Low carb and gaining muscle mass

hi i want to start training as in weight training i want to ask is it possible to bulk up and build muscle mass on a low carb diet ?

I am sure many will chime in a know a lot more than I do in the topic but in a word: absolutely! Many bodybuilders are on a ketogenic diet for instance from what I understand : In Depth Look At Ketogenic Diets And Ketosis

Sorry This link is better : http://www.chrisalbertfitness.com/blog-1/2015/11/6/the-shocking-truth-about-low-carb-bodybuilding-diets

Carbohydrate is for energy, protein is for building tissue. Regardless of diabetes or carb intake, building muscle mass is going to call for ample protein. So the short answer, all other things being equal, is “yes, absolutely”.

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Yes, but as I have come to realise, using some high energy supplements compliment the intense training you put your body through. AAKG - Nitric Oxide Booster has always worked fine with me. I got it from All day chemist after a lengthy research about them on http://phrmreviews.com/r/alldaychemist-com-review-reliable-store/ who convinced me of their reliability. Anyway, don’t expect to see instant results, it takes time, perseverance and dedication but I can tell you this, after a month or two it will be all worth it. Best of luck mate!

Not sure anyone is still paying attention to this thread, but…I’ve found it challenging. I’m no bodybuilder, but I am an Olympic lifter and amateur athlete (triathlons). What I’ve found is that being diabetic and eating low-carb has made gaining muscle far more difficult than it used to be for me. People above are right: protein helps to build muscle; carbs and fats can provide energy. The problem comes in the latter part of that equation.

In order for anyone to really build muscle you have to stress the muscles pretty well, eat sufficient protein, and get good sleep. While ketogenic diets work very well for some bodybuilders, others have tried and failed miserably. There are two reasons I can think of for this: some people have a difficult time having enough energy to really stress the muscles well on keto or similar; some people can’t derive enough calories from a high fat diet to maintain weight at all.

I have both the first and second problems on keto: I tend to run too-low on glycogen to really push heavy weights; and I can eat 4,500 calories (nominally) on a high-fat diet and lose weight if I’m eating fewer than 50g of net carbs a day. I can get lean and maintain muscle mass (barely) by eating a high-calorie diet with sufficient protein and just enough carbs to restore glycogen. I only seem to be able to build muscle if I’m eating 100-125g of total carbs per day (usually in the 60-90g net range). However, the latter plan compromises my BG control. My solution has been annoying and simple: I’ve given up on building muscle and decided to train for triathlons :slight_smile:

I’m doing my best to maintain my muscle mass (I’m still lifting), but have accepted that glycogen depletion and low-carb eating means my lifts are seriously compromised. Deadlifts and squats, for example, are about 50% of what they were two years ago (a year before my diagnosis). I eat just enough carbs to maintain (shooting for about 80-100g total; 50-60g net carbs per day), and rely on regular glycogen depletion from swimming, cycling, running, and lifting to keep my BG in check (works pretty well except on rest days, where I have to eat truly low carb).


Sorry, that’s a wall of info. Short answer is simple: maybe. Some people can, some people find it difficult. I’m definitively in the latter category, after a lifetime of serious athletic training and an entire year (tomorrow is my “diaversary”) of trying to train on various keto-like or low carb diets. Just doesn’t work for me, but I’ve decided that BG management is far more important than strength or muscles, so I’m settling for becoming a lean, mean running machine.

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Yes! You can limit your carbohydrate intake to gain muscle mass. Many guys who work out consume more protein than other macronutrients.

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Absolutely you can build muscle mass without carbohydrate. However there maybe many other variables. It depends o. The WAY you work out. Take Michael Phelps, who while very muscular was also lean, but his ENERGY requirements were massive. While other guys I know who only build muscle eat more than phelps and are twice his size they expend less energy than he does. So yes it can be done and there are guys out there than can help you do it giving the variables you both need and want. Go for it. Most of the guys I work out with are too happy to help with specific diets and routines and sometimes it blows my mind what these guys can do when people come to them with very specific requirements, all want massive bodies but have such differing needs and inputs.