The anabolic diet - a complete guide including a sample nutrition plan

The anabolic diet is a muscle building and fat loss nutrition program developed by Dr. Mauro DiPasquale as a method to provide steroid-free exercisers with steroid-like gains.

This guide will teach you the following:

• What a cyclic ketogenic diet (CDK) is
• The main principles of the anabolic diet
• The 3 phases of the anabolic diet: introduction, mass gain and definition phase
• How to cycle your protein, carbohydrate and fat intake
• What types of meals you should eat during the anabolic diet

The anabolic diet was introduced to the health and fitness subculture in 1995 through a book of the same name by Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale - a physician from Ontario, Canada, who specialized in sports medicine and nutrition. The anabolic diet is basically Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale's version of a cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD), although the term diet in this context stands more for "form of nutrition" than for fat loss.

In addition to his medical background in molecular biology and genetics and his medical degree, Dr. DiPasquale was a world-class powerlifter in the late seventies. After finishing his competitive career, he opened his own practice to help athletes achieve their health and fitness goals. The Anabolic Diet was one of his first books and since then he has published a handful more.

But just because the anabolic diet is one of his older works doesn't mean that it isn't still useful today, as there are a number of interesting principles underlying it. This guide will look at what the anabolic diet is, the science behind it and how you can use this form of nutrition. It will also answer some frequently asked questions on the subject.

What are cyclical ketogenic diets (CKDs)?

Before we start with the principles underlying the anabolic diet, it's useful to have a rudimentary understanding of cyclical ketogenic diets in general. Cyclical ketogenic diets are basically diets that focus on periods of low carbohydrate intake followed by short periods of carbohydrate loading to replenish the body's glycogen stores.

As ketogenic diets are inherently very low in carbohydrate (generally <10% of total macronutrient intake) and higher in protein and fat, the body relies on using fat as an energy source as its glycogen stores are depleted. Although ketogenic diets are mainly used for health and fitness purposes, they are also used in the medical field to treat epilepsy (1).

The anabolic diet

The principles behind the anabolic diet

Although Dr. DiPasquale asserts that the anabolic diet is not a ketogenic diet in the strictest sense, it is based on some of the same physiological principles. Unlike conventional dietary strategies that focus specifically on building muscle or burning fat over an extended period of time, the anabolic diet is a three-phase diet consisting of a maintenance phase, a mass-building phase and a definition phase.

If you're wondering why the program is called an anabolic diet, it's because Dr. DiPasquale believes that the macronutrient manipulations and food choices he recommends are conducive to maximizing the function of your endocrine system. He has made the cocky claim that this diet has steroid-like effects, which of course is a bit of an exaggeration.

The phases of the anabolic diet

Each phase of the anabolic diet simply alters calorie intake to support the intended goal of maintenance, bulking and weight loss. The macronutrient composition of the diet remains the same in proportion to the calorie intake (more on macronutrient manipulation later). The length of each phase can be adjusted based on your current body fat percentage and goals. A typical cycle could look like this:

Maintenance/introduction phase (weeks 1-4):

The maintenance calorie amount that Dr. DiPasquale suggests is 40 multiplied by your body mass in kilos. This phase is also referred to as the Introduction Phase, as the program uses this phase to acclimate your body to the macronutrient manipulation that underlies the anabolic diet (and which we will discuss in a moment).

Mass building phase (the length will vary based on the factors described below):

The mass building phase is slightly different in that caloric intake may need to be adjusted after a few weeks of trial and error. To determine the initial calorie intake for the mass-building phase, Dr. DiPasquale recommends that you take your ideal body weight in kilos and add 15% to that number. So let's say an exerciser has an ideal body weight of 90 kilos. He would therefore aim to increase his weight to around 103 kilos.

The mass-building phase basically lasts until you reach this target weight and Dr. DiPasquale believes that the calorie intake per day should be 44 to 55 kcal per kilo of target weight. If you gain more than 1 kilo of body mass per week, you should reduce your calorie intake slightly. If, on the other hand, you are not gaining much weight, it may be necessary to increase your calorie intake slightly.

Ideally, this phase should last until you:

A) you have reached your desired body mass, or
B) your body fat percentage is above 10%

Definition phase (the length will vary based on the factors described below):

The definition phase is pretty much the same as the maintenance phase, but with a slightly lower calorie intake to achieve the desired weekly weight loss. Dr. DiPasquale believes that a daily calorie deficit in the range of 500 to 1000 kcal per day is more than enough. He also notes that a weight loss of more than one kilo per week is too extreme and a large part of such an extreme weight loss will be muscle mass. Therefore, aim for a weight loss of 1 to 1.5 pounds per week.

To determine your daily calorie intake during this phase, take your body weight in kilos, multiply it by 40 and subtract 500 to 1000 kcal from the result.

This phase should be continued until you have reached the desired body fat percentage, which should preferably be less than 10%.

Cyclical macronutrient intake during the anabolic diet

Although the different phases of this diet have different calorie intake targets, the ratio of macronutrients remains unchanged during all phases of the anabolic diet. Dr. DiPasquale has divided the diet into two time frames: low-carbohydrate weekdays and high-carbohydrate weekends.

Monday through Friday

Focus on greatly reducing your carbohydrate intake (i.e. < 30 grams per day and ensuring your energy intake comes from fat and protein sources. Your macronutrient ratios should be as follows

• 65% of calories in the form of fat
• 30 to 35% of calories in the form of protein
• And the rest in the form of carbohydrates

Weekends

Weekends are meant to replenish your muscle glycogen stores and do something for your wellbeing if you crave carbohydrates. The macronutrient ratios at the weekend are pretty much the opposite of what you eat during the week:

• 10 to 20% of calories in the form of fat
• 10 to 20% of calories in the form of protein
• And the rest (60 to 80% of calories) in the form of carbohydrates

Alleged physiology underlying the anabolic diet

The anabolic diet is mainly based on the idea that very low carbohydrate diets force your body to draw energy from fats and/or amino acids because glucose is scarce. The second basic idea behind the anabolic diet is that androgen production correlates with saturated fat intake (2).

However, the scientific literature seems to suggest that chronic high-fat diets can cause or exacerbate insulin resistance, which would be devastating for the carbohydrate loading phase on the weekends of the anabolic diet (3). In addition, a disadvantage of restricting carbohydrate intake on weekdays is that insulin secretion will be minimal and will limit the anabolic response to meals. In this context, you should keep in mind that insulin is a highly anabolic hormone that has been shown to enhance the muscle protein synthesis response to meals beyond what would be possible with protein intake alone (4).

Food selection during the anabolic diet

Dr. DiPasquale is quite firm in his position that saturated fats are a good source of energy and are essential for optimal hormone production. Therefore, he tends to recommend the following foods for the low-carb days of the week:

• High-fat varieties of animal proteins (especially red meat)
• Whole eggs
• Full-fat dairy products such as cheese, cream, butter, etc.
• Oils, preferably rapeseed oil, peanut oil, linseed oil, macadamia oil, olive oil and coconut varieties
• Nuts and nut butters
• High-fiber vegetables, especially green vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, celery, etc.

The key to success is to closely monitor your carbohydrate intake during the weekdays and keep it in the 5 to 10% range of your total calorie intake. You will most likely not be able to consume starchy carbohydrates during the weekdays due to carbohydrate intake from other food sources.

Example nutrition plan for a weekday (~2800 kcal):

Meal 1

• 3 whole eggs with 30g cheese, fried with a tablespoon of oil
• 2 turkey sausages
• 10g peanut butter

530 kcal/36.5g fat/36.5g protein/2.5g net carbohydrates

Meal 2

• 120g minced pork
• 1 Italian sausage
• 1.5 cups salad mix

470 kcal/32g fat/38g protein/3g net carbohydrates

Meal 3

• 120g minced beef with 30g cheese
• 1 turkey sausage
• 32g peanut butter

530 kcal/34.5g fat/40.5g protein/3g net carbohydrates

Meal 4

• 150g chicken breast fried with a tablespoon of oil
• 1 turkey sausage
• 1.5 cups salad mix with a tablespoon of linseed oil
• 21g peanut butter

500 kcal/30g fat/40.5g protein/5.25g net carbohydrates

Meal 5

• 200g low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 scoop whey protein
• 16g almond butter
• 5g linseed
• 1 tablespoon oil

450 kcal/27g fat/36.5g protein/9.5g net carbohydrates

Pre-/Post-Workout Shakes

• 1.5 scoops of whey protein before training
• 2 scoops of whey protein after training

360 kcal/5g fat/78g protein/8g net carbohydrates

Total daily intake

• 2840 kcal
• 165g fat of which about 40 are saturated fats
• 265g protein
• ~30g net carbohydrates

For the weekends (high carbohydrate days), food choices are not a big deal as long as you are eating adequate amounts of carbohydrates. Dr. DiPasquale recommends eating most of your carbohydrates later in the day, but this is not mandatory. Some people do better with carbohydrates and can spread them out more evenly throughout the day. An example day at the weekend could look like this:

Sample weekend diet (portion sizes vary based on your calorie intake):

• Meal 1 - Pancakes, fresh fruit and an egg white omelette
• Meal 2 - Pasta with tomato sauce, chicken breast and garlic bread
• Meal 3 - Bagel with low-fat cheese and turkey breast
• Meal 4 - Sweet potatoes and a hamburger made with extra lean ground beef
• Meal 5 - Shrimp tacos served with rice and beans

There are no strict rules about what you can eat as long as you meet your macronutrient/calorie goal each day. Dr. DiPasquale simply recommends certain foods for each time slot to give an example. The anabolic diet is not meant to eliminate specific foods or food groups from your diet. That said, you probably won't eat many grains and starchy foods during the week, but you'll have plenty of leeway for these foods on the weekend.

FAQ about the anabolic diet

Q: As a vegan, can I still follow the anabolic diet?

A: Yes, but the low-carb phase of the diet will probably be a little more complicated as you can't (or don't want to) eat eggs, animal proteins, dairy products, etc. It won't be easy to get enough protein without resorting to supplements.

Q: What supplements can I use during the anabolic diet?

A: Pretty much anything you would use on any other diet can be used on the anabolic diet. However, it is probably not practical to use weight gainers or other high carbohydrate supplements during the low carbohydrate phase of the anabolic diet.

Q: Will the anabolic diet really help me achieve steroid-like gains?

A: Probably not, to be honest.

Q: Is this diet safe for people with high cholesterol?

A: If you have any medical conditions, it's best not to discuss issues like this with your doctor.

Q: Does fiber count as part of my daily carbohydrate intake?

A: The anabolic diet does not count fiber as part of your net carbohydrate intake. However, fiber still contains calories, just like any other macronutrient.

Q: Should I use a fiber supplement like psyllium husk during the low-carb days of the anabolic diet?

A: This is entirely up to you, but if you don't eat a lot of high-fiber vegetables, it might be a wise decision to use a fiber supplement to ensure healthy digestive system function.

Q: I feel very bloated and lethargic on the weekends after high-carb meals. What should I do?

A: You can try to increase your meal frequency and spread your carbohydrates more evenly throughout the day or try to eat most of your carbohydrates later in the day as you can relax during the night and will be inactive anyway.

Q: Is it normal to feel sluggish and lethargic during the introductory phase of the anabolic diet?

> A: Dr. DiPasquale says that it can take a few weeks for the body to adjust to the anabolic diet, especially if you have been eating a higher carbohydrate diet.

Q: What should I do if my body fat is already over 10% and I want to follow the anabolic diet?

A: Do this by simply skipping the mass-building phase of the anabolic diet. As soon as you have reached your desired body fat percentage of under 10%, you can start to include the mass building phase in your plan.

Summary

Dr. DiPasquale has gained a large amount of followers over the years and much of this has to do with the influence of the anabolic diet on the health and fitness subculture. Even though this form of nutrition is based on sound principles, it also has some drawbacks and is not necessarily for everyone.

And as with pretty much any other nutritional strategy, it's wise to experiment with the anabolic diet and find what works for you and your body. Some people may have good success and perform better on the anabolic diet, while others will do better on a more balanced diet where there isn't as much fluctuation in certain macronutrients.

References:

1. Ketogenic Diet. (n.d.). Epilepsy Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/aboute
2. Dorgan, J. F., Judd, J. T., Longcope, C., Brown, C., Schatzkin, A., Clevidence, B. A., ... & Taylor, P. R. (1996). Effects of dietary fat and fiber on plasma and urine androgens and estrogens in men: a controlled feeding study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 64(6), 850-855.
3. Kraegen, E. W., Clark, P. W., Jenkins, A. B., Daley, E. A., Chisholm, D. J., & Storlien, L. H. (1991). Development of muscle insulin resistance after liver insulin resistance in high-fat-fed rats. Diabetes, 40(11), 1397-1403.
4. Kimball, S. R., Jurasinski, C. V., Lawrence, J. C., & Jefferson, L. S. (1997). Insulin stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle by enhancing the association of eIF-4E and eIF-4G. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 272(2), C754-C759.

Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/anabolic-diet