The truth
Keeping your carbs super low is a great way to get into ketosis, fast. And when you’re in ketosis, your body burns fat for energy and ultimately helps you lose weight faster. For that reason, carb restriction has become a staple of almost every weight loss plan these days — especially the keto diet.
But, when it comes to getting shredded fast, some people say eating carbohydrates post-workout is essential for maximizing gains from your workouts.
In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know about whether or not you should be eating carbs post-workout on keto or not.
What Is Keto?
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. This process helps your body burn fat for energy more efficiently, which is what makes keto such a powerful weight loss tool.
The most commonly avoided foods on keto are foods like:
- Grains — Pasta, bread, crackers, rice, corn, etc.
- Sugars — Corn syrup, sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, fruit juices, etc.
- High-carb fruits & vegetables — Bananas, apples, sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.
If you’re doing the keto diet correctly, your carb intake will be very low, and many keto dieters choose to eliminate carbohydrates completely.
Should I Eat Carbs Post-Workout on Keto?
No, you shouldn’t eat carbs post-workout on keto. This is because it would increase insulin, kicking you out of keto. It’s more important to eat protein post-workout to grow, not carbs.
Even if you didn’t eat a keto diet, eating carbs post-workout intentionally doesn’t provide any benefit.
It could provide a benefit if you ate carbs before a workout, because the sugars could help your workout performance.
But, after a workout, it wouldn’t help in any way other than by adding calories.
If you’re doing keto, you shouldn’t eat carbs post-workout
What Should You Eat Post-Workout on Keto?
You should eat foods high in protein post-workout. Lifting weights creates micro-tears in your muscles. The only way to repair these tears is to supply your body with the amino acids from foods like proteins.
The widely accepted amount for the amount of protein you should eat post-workout is around 30 grams.
Foods high in protein are foods like:
- Meats — Meats like beef, chicken, fish, etc, are all great ways to get fat & protein into your diet on keto.
- Dairy — Dairy foods like milk, cheese, & yogurt are all high in protein. Just make sure you check the nutrition labels on them so you reach your intake of 30 grams of protein.
- Certain vegetables & nuts — Certain vegetables & nuts, like soy beans, green beans, peanuts, & pistachios are a good source for protein. Though there may be less protein in them compared to the other sources on this list, they’re still a great addition.
- Eggs — Eggs are around half fat, half protein (5 grams of fat & protein per egg.) That means that post-workout you’d have to eat around 6 eggs to reach 30 grams of protein. However, if you’re on a keto diet, you’re already going to be eating a lot of fat, so why not utilize them in a post-workout meal.
On keto, aim for around 30 grams of protein post-workout to fuel the recovery of your muscles with amino acids.
Conclusion
If you’re doing a keto diet, you shouldn’t eat carbs post-workout. That’s because eating carbs post-workout won’t provide any benefit & it would also kick you out of ketosis. Instead, eat around 30 grams of protein before or after a workout in foods like meat & dairy.
If you’re interested in starting a keto diet, but don’t know where to start, I have an article here detailing the benefits of keto & how to start.
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