Table Of ContentThe Ketogenic Diet:
A complete guide for
the Dieter and Practitioner
Lyle McDonald
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This book is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for
medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. It is a review of scientific evidence
presented for information purposes, to increase public knowledge of the ketogenic diet.
Recommendations outlined herein should not be adopted without a full review of the scientific
references given and consultation with a health care professional. Use of the guidelines herein is
at the sole choice and risk of the reader.
Copyright: © 1998 by Lyle McDonald. All rights reserved.
This book or any part thereof, may not be reproduced or recorded in any form without permission
in writing from the publisher, except for brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
For information contact: Lyle McDonald, 500 E. Anderson Ln. #121-A, Austin, Tx 78752
ISBN: 0-9671456-0-0
FIRST EDITION
SIXTH PRINTING
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to Dan Duchaine and Dr. Mauro DiPasquale, and before them Michael Zumpano,
who did the initial work on the ketogenic diet for athletes and got me interested in researching
them. Without their initial work, this book would never have been written.
Special thanks to the numerous individuals on the internet (especially the lowcarb-l list),
who asked me the hard questions and forced me to go look for answers. To those same
individuals, thank you for your patience as I have finished this book.
Extra special thanks go out to my editors, Elzi Volk and Clair Melton. Your input has been
invaluable, and prevented me from being redundant. Thanks also goes out to everybody who has
sent me corrections through the various printings. Even more thanks to Lisa Sporleder, who
provided me valuable input on page layout, and without whom this book would have looked far
worse.
Finally, a special acknowledgement goes to Robert Langford, who developed the 10 day
ketogenic diet cycle which appears on pages 150-151.
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Introduction
I became interested in the ketogenic diet two and one-half years ago when I used a modified
form (called a cyclical ketogenic diet) to reach a level of leanness that was previously impossible
using other diets. Since that time, I have spent innumerable hours researching the details of the
diet, attempting to answer the many questions which surround it. This book represents the
results of that quest.
The ketogenic diet is surrounded by controversy. Proponents of the ketogenic diet proclaim
it as a magical diet while opponents denounce the diet because of misconceptions about the
physiology involved. As with so many issues of controversy, the reality is somewhere in the
middle. Like most dietary approaches, the ketogenic diet has benefits and drawbacks, all of
which are discussed in this book.
The goal of this book is not to convince nor dissuade individuals to use a ketogenic diet.
Rather, the goal of this book is to present the facts behind the ketogenic diet based on the
available scientific research. While the use of anecdotal evidence is minimized, it is included
where it adds to the information presented.
Guidelines for implementing the ketogenic diet are presented for those individuals who
decide to use it. Although a diet free of carbohydrates is appropriate for individuals who are not
exercising or only performing low-intensity aerobic exercise, it is not appropriate for those
individuals involved in high-intensity exercise. In addition to the standard ketogenic diet, two
modified ketogenic diets are discussed which integrate carbohydrates while maintaining ketosis.
The first of these is the targeted ketogenic diet, which includes the consumption of
carbohydrates around exercise. The second, the cyclical ketogenic diet, alternates a span of
ketogenic dieting with periods of high-carbohydrate consumption. In addition to an examination
of the ketogenic diet, exercise is addressed, especially as it pertains to ketogenic diets and fat loss.
This book is divided into seven parts. Part I includes an introduction to the ketogenic diet
and a history of its development. Part II presents the physiology of fuel utilization in the body,
ketone bodies, the adaptations to ketosis, changes in body composition, and other metabolic
effects which occur as a result of ketosis. Part III discusses the specific diets presented in this
book. This includes a general discussion of dieting principles, including body composition and
metabolic rate, as well as details of how to develop a standard, targeted, and cyclical ketogenic
diet. Part IV completes discussion of the ketogenic diet with chapters on breaking fat loss
plateaus, ending the diet, tools used to enhance the diet, and concerns for individuals considering
using ketogenic diet.
Part V discusses exercise physiology, including aerobic exercise, interval training, and
weight training. Additionally, the effects of exercise on ketosis and fat loss are discussed. Part VI
develops general exercise guidelines based on the information presented in the preceding
chapters. Part VII presents sample exercise programs, as well as guidelines for pre-contest
bodybuilders. Finally, Part VIII discusses the use of supplements on the ketogenic diet, both for
general health as well as specific goals.
This book is meant as a technical reference manual for the ketogenic diet. It includes
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information that should be useful to the general dieting public, as well as to athletes and
bodybuilders. Hopefully, the attention to technical accuracy will make it useful to researchers
and medical professionals. As such, technical information is necessarily presented although
attempts have been made to minimize highly technical details. Over 600 scientific references
were examined in the writing of this book, and each chapter includes a full bibliography so that
interested readers may obtain more detail when desired. Readers who desire further in-depth
information are encouraged to examine the cited references to educate themselves.
Lyle McDonald
Bio: Lyle McDonald received his B.S. from the University of California at Los Angeles in
physiological sciences. He has written for several publications, including two web magazines
(Cyberpump and Mesomorphosis), two print magazines (Hardgainer and Peak Training Journal),
and two newsletters (Dave’s PowerStore Newsletter and Dirty Dieting).
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Foreword
REGULATION OF KETOGENESIS
(Sung to the tune of “Clementine”)
In starvation, diabetes, sugar levels under strain
You need fuel to keep going saving glucose for your brain
Ketone bodies, Ketone bodies, both acetoacetate
And its partner on reduction, 3-hydroxybutyrate.
Glucagon’s up, with low glucose, insulin is down in phase
Fatty acids mobilised by hormone-sensitive lipase
Ketone bodies, Ketone bodies, all start thus from white fat cell
Where through lack of glycerol-P, TG making’s down as well.
Fatty acyl, CoA level, makes kinase phosphorylate
Acetyl-CoA carboxy-lase to its inactive state
Ketone bodies, Ketone bodies, because glucagon they say
Also blocks carboxylation, lowers Malonyl-CoA.
Malonyl-CoAs a blocker of the key CPT-1
Blocking’s off so now the shuttle into mito’s is begun
Now we’ve ß oxidation, now we’ve acetyl-CoA
But what’s to stop it’s oxidation via good old TCA?
In starvation, glucose making, stimulating PEP CK
Uses oxaloacetic, also lost another way
Ketone bodies, what is odd is that the oxidation state
Also favours the reduction of OA to make malate.
OA’s low now, citrate synthase, thus loses activity
So the flux into the cycle cuts off (temporarily)
Ketone bodies, Ketone bodies situation thus is this
Acetyl-CoA’s now pouring into Ketogenesis.
It’s a tricky little pathway, it’s got HMG-CoA
In effect it’s condensation in a head-to-tailish way
Ketone bodies, Ketone bodies, note the ratio of the pair
Is controlled by NAD to NADH everywhere.
Don’t despise them, they’re good fuels for your muscles, brain and heart
When you’re bodies overloaded though, that’s when your troubles start
Ketone bodies, ketone bodies, make acetone, lose CO2
You can breath those out, but watch out - acidosis does for you!
© “The Biochemists’ Songbook, 2nd ed.” Harold Baum. London: Taylor and Francis Publishers,
1995. Used with permission.
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Table of contents
Part I: Introduction 19. Interval training 200
1. Introduction to the ketogenic diet 11 20. Weight training 206
2. History of the ketogenic diet 13 21. The effect of exercise
Part II: The physiology of ketosis on ketosis 225
3. Fuel utilization 18 22. Exercise and fat loss 229
4. Basic ketone body physiology 28 Part VI: Exercise guidelines
5. Adaptations to ketosis 38 23. General exercise guidelines 239
6. Changes in body composition 52 24. Aerobic exercise 241
7. Other effects of the ketogenic diet 71 25. Interval training 245
Part III: The diets 26. Weight training 248
8. General dieting principles 86 Part VII: Exercise programs
9. The standard ketogenic diet (SKD) 101 27. Beginner/intermediate 260
10. Carbs and the ketogenic diet 120 28. The advanced CKD workout 266
11. The targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) 124 29. Other applications 270
12. The cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) 128 30. Fat loss for pre-competition
Part IV: Other topics bodybuilders 278
13. Breaking fat loss plateaus 148 Part VIII: Supplements
14. Ending a ketogenic diet 152 31. General supplements 289
15. Tools for the ketogenic diet 158 32. Fat loss 292
16. Final considerations 166 33. The carb-load 302
Part V: Exercise physiology 34. Strength/mass gains 307
17. Muscular physiology and Appendices 309
energy production 174 Glossary 312
18. Aerobic exercise 180 Index 314
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Part I
Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction to the ketogenic diet
Chapter 2: The history of the ketogenic diet
Prior to discussing the details of the ketogenic diet, it is helpful to discuss some
introductory information. This includes a general overview of the ketogenic diet as well as the
history of its development, both for medical conditions as well as for fat loss.
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