How quickly will you “fall out of Ketosis” and how to test

(Kalman Gacs) #1

Want to know about the timing of using a cheap breathalyzer and Keto urine strips.

How long after I ate carbs would I likely fall out of ketosis and how soon after that would it register on these tests?

#2

Too many variables. It depends how many carbs you have, with what frequency. Then there is the variability of you and your metabolism.

(Kalman Gacs) #3

Thanks for the reply!

On the breathalyzer and urine test strips there has got to be some information out there I imagine?

(Ross) #4

Very interesting question.

I think the conventional wisdom is ~ 3 or 4 days to get back fully into detectable ketosis via strips, etc…

I’m not sure we do really drop out of ketosis, at least not for any meaningful period of time. We surely do not become un-fat-adapted.

Noakes in one of his presentations mentioned that when a fat adapted person/athlete eats carbs, they aren’t processed the same way as a carb adapted (carb poisoned?) person. I don’t know if he ever really elaborated on that further but I’d sure love to hear the details. It was in the context of fat-adapted athletes taking in some carbs prior to a long race.

Thought experiment: Say the fat adapted athlete in question were to eat more than 50 to 100 g carbs prior to an event (commonplace). That should effectively kick them out of ketosis and prevent access to their fat stores. The athlete should BONK part way thru the event. The simply does not happen. Fat adapted athletes who carb-up still by and large function in what looks like a caloric deficit so they MUST have full access to their fat reserves. I’ve tried this myself in the winter months & eaten a bit too much sweet potato or winter squash with lots of butter. It should have been enough to kick me out of ketosis yet…no energy problems that day or the following in swim practice…if I wasn’t in ketosis I should have bonked.

Our bodies probably know better than the pee-pee strips!

(Kevin) #5

The pee strips may only work in the beginning stages of ketosis. Once your fat adapted you will no longer produce the ketones that the pee strips detect.

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #6

Wait 20 mins. after eating for the breathalyzers. The Ketostixs basically are only good for knowing your hydration level or lack there of.

What you want is to be fat adapted, keto eating will get your there. Staying in fat adapted mode will help you reach your weight loss or fat loss goals. Read all three parts of this blog.

(Kevin) #7

Nice reply thank you

#8

Cheap breathalyzer and sticks. Probably not at all those tests suck to say the least. In and out of ketosis and want reliable your going to need blood or a real breathalyzer test(like LEVL or ketronix)

(Jacob Wagner) #9

  1. Ignore the strips. They won’t tell you you are in ketosis, only whether your ketone levels are higher than your body is used to. Which if you just started eating a LCHF diet then that is probably almost all of the time.

  2. Blood tests will show a drop within 30 minutes. I would immagone a slight further delay for breath tests because there can be some acetone already in your mouth/lungs, but I don’t know how long.

That depends on a lot of things, but primarily how your insulin and glucose levels react to the food you ate. For the same food, for one person it may happen before it hits your stomach, while for someone else you may not drop out at all.

–Jacob