends on ketone bodies as an energy source.(3) Ketone bodies are present under fed states; however, ketones increase with fasting, prolonged exercise, and reduced carbohydrate availability.
KETO DIET FOR WOMEN OVER 40 PRESERVES MUSCLE
Ketogenic diets are effective for weight loss by increasing satiety and reducing appetite. In a systemic review of the literature, the keto diet resulted in a negative energy balance of -339 kcals per day compared to a control diet.(4)
Numerous studies, where researchers didn’t restrict subjects by calories, demonstrated that individuals on ketogenic diets consumed fewer calories .(5, 6) When researchers matched the calories, they found no significant differences in weight or fat loss over a year.(7-9)
Based on the evidence, ketogenic diets result in more weight loss short term; however, there are no differences in fat loss or body weight long term compared to high carbohydrate, low-fat diets.(10)
EAT ENOUGH PROTEIN ON KETO
The decreases in appetite have been attributed to the high protein consumed on ketogenic diets and increased appetite-suppressing hormones (i.e., decreased leptin, ghrelin, etc.), resulting in a lower caloric intake. Others have suggested the increased fiber from consuming more vegetables also contributes to the reduced caloric intake. This is particularly beneficial for those following a keto diet for women over 40 for weight loss.
IS THE KETO DIET EFFECTIVE FOR WEIGHT LOSS FOR WOMEN OVER 40
Thus, keto reduces caloric intake compared to control diets. Some have touted that ketogenic diets result in a “metabolic advantage” resulting in increased energy expenditure, but this was disproven by Kevin Hall.
He showed that a ketogenic diet resulted in about a 100 kcal increase in energy expenditure after adjusting for body mass and composition.(11) The data from several studies suggest that the metabolic advantage of a ketogenic diet would be small, certainly not enough to make it superior to that of a carbohydrate-matched diet.
BUILD MUSCLE ON KETO
Sarcoplasmic obesity refers to the loss of muscle mass and increased body fat that impairs quality of life. Muscle loss is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality.
Treatment of sarcoplasmic obesity involves strategies for weight loss that increase lean mass while reducing fat mass thru a reduced-calorie diet with increased exercise. Increasing protein intake is essential for preserving lean muscle mass while dieting, especially when adhering to a keto diet meal plan for women over 40.
Researchers are currently studying very low-ketogenic calorie diets (i.e., < 800 calories) as a potential treatment for individuals with sarcoplasmic obesity. Generally, low-calorie diets lead to a loss of lean muscle mass.
Some experts suggest that an increase in muscle tissue breakdown contributes to the decrease in muscle mass when individuals shed weight.(1) A case study involving a female with COVID-19 found that a low-carb/high-protein diet (i.e., keto foods) with interval training could preserve muscle mass, reduce body fat, and improve metabolic profiles after COVID-19.(2)
The Study
Researchers wanted to further examine the role of a high-protein, low-carb, and low-calorie diet on a larger number of people to examine its effectiveness.
Twenty-four participants with sarcoplasmic obesity, aged between 50 and 70 years old, followed a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) (<800 Kcal/day) for six weeks. Twelve participants followed a structured VLCKD protocol (VLCKD group), and twelve followed the same VLCKD protocol combined with interval training (IT) twice per week (VLCKD + IT group).
The keto diet meal plan for women over 40 meal plan comprised 26 grams of carbohydrates (13.5%), 35 grams of fats (40.4%), and 80–90 g grams of protein (1.2–1.4 g/Kg/bw for 6 weeks] The dietary fat component mainly derived from extra-virgin olive oil (20 g per day); in particular, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) proportion was 8%, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) 77%, and saturated fats 15%.
The amount of daily fiber intake was about 25 g/day. Participants performed the interval training at home twice weekly, consisting of 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10-second rest periods. The exercises comprised bodyweight exercises and light weights.
Results: KETO DIET FOR WOMEN OVER 40 PRESERVES MUSCLE
At the end of the six weeks, both the high protein, low carb, low-fat diet lost weight and fat mass, but the VLCKD combined with interval training had superior results. The VLCKD plus interval training resulted in greater retention of lean muscle mass and greater fat loss compared to the VLCKD alone. This is significant for those considering keto diet and weight loss for women over 40 as it suggests improved body composition and metabolic parameters independent of exercise.
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