17: Too Much Fat, Higher Vs. Lower Ketones, Cortisol, & Testosterone On Keto
If you are interested in the low-carb, moderate protein, high-fat, ketogenic diet, then this is the podcast for you. We zero in exclusively on all the questions people have about how being in a state of nutritional ketosis and the effects it has on your health. There are a lot of myths about keto floating around out there and our two amazing cohosts are shooting them down one at a time. Keto Talk is cohosted by 10-year veteran health podcaster and international bestselling author Jimmy Moore from “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” and Arizona osteopath and certified bariatric physician Dr. Adam Nally from “Doc Muscles” who thoroughly share from their wealth of experience on the ketogenic lifestyle each and every Thursday. We love hearing from our fabulous Ketonian listeners with new questions–send an email to Jimmy at livinlowcar[email protected]. And if you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on iTunes and listened to the past episodes, then you can do that and leave a review HERE. Listen in today as Jimmy and Adam answer more engaging questions about nutritional ketosis from you the listeners today in Episode 17! KEY QUOTE: “You will quickly see the fat that you ingest in your diet and it will quickly move its way through the body. The thought that you have to burn the fat you consume first before body fat is used is wrong. You burn fat from everywhere uniformly.” — Dr. Adam Nally Here’s what Jimmy and Adam talked about in Episode 17: – Can you eat too much fat on a ketogenic diet? Hello Jimmy and Doc Muscles, Thank you so much for the great podcast you have put together. I love the focus on the keto way of life. I listen to all of your other podcasts, Jimmy, and this one is my favorite. So here is my question… I have heard it hypothesized that yo Continue reading >>
Does The Keto Diet Lower Testosterone?
Fat is essential for proper hormone production. That statement is fact. Fat helps regulate the production of hormones in the body, including testosterone. The necessary level of fat can be debated, but the American Heart Association recommends 20-35% of daily calories come from fat. Thus, for a 2,000 calorie a day diet, that is 400-700 calories or 44-78 grams of fat per day. This is what the body will require to produce optimal levels of hormones and also to function properly. Related - 30 Ways To Boost Your Testosterone Naturally Since fat is linked to adequate testosterone, one would think that a ketogenic diet or another higher fat diet would lead to even higher levels of testosterone and advocates for these diets have even promoted that. Or, at the very least, it wouldn't have any negative effect on hormone levels, right? Wrong! Your keto diet might be turning you into a woman! Well, maybe not that extreme, but it appears that it might be possible to have too much of a good thing. Can low carb, or ketogenic diets lower your testosterone? Based on available data, it absolutely can! Firstly, glucose is responsible and plays a huge role in GnRH levels which lead to hormonal actions in the body. GnHR is a releasing hormone responsible for the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the anterior pituitary. These are all critical to the production of testosterone and other hormones. This can be one reason why these studies I am about to mention turned out the way they did. [1] When carbs were reduced to 30% of one's diet, even more carbs than most ketogenic diets recommend, testosterone and the ratio of testosterone to cortisol was reduced significantly in subjects. This wasn't just in normal people - this was also replicated in Oly Continue reading >>
Does A Ketogenic Diet Affect Testosterone Levels?
In order to boost your testosterone levels you need to know all the best strategies. Working hard in the gym will get you far, but you can further optimize your hormone levels with a good diet. The ketogenic diet is a popular diet in physique development circles. Although it was introduced within the clinical setting, many people still use it to reduce their body fat levels. But does this diet benefit testosterone levels or could it be a bad choice? In this article you’ll find out. Here’s what we’ll cover: What is the ketogenic diet? How does it affect testosterone levels? What is the Ketogenic Diet? The ketogenic diet, or keto diet as it’s usually referred to as, is a dietary intervention that in simple terms involves reducing carbohydrates in the diet. It shares similarities to other low-carb diets such as Atkins or Paleo. When carbs are eliminated from the diet or drastically reduced,the body enters a state of ketosis. When there is limited glucose (sugars) in the blood, liver and muscles, the body begins to use more fat as fuel. It does this by producing ketones – acids produced by the liver from fat [1]. Ketones essentially flick a switch from carb burning to fat burning. The approach itself didn’t originate as a means of reducing body fat as such, rather as a way of managing epilepsy in children who reported up to 50% reductions in seizures when following the diet [2]. The reason for this is somewhat unclear, but a low-carb diet seems to help modulate neural stress and elevate levels of GABA – a calming neurotransmitter. The diet itself can take many forms. A traditional approach sees you reduce carbs to around 5% of total energy intake with a maximum carb limit of 50g per day. This means pretty much eliminating starchy vegetables, pasta, rice, sugar Continue reading >>
Dear Mark: Ketosis And Testosterone, Dehydration Hormesis, And Isomalto-oligosaccharides
38 Comments For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering three questions. The first one concerns a potentially combative and controversial topic: ketogenic diets. What’s the deal with their effect on testosterone? You can find keto anecdotes across the web both inspiring and flaccid, but what, if anything, does the science say? Next, might there be a way to derive beneficial hormetic effects from acute bouts of dehydration? It seems like every other stressor can actually make a person stronger, so perhaps an otherwise wholly negative one like dehydration might as well. And finally, is the prebiotic fiber known as isomalto-oligosaccharide safe and/or good to eat? Let’s go: Mark, There is a ton of conflicting information on the internet about whether the standard ketogenic diet increases or decreases testosterone levels. What is your opinion? Thanks, Adam In women with PCOS, a ketogenic diet lowers testosterone. Sounds bad, right? In PCOS, lower testosterone is actually an improvement as the disease is characterized by unnaturally high testosterone levels. What about in men, the population worrying about T levels most — does keto improve testosterone in them, too? Unfortunately, there aren’t many studies that examine the effect of ketogenic diets on testosterone in males. We have a bit of data about the opposite — an increase in carbs and a reduction in fat. In an older study, men who customarily ate a 40% fat diet were placed on a 25% fat diet; the lower-fat diet also had a higher PUFA/SFA ratio and more fiber. Their total and free testosterone levels were measured pre- and post-intervention. After going lower-fat and higher-carb, total T dropped from 22.7 to 19.3 and free T from 0.23 to 0.2. Resuming their old diets partially restored their lagging T le Continue reading >>
Ketogenic Diet And Pcos
PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a common disorder among reproductive-aged women. Emerging research suggests that a ketogenic or low-carb diet may improve hormonal regulation, weight control and other PCOS-related issues. This article takes a detailed look at PCOS and how carbohydrate restriction combined with other lifestyle changes may be helpful for women struggling with this condition. What Is PCOS? PCOS was originally named Stein-Leventhal syndrome for the researchers who first described it nearly 100 years ago. It's a common endocrine disorder that typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and is one of the leading causes of infertility. Up to 20% of women of childbearing age are estimated to have PCOS, including as many as 70% that are undiagnosed (1). In PCOS, a woman's ovarian follicles fail to release an egg every 28 days as a result of hormonal imbalance: too much luteinizing hormone (LH) and not enough follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Therefore, instead of the egg maturing, it remains in the ovary and forms a small cyst. This process is repeated on a monthly basis, alternating between the two ovaries, leading to the formation of dozens of cysts over time. High levels of LH stimulate the production of excess androgens (male hormones, including testosterone), which suppress ovulation. In addition, women with PCOS have low levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which normally binds to testosterone in the blood. When SHBG is low, free testosterone rises. Besides interfering with ovulation, high levels of free testosterone can cause symptoms of masculinization. Finally, low levels of SHBG promote insulin resistance, and vice versa. What Are the Symptoms of PCOS? Some of the common signs and symptoms of PCOS include: Menstrual irregularities Continue reading >>
9 Ways I Keep My Testosterone Levels High – Test Of Time
I began testing my testosterone levels a couple of months after starting with ketosis (the metabolic state where fat becomes the primary source of energy). It was March 2014 and my levels ~400 ng/dL. That’s average to low for a person my age. I suspect my pre-ketosis levels were even lower because from what I’ve researched, if well-formulated, a ketogenic diet can improve testosterone levels. In a matter of months, I’ve been able to raise my levels to ~ 850ng/dL and they’ve been mostly constant ever since. See more here. I wrote about this experiment in detail in my book T-R(x) – The Testosterone Protocol, but I want to re-emphasize the 9 major interventions I made to improve my T levels. 9 Strategies I use to Keep my T Levels High Sadly, over the last few decades there’s been a declining trend in testosterone levels in men, and this is not due to the aging process. See these resources for a more in-depth view. A more simple way to know what we’re dealing with is to do this: whenever you’re in a public location, try to spot men that do not have bellies. Can you? Abdominal fat has been shown numerous times to be inversely correlated with T levels. I’ve discussed the mechanisms of this in the book. Well formulated Very-Low-Carb-Low-Calorie-Ketogenic nutrition (without carb-loading) It should be self-explicative. Ever since I started with ketosis in Sept. 2013, I purposed to maintain this state constantly. The benefits of keto-adaptation have made me become addicted to this ketosis. Carb-loading would kick me out of ketosis. Besides, I don’t need it. My lifting performance has never been better. However, it took more than 6 months of constant ketosis to recover my pre-ketosis (higher-carb nutrition) performance in the gym and with my kickboxing practice Continue reading >>
The Diet That Doubled My Testosterone In 2015
Note: This post is by popular request. I’ve received more messages requesting details on my dietary experiments than almost anything else I’ve written. For those who know the backstory you can skip to the breakdown. Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. Consider this functional entertainment. Also keep in mind everyone is different, and this is an n=1 experiment. With that said… September 2015 – Throwing weights around in Budapest “OH, WHAT’S UP NOW MOTHER——!” The words were out before the weight hit the ground. Thankfully there were only a few observers in the gym that day, but it seemed like a reasonable response to my 4th or 5th personal best (PR) that week. This time in the snatch, which at 67.5kg (89% bodyweight) was not going to make anyone with weightlifting experience bat an eyelash, but it was the trajectory that impressed me. My PR had increased 2.5 kg per week–for the last 5 weeks–with no end in sight. A lot of this has to do with what the learning curve–beginners make huge gains early on as technique improvements catch up with power and strength. It also had to do with great coaching and programming. But I had a couple years of CrossFit under my belt, and I wasn’t totally new to Olympic lifting. What really struck me was the ease with which I was beating previous records. If I had to put a number on it I felt about 30% stronger than normal. My recovery time was also lower, and I had a hell of a lot more energy. At first, I couldn’t figure out what was going on. The week before I noticed I was getting more than irritated by seemingly trivial work issues. OK–I was getting *seriously pissed off* by things I would normally brush off without much thought. There were also other effects, er, lapses in concentr Continue reading >>
Cutting Through The Fat: The Truth Behind The Ketogenic Diet
If you could tap into >40,000 calories of your fat fuel during endurance exercise instead of relying on your maximum 2,000 calorie storage of carbohydrate fuel, would you do it? What if it meant no more liquid gels, sugar-containing sports drinks or bananas to give you that energy boost when you're on the verge of exhaustion? If LeBron James did it. Was it really a wise choice based on current science? Our customers wanted to get the science on the popular diet trends available, so we did the work for you. Instead of doing the typical and boring diet review one-by-one, we compared and contrasted three similar eating options, with a focus on the ketogenic diet -- a popular current choice for dieters. Everyone, including users of InsideTracker, want to know how to use common diet strategies to improve their goals. As such, they need to know how their biomarkers are affected by reducing carbohydrates and calories. A ketogenic diet, or a diet high in fats and very low in carbohydrates, allows you to transition from energy dependence on carbohydrates to fats by breaking down fatty molecules into chemical compounds called ketones. The ketogenic diet was first developed by researchers to help treat seizures in children who suffered from epilepsy. Today, some fitness enthusiasts and nutritionists are touting it as a valuable method for losing body weight and optimizing athletic performance. How can the ketogenic diet help both athletes such as Lebron James and people in their mid-40s seeking to shed a few pounds? In this first part a two-part blog series, we will explore the molecular basis of how energy generation, ketosis, and the physiological circumstances under which the body starts using ketones and fats as its primary energy source. Then, we will look at some controversi Continue reading >>
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Most Natural Ways To Boost Testosterone
The manliest hormone of them all – testosterone. Despite its masculine assertiveness and power, it’s not always to be found in abundance. You could take medications, but that wouldn’t solve the root issue. I would much rather advise these 7 most natural ways to boost testosterone. Testosterone is considered to be the male hormone, belonging to the androgen group, as opposed to its feminine counterpart estrogen. However, even women have testosterone and it’s essential for a healthy body. Because of its anabolic nature, testosterone helps to build muscle and burn fat. The benefits of having high testosterone levels are all-encompassing, ranging from improved mood, cognition, libido, better sleep, more energy and increased overall quality of life. Unfortunately, modern life has its detrimental consequences that drain us from T-power. Most men experience will decline in testosterone after the age of 30, which will put them at greater risk for heart disease, type-2 diabetes, obesity, infertility, lean muscle loss, fat gain and reduced performance in everything they do. Because of its precursor effects for muscle building, some people might be interested in improving their T-levels with exogenous steroids. However, taking supplements will predispose the body to being lazy and to produce less testosterone on its own. That’s why it’s better to teach it to boost its own. To increase our T, we would have to also influence other anabolic hormones within our body that are equally as important, such as human growth hormone (HGH). Insulin as the governing one but in excess, it can also lead to fat accumulation. The underlying principle is to build muscle and burn fat, by creating a proper environment within the body. The counterpart to testosterone is cortisol, which is a Continue reading >>
The Top Twelve (dirty Dozen) Potential Dangers Of A Low Carb Diet:
Low Carb (or Ketogenic) Diets are incredibly popular right now here in the U.S. and I see men on that diet all the time on Peak Testosterone Forum. Altthough, Low Carb Diets have been around for decades with various names and in various forms, they have recently flourished as never before due to the fact that a significant number of doctors and researchers have become apostles of the movement. Weight loss is rapid, due to loss of water attached to glycogen stores, and lipids usually improve in some positive ways, such as rising HDL and falling triglycerides. If you're a meat and dairy lover, this diet seems like a dream-come-true. But behind the scenes, ugly side effects and research have been surfacing and literally tens of millions have jumped aboard. I see over and over men that show up on The Forum with standard symptoms that they assume are testosterone or estradiol related. In fact, I find that they are likely experiencing one or more of the common side effects of Low Carb Diets. Some men even get incredibly ill, and I did an interview with one of them here: A Low Carb Diet Made Me Sick. To be clear, I am NOT saying that all of these side effects occur in all men on a Low Carb Diet. I am just saying that they occur often enough that men should be aware and monitoring themselves. Plus, many men on a Low Carb Diet are feeling terrible and do not know why. For all these reasons, I urge you to read for yourselves 1. Heart Palpitations and Arrhythmias. Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of a low carb diet are the ketones. What?!? That's not what you heard, right? Low carb bloggers love to go on and on about the benefits of ketones - and there are some - but there is also a dark side. (Low carb diets are labelled ketogenic, becausse ketone levels in the blood are elevate Continue reading >>
3 Rules For Successful Low-carb Diets
Here's what you need to know... Extensive low carb diets can result in elevated cortisol and decreased testosterone production – contributing to fat gain and muscle loss. T3 is the hormone your body produces that controls your metabolism. Low carb dieting can inhibit your body's production of T3. To avoid the pitfalls of low carb dieting, reserve carbs for workout time in order to build muscle, then decrease carbs at other times of the day to lose fat. Replacing your carb intake with extra protein can inhibit the production of cortisol and keep you from tearing down muscle tissue. MCT oil can help you reduce the need for glucose and provide fuel that can be used immediately. No Carbs = No Gains? People have used low carbohydrate and very low carb ketogenic diets (VLCK) for decades to improve body composition and increase aerobic performance. The evidence, both anecdotal and scientific, has shown low carb and VLCK diets to be powerful tools when used properly. But using low carb or VLCK diets incorrectly can wreak serious havoc on your hormonal profile. They can negatively impact the levels and function of testosterone, cortisol, and thyroid hormones. The end result is decreases in muscle gains and declines in body composition. Yes, you can actually get fat and flabby on a low carb diet. But with a proper understanding of how low carb and VLCK affect your hormones, you can use these diets to improve body composition, which means both leanness and muscle growth. Cortisol & Testosterone Testosterone is a game changer when it comes to body composition. It's known for its anabolic effects on muscle and ability to increase basal metabolic rate (BMR). It's also important for overall health and well-being. Specific to muscle growth, it's helpful to think of excess cortisol pr Continue reading >>
Cyclic Ketogenic Diet And Testosterone Levels
At the end of my Carb Nite Solution experiment, which is a type of cyclic ketogenic diet, right before we went to Italy, I obtained a panel of labs which I plan doing a series of posts about. I most recently wrote about my low Vitamin D levels. Before going into my testosterone while following this cyclic ketogenic diet, here are some basics from my previous testosterone results when I was solely doing nutritional ketosis: The best resource I found actually came from a website called, “The Art of Manliness.” He had a whole series of posts dedicated to testosterone (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5). This was more insightful and entertaining than the journal articles and textbooks I referred to. If you’re interested in this at all, I definitely urge you to read the series. Here is a brief synopsis: Due to our current way of life, men have lower testosterone now compared to someone of the same age two decades ago, and the exact causes aren’t clear yet (but may have to do with environmental toxins, lack of sleep, obesity, etc.) Some of the benefits of testosterone include: improved mood, decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, improved cardiovascular and bone health, improved libido and improved cognition. Testosterone is a hormone that is made from cholesterol and comes in 3 forms: Free testosterone – the active form Bound to a protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) Bound to a protein called albumin When you get a blood test to check your testosterone, there are two tests you can get: Free Testosterone – This measures the amount of free testosterone in your blood Total Testosterone – This measures the sum of the free testosterone + testosterone bound to SHBG + testosterone bound to albumin. When interpreting the results of your testo Continue reading >>
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Cristi Vlad: Ketosis, Intermittent Fasting, Testosterone, Cryotherapy And Digital Entrepreneurship (q&a)
Cristi Vlad is a self-experimenter in nutrition science (especially nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics), neuroscience, exercise physiology, and digital entrepreneurship, and he is also author of different books about these topics. We interviewed him to talk about some of his most interesting experimentation, trying to get some valuable insights. Hi Cristi, first of all you have a real inspirational story to share. You were living an unhealthy lifestyle, until you decided to make a change. What happened since then? Can you tell us briefly your story? Hello. Yes, well, like many people I was living a chaotic and unorganized life. I will not say I didn’t enjoy it. And even though my dietary habits gravitated towards ‘not so healthy’ choices, I was fairly healthy. And all my life I was engaged in some kind of exercising routine or sport. To say that I was sedentary is far from the truth. However, I was not as fit as I wanted. In 2010 an ear infection prevented me from doing my swimming practice for a few weeks. So, I brainstormed what I would do to stay physically active meanwhile. At that time I was smoking for more than 9 years and I wasn’t too happy about that. But my body could afford the stress (I think). I was only 21. In April 2010 I started doing calisthenics along with jogging. After two weeks I got hooked. I enjoyed it. I’m not sure how and why, but I decided to clean my diet by eliminating as many of the processed foods as I could. I purposed for a weekly cheat day, when I could binge eat whatever I wanted. I wrote about this story in detail in Ketone Power. The strategy was good. I started losing weight. However, I was only modestly overweight – not obese. I liked what I saw. In May 2010, I said to myself: what if I would go indeterminately off smoking. Continue reading >>
12 Ways To Boost Testosterone Levels Naturally
12 Ways to Boost Testosterone Levels Most people associate testosterone with facial hair, gigantic muscles & illegal steroids. Naturally produced testosterone plays a very important role in male/female metabolic function. Lowered testosterone is a chronic epidemic that is threatening lives all around the world. This article will go over 12 ways to boost testosterone levels naturally through healthy lifestyle measures. Testosterone is an anabolic steroid hormone that plays a critical role in metabolism, sex drive, muscle building, mood regulation, memory & cognitive function. Normal testosterone levels play a huge role in maintaining optimal weight as well as reducing risk of degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, & certain cancers (1, 2, 3). Testosterone Production: Women produce testosterone but in significantly lower amounts than men. In the man, testosterone is produced in the testes and adrenal glands. Meanwhile, women produce it in the adrenals & ovaries. Testosterone is known to peak in the early twenties and then drop about 10% with each successive decade. Post-menopausal women lose the function of their ovaries and are at risk for low testosterone later in life. With inadequate testosterone, women are at much greater risk for developing osteoporosis/osteopenia and other chronic diseases. The Problem With Low Testosterone: Men are said to lose 1.5% of their testosterone production each year beyond 30. Men who lose a greater proportion of their testosterone are said to have andropause (4). The Alliance for Aging Research has indicated that one third of American men over the age of 39 have reported two or more symptoms of low testosterone (5). Symptoms of male andropause include lowered libido, decreased muscle mass, increased abdomina Continue reading >>
368: Building Muscle & Testosterone On A Ketogenic Diet, Food Combining, Psychedelic Experimentation, Natural Depression Remedies & More!
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode. June 14, 2017 Podcast: 368 – Building Muscle & Testosterone On A Ketogenic Diet, Food Combining, Psychedelic Experimentation, Natural Depression Remedies & More! NEW! Click here for the official BenGreenfieldFitness calendar of events. Have a podcast question for Ben? Click the tab on the right (or go to SpeakPipe), use the Contact button on the app, call 1-877-209-9439, or use the “Ask Ben” form at the bottom of this page. —————————————————– News Flashes: Interval training is one of the best anti-aging forms of exercise out there: – 4 min on, 3 min off x 3. So you *can* build muscle and testosterone on a ketogenic diet (says the latest research). And here’s a great follow-up article by the study authors. We’re Entering A New Golden Age of Psychedelics, and Portland is Leading the Way – and a related review of four different psychedelics by the author. You can receive these News Flashes (and more) every single day, if you follow Ben on Twitter.com/BenGreenfield, Instagram.com/BenGreenfieldFitness, Facebook.com/BGFitness, BenGreenfieldFitness.com/Snapchat, and Google+. Special Announcements: This podcast is brought to you by: TeloYears – Go to BenGreenfieldFitness.com/TeloYears and use my special gift card code BEN10 to get 10% off your TeloYears kit (and listen to my podcast about it here). Four Sigmatic – Check out their awesome mushroom extracts at FourSigmatic.com/GREENFIELD and use code BENGREENFIELD for 15% off Onnit – Get 10% off ANYTHING, from functional foods to supplements and beyond, at BenGreenfieldFitness.com/ONNIT (no code required) Casper Mattresses: Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting Casper.com/BEN and using promo code Continue reading >>
