The ketogenic diet is a diet focused on consuming a high fat, low-carb diet designed to increase weight loss, energy and address different energy needs during workouts. It is currently a popular diet as it requires meal tracking and calorie counting and instead focuses on what people can actually consume for the optimal source of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The question then is this “What are the Best Amino Acids for the Ketogenic Diet?”
What is the Ketogenic Diet?
The Ketogenic Diet is a type of high fat low carb diet that is expected to result in effective burning fats and boosting the metabolism of individuals. This diet focuses on eating a balanced and selective meal approach where high fat foods are not completely left out. Instead, it focuses on foods high in protein, right amounts of fats and carbohydrates. It is less concerned with calorie counting and spacing of meals but rather focuses on getting the right types of foods and these food types are obviously limited.
This special and selective type of diet is expected to positively impact the body’s energy metabolizing capabilities. The limited food options available to keto dieters may prove difficult for newbies especially if these individuals are used to the more traditional aspects of dieting such as calorie counting and meal spacing.
Once again, it is important to emphasize that a diet such as keto requires careful and well thought out keto meal planning for the diet to be effective. This meal plan must then incorporate amino acids into them to ensure that dieters get the best balance of Macros and proteins.
What are amino acids and why are they important?
There are 20 Amino Acids and they can be classified as either nonpolar or polar amino acids. These building blocks of protein are essential for muscle growth and development and their differences as to being polar or nonpolar rests mainly on their molecular structure.
What are the best Amino Acids for the Ketogenic Diet?
After going through a brief explanation of what a ketogenic diet is and what amino acids are for, people may still ask “Why do we need Amino acids if we are going on a ketogenic diet?” The answer is because there are some people on a ketogenic diet that still want to have the health benefits of muscle gain and development. As such, here are the best amino acids for the ketogenic diet :
1. Leucine
This ketogenic amino acid aids in providing muscle energy to use during any physical activity and promotes the protein synthesis thereby aiding in the development of muscle fibers. Leucine helps in regulating various chemical reactions within the body in terms of weight loss while on a protein rich diet. Foods that can provide leucine are peanuts, salmon, lentils, soybeans, and beef.
2. Lysine
This ketogenic amino acid is responsible for helping your body produce the nutrient called carnitine which helps in the metabolization of fats into energy. Evidence also suggests that carnitine assists the body in the better absorption of calcium and the formation of collagen. This collagen formation consequently helps produce tendones, cartilage, bone and skin. Lysine rich foods are Peas, beans, lentils, and meats
3. Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine is thought be effective in addressing the skin condition called vitiligo.
4. Isoleucine
This ketogenic and glucogenic amino acid can help in the promotion of tissue and muscle healing at the injured area.Isoleucine is also believed to aid in muscle repair and in the formation of blood clots.
5. Threonine
Threonine is a ketogenic and glucogenic amino acid responsible for the regulating the protein in the body.
6. Tryptophan
This ketogenic and glucogenic amino acid is believed to be eventually be converted to the hormone serotonin, a hormone that is responsible for the communication between nerve cells. The overall level of serotonin in the body affects a person’s mood.
7. Tyrosine
Tyrosine is used to increase awareness, mental focus and the ability to focus. This ketogenic and glucogenic amino acid, similar to tryptophan, may help in regulating an individual’s mood and mental state.
What can we expect from a Ketogenic Amino Acid Supplement?
A product called Keto Aminos, is currently available in the market today and it is specifically tailored to assist people who are doing the ketogenic Diet while leading a healthy lifestyle. This ketogenic Amino acid supplement actually helps the body recover after workouts and helps build lean muscle while at the same time promoting the body’s metabolic processes.
Keto Aminos is designed to promote numerous health benefits for those doing the ketogenic diet such as optimizing the production of ketone bodies and the promotion of increased fat burning within the body.
Below are some of Keto Aminos health ingredients and what they can do for the body:
Hydroxybutyrate or BHB
BHB salts as they more commonly known, aids in managing the blood sugar levels of individuals and helps stave off hunger pangs and cravings
MCT Oil
One of the more popular ingredients of keto aminos as this oil goes directly for liver and bypasses the process of digestion resulting in better and more efficient boosts of energy.
BCAA
These supplements (Branched Chain Amino Acids) helps in reducing fatigue, stress, redness and soreness of the muscles. They can also help speed up recovery from injuries and improve the fat burning capability of the body.
These ingredients should ideally and theoretically have the following combined health benefits:
- They can help retain muscle and tissue while at the same time burn off unwanted fats from the body. This means faster and more efficient weight loss.
- They can help you improve your lead time in recovering from any high level workout. BCCAs make muscle repair that much faster and help you recover enough to make you hit the gym again in no time.
- They can make your weight loss capabilities more efficient and effective. These supplements can actually activate your metabolic afterburners helping individuals born more fat resulting in higher levels of energy.
- They help the body in developing hard and lean muscles in no time. These supplements achieve this by focusing on protein synthesis and at the same time muscle fiber retention and preservation.
- They can provide excellent levels of stamina. This is accomplished by promoting better and more effective protein synthesis resulting in amino acids getting quickly transported directly into muscle fibers.
