“What’s the best whey protein on keto diets? Will it knock me out of ketosis?”
If you’re currently on a ketogenic diet or looking to start it because of its fast fat-burning qualities, you might be wondering whether you can pour yourself a delicious protein shake to drink.
Keto diets are very strict.
And since only some foods are allowed, and some are thrown right out the window, this is a common question.
Most people joining keto diets come from the bodybuilding community. And a big part of their diet is whey protein shakes.
But there’s one problem…
Is it okay to drink whey protein on a keto diet? Do they stop you from reaching ketosis?
By the time you finish reading this post, you’ll find out the exact answer to whether you should or shouldn’t use whey protein on keto diets. (Hint: you can only use some) Plus, the best protein powders you should use if you’re on a keto diet.
But to answer this question, you need to know how ketogenic diets work.
How Ketogenic Diets Work
(I assume most of you already know how it works, so I’m going to keep it short. And get straight to your question after)
A keto diet is a low-carb, moderate protein, and high fat diet. Its main goal is to simply get your body into an optimal state of ketosis.
Ketosis is when your body is so low on blood sugar (glucose), your liver is forced to burn stored body fat to produce ketones. These ketones are then used as energy, instead of stored glucose from eating carbohydrates.
Once at this stage, your body is constantly burning fat to fuel itself.
Insulin
Another big part of keto is simply avoiding foods that spike your insulin levels.
Insulin is released by the pancreas when blood sugar levels rise from eating lots of carbohydrates. Insulin allows your cells to use and store the glucose in your blood for energy.
Less carbs you eat, the lower your blood sugar level, the lower your insulin levels. And vice versa.
Why keep insulin levels low? The answer is simple.
To prevent excess storage of fat and encourage fat burn. However, you still need to be at a caloric deficit to lose weight.
Whey Protein on Keto Diets
Now that you know what it takes to get into ketosis (carb restriction), the answer as to whether you can drink protein shakes should be easy to answer right?
Well, sort of. There’s still other things you need to consider that might kick you out of ketosis which I’ll explain later.
Does Whey Protein Kick You Out Of Ketosis?
To get kicked out of ketosis, you need to consume more carbs than you need to stay in ketosis. How much varies from person to person.
Most get 5%-10% of their calories from carbs to be in ketosis. For example, someone who eats 2000 calories a day, would get 25g-50g of carbs. (That’s about one cup of rice)
So in regards to carbohydrates, will whey protein kick you out of ketosis?
It depends on your protein powder.
If you’re using a mass gainer that has 100g of carbs, you will definitely be kicked out of ketosis. But if you’re using a protein powder with only 0g-3g of carbs (which most do), there’s nothing to worry about.
You just need to stay within your daily carb intake and make sure you don’t exceed it.
Does Too Much Protein Kick You Out of Ketosis?
Other than carbs, many believe too much protein can kick you out of ketosis too. But there’s actually no scientific evidence that backs this claim.
It is thought that if you eat too much protein, your body will turn it into glucose (which is true) causing your body to run on glucose instead of fat, ultimately, knocking you out of ketosis. This process is called gluconeogenesis. However, no studies show this will get you out of ketosis.
Here’s a study explaining why:
The hormonal changes associated with a low carbohydrate diet include a reduction in the circulating levels of insulin along with increased levels of glucagon. These changes indeed favor gluconeogenesis. However, the body limits glucose utilization to reduce the need for gluconeogenesis. [Reference]
According to this study, gluconeogenesis occurs even while you’re in ketosis. However, even with high amounts of protein, your body still limits the use of glucose so gluconeogenesis won’t be necessary. Which means your body won’t start running on glucose from protein. (Remember, there is still not enough research done to prove this to be absolutely true)
Now, you might ask, “Won’t the insulin spike from protein kick you out of ketosis?” Not really…
Do Insulin Spikes Kick You Out Of Ketosis?
Although insulin plays a major part in ketosis, it isn’t enough to simply kick you out of ketosis. There’s even a guy who tested it out himself and the results might shock you. [Full study]
He fasted for 50 days. And was given 0.1 IU/kg of insulin while his ketone levels were high. What happen?
In 30 minutes, his ketone levels dropped quickly. As well as his blood sugar. Why? As I said before, insulin is used to store glucose in the cells. And his brain uses up the ketones because no glucose is available for energy.
Then, surprisingly, in the next 30 minutes, when insulin was used up, his ketone levels went back to normal.
So do insulin spikes kick you out of ketosis? Yes, for a little. But not indefinitely.
Do Artificial Sweeteners Kick You Out Of Ketosis?
This is another thing to be cautious of. Lots of whey protein powders are full of artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols.
However, the studies testing whether artificial sweeteners raise insulin levels are mixed. Some show they do, and some show they don’t. And others have never been tested on humans. (Find all the studies here)
But there is a possibility that it can raise blood sugar levels in rats [Reference]. But for humans, the answer is still unclear since no study has been done yet.
However, even if artificial sweeteners can kick you out of ketosis, it’s likely you’ll jump right back in because artificial sweeteners contain little to no calories or carbs. But fructose is the exception. Fructose is primarily processed by your liver. And if your liver has to process sugar, than ketones won’t be produced.
How To Use Whey Protein On Keto Diets
Now that you know whey protein isn’t a big threat to your state of ketosis, there’s still a very slim chance that it is. Every body’s different and some people claim that whey does knock them out of ketosis.
To make sure it’s not happening to you, you want to keep track of the ketones in your body. How do you do that?
By using:
These two items are essential if you want to know whether your protein powder is knocking you out of ketosis. They’re also good for anyone on a keto diet to make sure they’re actually in ketosis.
Ketostix
These are the easiest and cheapest way to measure your ketones, but they’re not the most accurate.
How does it work? All you have to do is pee on one of the strips and then it’ll change color. You then match the color of the strip with the colors on the bottle to see the amount of ketones you’re producing.
However, testing by urine can be very misleading. Why? Simple because it takes longer for ketones to show in urine. In other words, the ketostix show old results, not your present state.
Ketostix also only measure one out of the three ketone bodies produced in your body, acetoacetate, which isn’t a good indicator of nutritional ketosis.
The ketone body you want to measure is beta-hydroxybutryrate. That’s where a ketone blood meter comes in…
Ketone Blood Meter
A Ketone Blood Meter is pricier, but comes with everything you need to measure your ketone levels accurately.
Ketone Blood Meter Kit
How does it work? You put a strip into the test meter. Use the lancet pen (needle) on your fingertip to get a tiny drop of blood. Place a drop of blood on the end of the strip and the meter will tell you your results.
A reading around 1.5-3 mmol/L is best. It means you’re in optimal ketosis.
A Ketone Blood Meter is your best bet if you want to see if your ketones are affected by drinking whey protein. It’s a direct method and measures what’s most reflective of ketosis, beta-hydroxybutryrate.
Best Whey Protein On Keto Diets
If you’re unwilling to give up your protein powder, but still worried about it knocking you out of ketosis, here are two safe protein powders you can use.
Isopure Zero Carb Protein Powder
- It contains ZERO carbs (says in the name)
- And isn’t full of artificial sweeteners like most protein powders
The only “downside” is that it contains plenty of protein. And the reason why I put downside in quotes is because it’s only a problem to those who can’t work it into their diet.
Other than that, it’s perfectly safe to use on a keto diet. Even though it has some artifical sweeteners, Isopure also has an Unflavored Flavor which contains no sweeteners at all.
Another great protein powder you should use is…
Naked Whey
Naked Whey is possibly the best whey protein you can go with on a keto diet for many reasons:
- It’s made from 100% Grass Fed Whey
- Contains only one ingredient (Whey Protein Concentrate)
- Extremely low carb (3g)
- GMO-free, Growth Hormone free, Soy free, Gluten free
- And has no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors
This is your safest bet if you want to avoid worrying about using whey protein on a keto diet.
There’s absolutely no other ingredient than whey protein in Naked Whey. And there’s no possible way drinking solely whey protein can knock you out of ketosis. Plus, it’s completely natural.
Final Words
If you made it to here after reading everything above, you learned practically everything you need to know about using whey protein on keto diets.
You now know what will and will not knock you out of ketosis. You also know ways to check if your protein powder is knocking you out of ketosis. And lastly, two protein powders that will save you from messing up your keto diet.
And keep in mind, those two protein powders are only recommended suggestions. There are plenty of protein powders that won’t kick you out of ketosis. You can test them out yourself by simply using the two methods I mentioned before (Ketostix and Ketone Blood Meter).
P.S. Here’s a bonus protein powder that you might want to use on a keto diet that’s cheaper (NOW Foods Whey Isolate)
Now this is just what I call a well thought out posting. Straightforward and to the point. I am going to certainly watch out for additional content such as this.