Here are 6 tips to help you maintain muscle mass during a low-carb diet.
1. Use L-carnitine. Nutritional supplements containing L-carnitine can help you burn more fat for energy during training.
2. After two weeks, increase carbohydrate intake for one day. After maintaining a low-carbohydrate diet for two weeks, increase carbohydrate intake to 2-3 grams per pound of body weight per day on the 15th day, and reduce protein intake to 1 gram per pound of body weight per day.
You can stay on a low-carb diet for 8-9 weeks by adding one high-carb day every two weeks. This is very important and can bring better results.
3. Perform high-intensity aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise can thin subcutaneous fat and make muscles look more tangible and obvious.
4. Increase protein intake. A low-carbohydrate diet requires limiting carbohydrate intake in proportion to body weight: bodybuilders weighing more than 190 pounds should be limited to 56-75 grams of carbohydrates per day, and athletes weighing under 190 pounds should limit it. At 40-55 grams of carbohydrates per day.
When carbohydrate intake is less than 75 grams per day, the body will use more protein as energy. Therefore, increase your protein intake to 2 grams per pound of body weight per day during low-carbohydrate periods.
5. Consume whey protein before and after training. Whey protein contains a large amount of branched-chain amino acids, which can replace carbohydrates to provide energy for training. Taking 40-60 grams of whey protein before training can prevent the body from consuming muscle tissue for energy. Take another 40-60 grams of whey protein immediately after training to rebuild muscle tissue.
Additionally, aim to consume 50% of your daily carbohydrate quota after training.
6. Eat red meat every day. Red meat can provide fat to the body as an energy source and prevent protein from being used for energy. Red meat is also rich in alanine, which is used for energy without raising insulin levels.
Get at least 50 grams of protein from red lean meat every day, divide it intoPair it with two meals: 25g for breakfast and 25g for another meal. This ensures a constant supply of alanine in the body and prevents the body from using protein as an energy source.