"Advances are made by answering questions. Discoveries are made by questioning answers." —

Bernard Haisch

For decades, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taught us that a

diet low in fat and high in starch (e.g., USDA food pyramid) promotes fat loss and decreases the

risk of chronic diseases. It should be noted, however, that there's little, if any, scientific evidence

supporting this notion. In fact, the current epidemic of obesity has been accompanied by a

significant decrease in fat consumption and an increase in carbohydrate consumption. Thus,

alternative dietary approaches are clearly needed, especially for fat loss.

Strength-power athletes and fitness models already know what science is now showing.

When one wants to MAXIMIZE fat loss while building muscle mass, a very-lowcarbohydrate/

high-protein diet is the way to go. Also, purported adverse effects of such diets are

greatly exaggerated, at least in the short term. This article refutes enduring very low-carbohydrate

diet-related urban legends, reviews some studies examining the effects of very low-carbohydrate

diet interventions on body composition and provides dietary guidelines for those who want to cut

all the extra fat, while simultaneously increasing muscle mass.

Some well-meaning, yet sadly misinformed, nutritionists have claimed that additional

weight loss on very low-carbohydrate diets is due entirely to the loss of body water. However, the

classic study by Dr. Rabast and co-workers demonstrated that alterations in the water and

electrolyte balance observed during low-carbohydrate diets are a reversible phenomena and

shouldn’t be regarded as causal agents of different weight reduction. Also, the modern studies

measuring body composition by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry didn’t find any indication of

dehydration (an abnormal depletion of body fluids). So, the greater weight loss from a very lowcarbohydrate

diet is largely attributable to fat loss.

Old school nutrition "experts" have also proposed that a very low-carbohydrate diet sets

the stage for a significant loss of muscle mass as the body recruits amino acids from muscle

protein to maintain blood sugar (glucose) via gluconeogenesis (the formation of glucose within

the body from precursors other than carbohydrates). This assumption is clearly fallacious. It’s true

that animals share the metabolic deficiency of total (or almost total) inability to convert fatty acids

to glucose, so the primary source for a substrate for gluconeogenesis is amino acids. However,

when the rate of mobilization of fatty acids from fat tissue is accelerated, as for example, during a

very low-carbohydrate diet, the liver produces ketone bodies. The liver can’t utilize ketone bodies

and thus, they flow from the liver to extra-hepatic tissues (e.g., brain, muscle) for use as fuel.

Simply stated, ketone body metabolism by the brain displaces glucose utilization and thus spares

muscle mass. In other words, the brain derives energy from stored fat during a very lowcarbohydrate

diet. Also, if the muscle is plentifully supplied with other substrates for burning (such

as fatty acids and ketone bodies, in this case), then the burning of muscle protein-derived amino

acids is suppressed.

Dietary ketosis is a harmless physiological state caused by the regulated and controlled

production of ketone bodies. Unfortunately, many healthcare professionals have confused dietary

ketosis with diabetic ketoacidosis. All diabetic patients know that detection in their urine of ketone

bodies is a danger signal that their diabetes is poorly controlled. Indeed, in severely uncontrolled

diabetes, if the ketone bodies are produced in massive supranormal quantities, they’re associated

with ketoacidosis. In this life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus, ketone bodies are

produced rapidly, which overwhelm the body's acid-base buffering system. However, a very lowcarbohydrate

diet can’t lead to dangerous ketoacidosis in healthy subjects (without alcohol or

drug abuse), because ketone bodies have effects on insulin and glucogen secretions that

contribute to the control of the rate of their own formation.

In 2002, USDA researchers published a review paper in the Journal of the American, claiming, "The results of several of the [low-carbohydrate] studies actually

Dietetic Association

refute the contention that low-carbohydrate diets, in the absence of energy restriction, provide a

metabolic advantage for weight loss." They cite four studies supporting this proposition. As

pointed out by my colleague, Gary Taubes, however, these studies don’t actually support their

position. Quite the contrary.

One of the studies cited by the USDA authors followed 24 obese men and women who

followed two weeks on their usual food intake, eight weeks on Atkins diet, then two weeks on

their usual diet. The abstract of this paper states, "The high-protein, low-carbohydrate dieting

resulted in substantial weight loss, probably due to a combination of salt and water loss, as well

as caloric restriction." The full text paper however, offers us some interesting details. An average

weight loss from the Atkins diet was about 0.9 kilograms (two pounds) per week. The authors

pointed out that they would have predicted only half that from the apparent reduction in calorie

intake and that they can account for another quarter of a kilogram by taking into account water

weight, but still fall nearly 0.2 kilograms short per week. So, the suggestion that this study refutes

a contention that low-carbohydrate diets provide a metabolic advantage is simply ridiculous.

Apparently, the USDA authors didn’t bother to read the full text papers.

Alternatively, it’s possible that they simply wanted to get an article into print that appeared

to support the USDA´s food pyramid. To look at the evidence and go away unconvinced is one

thing. To not look at the evidence and be against it is another, but that’s certainly not science.

A number of well-controlled scientific studies have demonstrated that a very lowcarbohydrate

diet promotes fat loss while maintaining or even increasing muscle mass. For

example, Dr. Young and co-workers compared three diets containing the same amounts of

calories (1,800 kcal per day) and protein (115 grams per day), but differing in carbohydrate

content. After nine weeks on the 30-gram, 60-gram and 104-gram carbohydrate diets, weight loss

was 16.2, 12.8 and 11.9 kilograms and fat accounted for 95, 84 and 75 percent of the weight loss,

respectively. So, the authors concluded, "Weight loss, fat loss and percent of weight loss as fat

appeared to be inversely related to the level of carbohydrate in the isocaloric, isoprotein diets." In

layman’s terms, the more carbohydrates these test subjects consumed, the less body fat they

lost. This study was published in the well-respected American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in

1971, but was evidently ignored by obesity "authorities" ("Don’t confuse me with the facts, a

calorie is always a calorie").

Dr. Jeff Volek and colleagues investigated the effects of a six-week, very lowcarbohydrate

diet on body composition in healthy, normal-weight men. Twelve subjects switched

from their habitual diet (48 percent carbohydrates) to a very low-carbohydrate diet (8 percent

carbohydrates) for six weeks and eight men served as controls, consuming their normal diet.

Although subjects were encouraged to consume adequate dietary energy to maintain body mass

during the intervention, the results revealed that fat mass was significantly decreased (-3.4

kilograms) and lean body mass significantly increased (1.1 kilograms) at week six. There were no

significant changes in composition in the control group. The authors concluded that a very lowcarbohydrate

diet resulted in a significant reduction in fat mass and an accompanying increase in

lean body mass in normal-weight men. In other words, the entire loss in bodyweight was from

body fat.

Another well-controlled study by Dr. Volek and co-workers compared the effects of an

isocaloric, energy-restricted, very low-carbohydrate diet and low-fat/high-carbohydrate diets on

weight loss and body composition in overweight/obese men and women. Despite significantly

greater calorie intake (1,855 versus 1,562 kcal per day), a group comparison revealed a distinct

advantage of a very low-carbohydrate diet over a low-fat diet for weight loss/fat loss for men. In

fact, five men showed more than 10 pounds difference in weight loss. The majority of women also

responded more favorably to the very low-carbohydrate diet, especially in terms of trunk fat loss.

Furthermore, the individual responses revealed that three men and four women who did the very

low-carbohydrate diet first, regained body mass and fat mass after they switched to the low-fat,

whereas no subjects regained weight or fat mass after switching to the very low-carbohydrate

diet.

For a more detailed review, I suggest you read my recent scientific papers published in

the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition and Nutrition & Metabolism (free, fulltext

papers are available at www.sportsnutritionsociety.org/site/pdf/Manninen-JISSN-1-2-21-26-

05.pdf and www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/3/1/9).

Once you’ve read them, you will also conclude that, when it comes to fat loss, a calorie is

certainly not a calorie. In fact, it seems to me that calorie content may not be as predictive of fat

loss as reduced carbohydrate consumption. Similarly, a recent comprehensive meta-analysis (a

statistical analysis of a large collection of similar studies) examined a total of 87 well-controlled

studies and clearly showed that very low- and low-carbohydrate diets promote fat loss,

independent of calorie intake. This meta-analysis also showed that higher protein intake is

associated with greater retention of muscle mass.

This program is targeted to those who wish to MAXIMIZE short-term fat loss while

maintaining or increasing muscle mass.

1.) Follow a very low-carbohydrate, high-protein, moderate-fat diet. The most important point is

to keep carbohydrate intake very low. Also, make sure you take in adequate amounts of

protein with every meal. You hardly need to limit fat intake during a very low-carbohydrate

diet. Avoid trans fats, though. Choose only low-glycemic, high-fiber carbohydrate sources

(vegetables, legumes, etc.). However, immediately after resistance exercise you can take in a

small amount of high-glycemic carbohydrates with a fair amount of high-quality protein (e.g.,

hydrolyzed whey protein). Good protein sources include fish (healthy fats!), eggs, lean meats

and carbohydrate-free protein powders.

2.) The critical supplements are a multivitamin-mineral complex, pure creatine monohydrate

powder or carbohydrate-free creatine transport formula (e.g., ProSource

well-designed, fat loss-enhancing supplement (e.g., iSatori Lean System 7, EAS Thermo

DynamX

protein synthesis. However, you certainly shouldn’t look to supplements to be a "magic bullet"

to make up for not paying adequate attention to your basic nutritional program.

3.) Remember to drink lots of water and other calorie-free fluids. Also, it’s important to take in

adequate amounts of sodium and potassium. A very low-carbohydrate diet increases sodium

excretion and the excessive loss of sodium in the urine could reduce blood volume and cause

secondary potassium wasting.

If you decide to give this program a try, you may need to modify your resistance-training

program. For example, it's a good idea to focus on heavier weights for fewer reps (three to eight),

because the energy is primarily derived from phosphocreatine stores. Phosphocreatine serves as

the cell's energy reservoir to provide rapid phosphate-bond energy to resynthesize ATP, a highenergy

molecule serving as the ubiquitous energy currency of cells. This is a more rapid pathway

than ATP regeneration in glycogen breakdown (glycogenolysis). Thus, phosphocreatine becomes

important in maximum efforts lasting up to 10 seconds. Ingesting creatine monohydrate at a

dosage of 20 to 30 grams per day for two weeks increases intramuscular concentrations of free

creatine and phosphocreatine by up to 30 percent. Consequently, creatine is a useful supplement

in the very low-carbohydrate diet.

Note: This program isn’t for serious endurance athletes; they need more carbohydrates.

Consult with your physician before starting this program if you have any medical condition or if

you’re taking any medication. Don’t follow this program if you’re pregnant or nursing.

Although a very low-carbohydrate diet is an effective short-term approach to fat loss, a

moderate-carbohydrate diet is probably the most effective diet for lifelong health and weight

control. Just make sure you stick with "good carbs," i.e., vegetables, fruits, legumes, oatmeal and

other unprocessed whole grains. Moderate-carbohydrate diets are also better for those who wish

to maximize gains in muscle mass. But when it comes to short-term fat loss, while maintaining–

and even gaining muscle— your best dietary approach is the proven and powerful very lowcarbohydrate

diet.

NOTE: The author of this article has no financial relationship with supplement companies

mentioned.