What Is the keto cycle diet ?
Although the ketogenic diet is often considered inflexible, it has many different variants.Such as the keto cycle diet.
The standard ketogenic diet is by far the most popular form, but there are several other ways to follow this low-carb, high-fat diet, including a circular ketogenic diet.
A cyclical keto diet includes strict cycle between a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet plan and high-carb intake.
This article explains the benefits, drawbacks, and basic steps of a cyclical ketogenic diet.
What is the cyclical ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.
When following a ketogenic diet, you usually limit carbohydrates to less than 50 grams per day (1 Trusted Source).
When carbohydrate intake is drastically reduced, your body must burn fat for energy, not glucose or blood sugar, a process known as ketosis.
In ketosis, your body uses ketones — a byproduct of lipolysis produced by the liver — as an alternative energy source (2Trusted source).
Although a cyclical ketogenic diet is a variant of the standard ketogenic diet, there is a big difference between the two.
Periodic ketogenic dieting involves adhering to a standard ketogenic diet regimen for 5-6 days per week, followed by a higher carbohydrate intake for 1-2 days.
These high-carb days are often referred to as “replenishment days” because they mean replenishing your body’s depleted glucose reserves.
If you take a cyclical ketogenic diet, you’ll get rid of ketosis on the day you eat again in order to temporarily enjoy the benefits of carbohydrate intake.
Periodic ketogenic diets are popular among people seeking muscle growth and improved athletic performance.
While there is a lack of research to support this claim, some speculate that a circular diet is superior to the standard version in terms of building strength and muscle.
Is it the same as carb cycling?
A cycled ketogenic diet is often likened to a carbohydrate cycle – but that’s not the same thing.
Carbohydrate cycling refers to reducing carbohydrate intake on certain days of the week and increasing carbohydrate intake on other days. Typically, there are 4-6 days of low carbohydrate intake and 1-3 days of high carbohydrate intake per week.
Although the method is the same, the carbohydrate cycle does not completely reduce the intake of carbohydrates, thus reaching ketosis.
Carbohydrate cycles are often used to promote weight loss, improve athletic performance, and promote muscle growth (3Trusted Source).
How to follow it
There are no standard rules for a keto cycle diet.
However, anyone who wants to start should follow a standard ketogenic diet of 5-6 days a week and increase their high-carbohydrate intake for 1-2 days.
Stick to a standard keto diet 5–6 days per week
On a standard ketogenic day, it is important to consume 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day.
At this stage of a keto cycle diet, healthy fats should provide approximately 65-90% of total caloric intake.
- Eggs
- Coconut oil and unsweetened coconut
- Avocado
- Full-fat dairy products
- Low-carb nuts and seeds
- Nut butters
- Fatty meats
- MCT oil
Protein should make up around 10-30% of your total calories, while carbohydrate intake is usually limited to less than 5% (4Trusted Source).
Make sure to follow the standard ketogenic diet 5-6 days a week.
Increase carbohydrate intake for 1-2 days per week
The second phase of a cycled ketogenic diet involves choosing 1-2 days a week to “replenish” your glycogen reserves.
On days of re-eating, you should consume more carbohydrates to break down ketosis.
On refeeding days:
- Carbohydrates should make up 60-70% of your total calories.
- Protein should make up 15-20% of your total calories.
- Fat should only provide 5-10% of your total calories.
While the goal of the resupply phase is to increase the number of carbohydrates, the quality of carbohydrates is also important.
You should get most of your carbohydrates from healthy sources instead of relying on unhealthy sources like white bread and baked goods.
Some examples of nutritious complex carbohydrates include:
- Sweet potatoes
- Butternut squash
- Brown rice
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Whole-wheat or brown-rice pasta
- Beans and lentils
Packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, these carbohydrates provide energy to your body and keep blood sugar levels stable.
Avoid foods and beverages high in sugar, such as sweets, juices, sodas, and cakes, as they lack nutrients and can lead to abnormal blood sugar, which can lead to hunger and irritability (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Returning to ketosis quickly
After a few days of high-carbohydrate feeding, you should consider intermittent fasting to quickly recover from ketosis.
The most common method of intermittent fasting is fasting for 16 hours a day.
In order to achieve ketosis while optimizing muscle growth, it is also recommended to do high-intensity exercise within a few days after supplementing with feed.
Potential benefits
Research on cyclical ketogenic diets is very limited. However, it may provide advantages.
May aid muscle gain
While some evidence suggests that the standard ketogenic diet is effective for shaping slim body mass in athletes undergoing resistance training, some argue that cyclical versions are more beneficial for muscle growth (7Trusted Source).
When a very low-carb diet, such as a ketogenic diet (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source), muscle growth or anabolic hormones, such as insulin, are suppressed.
Insulin regulates muscle growth by allowing amino acids and glucose to enter muscle cells, increases protein synthesis, and reduces protein breakdown in muscle tissue.
Using a cyclical keto cycle diet to strategically raise insulin levels on specific days allows you to harness the anabolic effects of insulin to promote muscle growth.
Keep in mind that there is not enough research to prove the effectiveness of this dietary approach.
May boost performance in athletes
Carbohydrate supplementation may be beneficial for elite athletes who follow a very low-carb diet.
A study of 29 elite race walkers found that athletes benefited from cyclical high-carbohydrate intake — although the study did not specifically test cyclical ketogenic diets.
Studies have shown that walkers who received a regular high-carb diet before training had significantly improved performance compared to those who followed a standard ketogenic diet.
The researchers concluded that athletes who regularly consumed large amounts of carbohydrates improved performance, while athletes who strictly followed a ketogenic diet did not.
Decreases keto-related side effects
The ketogenic diet produces unpleasant side effects, collectively known as ketogenic flu.
Symptoms of ketogenic flu include nausea, fatigue, headache, constipation, weakness, difficulty sleeping, and irritability (12Trusted Source).
These symptoms arise when your body has trouble adapting to using ketones as the primary fuel.
Carbohydrate cycling 1-2 days a week can alleviate these symptoms.
Adds more fiber to your diet
Constipation is a common complaint in people who have just transitioned to a ketogenic diet.
That’s because some people struggle to get enough fiber when they eat a high-fat, low-carb diet.
While adequate fiber intake through a standard ketogenic diet is possible, the transition to a cyclical ketogenic diet will be easier.
During the supplemental feeding period, high-fiber carbohydrates such as oats, sweet potatoes, legumes, and quinoa are allowed.
Makes the keto diet easier to stick o
The ketogenic diet has a variety of health benefits, such as weight loss, controlled blood sugar, and a reduced risk of heart disease. However, it can be difficult to follow for a long time (13Trusted Source).
Because you have to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake to reach ketosis, a lot of healthy — but high-carb — foods are contraindicated.
With a cycled ketogenic diet, you can eat carbohydrate-rich foods on a supplement day, which may make the diet more sustainable in the long run.
However, due to the current sparse research on cyclical ketogenic diets, its long-term benefits are unclear.
Potential downsides
Due to limited research on cyclical ketogenic diets, their side effects are largely unknown.
Until the study of this diet is complete, it is not possible to determine its full effect.
Keep in mind that many people may consume too many calories on a supplemental feeding day, counteracting the weight loss effects of a standard ketogenic diet.
In addition, it should be noted that the transition from a standard ketogenic diet to a cyclical ketogenic diet may result in temporary weight gain – mainly due to excessive retention of water when consuming high-carbohydrate foods.
In fact, your body stores each gram of carbohydrate with at least 3 grams of water in your muscles (14Trusted Source).
For those who want to increase muscle mass or improve athletic performance, it’s unclear whether a cycled ketogenic diet is more effective than a standard diet.
Because studies support the help of standard ketogenic diets for muscle growth and athletic performance in athletes, transitioning to a cyclical ketogenic diet simply for these benefits may not be necessary (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
The bottom line
A keto cycle diet consists of adhering to a standard ketogenic diet of 5-6 days per week followed by a high-carbohydrate intake of 1-2 days.
While this approach claims to alleviate keto flu symptoms, improve athletic performance, and promote muscle growth, research on its effectiveness and possible flaws is lacking.
No matter which ketogenic diet you choose, it’s always important to choose healthy, nutritious foods to achieve your goals.
