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It’s a hard time trying to gain weight on Keto.
Keto is a weight loss diet, and making that a muscle gain diet can be challenging.
Today we’re going to cover Keto friendly mass gainer list – covering shakes, meal replacements, and protein shakes for keto diets.
Building Muscle on a Ketogenic Diet
Building muscle with ketogenic diets is always harder.
The things your body needs to build as much muscle as possible – protein and carbs – are both limited with Keto. You need to be smart to build muscle. Let’s look at how you can build muscle on a keto diet…
1. Protein
There’s a lot of controversy about protein on keto: how much can you use – and how much should you use?
Higher protein diets will help you build more muscle but may knock you out of ketosis (1). This can be a challenge, but it’s important to remember that fat-metabolism is not an on/off switch; it’s a balance of different nutrients for fuel.
Ignore ketosis for now – eat more protein. Ketosis is a starvation-state, and you shouldn’t worry about it when trying to build muscle. Maintain a high-fat diet, but boost protein content. This gives you more nutrients and energy to build muscle with.
2. Fast acting fats
For muscle growth, having a source of fast-acting calories is key. It provides the energy source that drives the “expensive” process of muscle growth (2).
Even on keto, your top priority needs to be calorie-dense foods. Near workouts, this is even more important – and MCTs are the best choice for this. They’re faster than most fats, and help boost total fat metabolism.
The result is faster, more efficient energy supplies to muscles. Prioritize these fast-acting fats from supplement sources, cultured dairy, and coconut.
3. Electrolytes
When you’re not eating high-quality carbs like whole grains, you need a source of electrolytes. These are the essential minerals your body needs to maintain muscle efficiency. They’re also key for muscular repair and growth.
The electrolytes are:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
Supplements that contain these compounds are better for you. They’ll keep you topped up, as well as helping replenish minerals lost during workouts. You can get these from many foods, but they’re going to be important in supplements, too. Get them in every meal or supplement, if possible.
Bonus: additional electrolytes will also offset Keto flu and any other short-term fat-adaptation side effects.
Best Keto Friendly Mass Gainer Supplements
1. KETOSYS™ KETO PROTEIN
This is a fantastic high-protein mass gainer for keto diets – 32g of fat and 20g of protein. With 3g of net carbs, this is also a great choice for keeping carbs low while you build muscle and gain weight.
This has 410 calories, which is fantastic for keto – as a great way to focus on a powerful but reasonable calorie content.
With low NET carbs, moderate protein, and high fat, it’s a perfect choice. It’s a small version of what your whole diet should look like – with perfect keto diet macro-nutrient ratios. That’s why Ketosys Ketogenic Performance is our #1 choice.
Pros
- Excellent macro-nutrient profile
- Great calorie content for balanced performance
- Added mineral support for health and performance
Cons
- Lemon meringue pie is not a great flavor – try the others.
2. Transparent Labs Grass-fed Whey Protein
Transparent Labs’ Grass-Fed Whey Protein is a fantastic choice for any keto diet where you want to add more protein to your diet. It’s super pure, has less than 1g of carbohydrates, and can be combined with your choice of fat source for easy extra calories and protein.
This is only 120 calories per scoop, but it’s super versatile – letting you use this shake any time of day, for any purpose, and with any other calorie source.
Pros
- Great protein source with high purity
- Less than 1g of carbs is perfect for ketogenic diets
- Great value as a supplement
Cons
- Doesn’t contain high-calorie ingredients
- Not a mass gainer, specifically
3. KETOLOGIE Keto Shake – Chocolate
Ketologie’s keto shake is a great all-purpose protein and fat shake for keto. It’s also higher in calorie content than many comparable mass gainers and meal replacements – with 300 calories, split into 75% fat content and 19% protein.
You get less than 2% NET carbs, which is a great way to stay in ketosis while repairing and building muscle mass. You do take in 7g carbs overall, so you need to factor that into your daily carb intake.
With 14g protein and fats, this is a great alternative to normal protein shakes and their high-sugar, lower-calorie design.
Pros
- High calorie content for building mass
- Good protein content overall
- Better value than many alternatives
Cons
- Relatively high carbs – so be careful
4. FINAFLEX 100% Keto Food Ketogenic Meal Replacement Shake
FinaFlex 100% Keto food is a great 1g-calorie serving, with 180 calories per scoop. Instead, you’re going to get 16g of fats and 10g protein per serving. This can be a great help to increase your total intake for the day.
This is a good choice for all-purpose extra nutrients on keto, with MCTs making up around 95% of the fat content. This is a great, healthy short-term fat source for boosting energy levels and is one of the best post-workout fats.
FinaFlex is a good meal replacement shake, but may not live up to the calorie content you need for optimal muscle growth and calorie surplus.
Pros
- Excellent MCT profile
- Good fat content
- Some of the best fast-absorbing energy for a keto diet
Cons
- Not the strongest total calorie content
- Doesn’t provide as much protein as some alternatives
- $2+ per serving isn’t the best value
5. NATURE FUEL Keto Meal Replacement
Nature Fuel keto meal replacement is a full meal shake, with a combination of fats and protein, with relatively low carbohydrate content. This will keep you in ketosis, at around 9g carbs per serving, of which 7g are digestible.
As a meal replacement – not just a keto protein shake – you’ll also get extra vitamins and minerals. For example, you’ll get up to 250% of your daily requirements for some vitamins, and an average of around 40-50%.
As a meal replacement, you’ll get more nutrients per scoop but you’ll also:
Pros
- Great vitamin and mineral content
- Excellent balance of nutrients
- Meal replacement is a more well-rounded supplement for normal, daily use
Cons
- Lower protein content than most real mass gainers
- More expensive than a typical mass gainer
- Not the highest calorie content on the market
Final Thoughts: Building Mass On Keto
The best keto friendly mass gainer is Ketosys Ketogenic Performance, a perfect approach to low carb mass gainer. It’s our easy top spot with a smart design, hitting all 3 of the main weaknesses you see in a keto diet:
- Protein
- Fast-acting fats
- Electrolyte support
Keto friendly mass gainer, protein shakes, and meal replacements can all help you gain weight.
Keto diets struggle to build muscle specifically because they’re keto. It’s a fat-burning process, so you’re going to have to be smart to build muscle with ketogenic diets.
The lessons and supplements we’ve discussed today can help. Prioritize your calorie intake, protein, fast-acting fats, and electrolytes. Combine these supplements with a good weight gain diet, and you’re off to a great start.
Resources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5852756/
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/ketogenic-diet/diet/best-worst-fats-eat-on-keto-diet/
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Rohan Arora is a Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist and has been actively involved in sports and fitness for over 8 years. He now leads the team of fitness specialists and personal trainers who help people around the world with personalized workout and nutrition plans, along with providing the right information on sports supplements.
