Why drinking water is lowering my nutritional ketosis results when I take a blood testing strip?

(Marcos Davi) #1

I have been noticing that always when I take a blood test with the strip without water for a couple hours (3 or 4, or even more) without water, I get a higher result (like +0.3 to +0.6 mmol) than when I repeat the test 1 hour after drinking water. So I was wondering why my body is behaving the completely opposite from what the ketosis tomes say about that we should drink a lot of water to have a optimal result.

I am re-posting my question because people were bashing at me for no reason. I didn’t understand. I have been doing keto diet for 3 1/2 years with cheat every 2 months only (for 3 days). I recently moved to USA, where strips for the blood test are affordable, so I am piercing my blood around twice a day and I notice the issue.

I don’t do keto diet to loose weight, (it is just because i think it is healthy). I have always been skinny.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #2

I think you’re doing fine. I’m not sure but maybe being more hydrated changes your blood volume and the ketone percentage is diluted a bit? I don’t do any testing so I’m not the best person for information. But ketone levels are always going up and down for different reasons. I’ve heard people say they tested before a walk and after and exercise burns up ketones. Could be lots of factors. I’m gonna page @amwassil who I see as one of the most knowledgeable experimenter and testing data recorders here to advise you. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Bunny) #3

Here is the problem YOU want to see high ketones in your blood stream?

Why would you want that?

You only want to see a trace amounts (0.__something) and that means that most of it is actually being used for fuel?

So when your drinking water you are actually excreting the useless ones and why you may be seeing lower readings or numbers?

Also beware high vitamin C intake and/or Hemocrit blood serum levels will give you false high[1] ketone readings?

References:

[1] Blood Ketones: Measurement, Interpretation, Limitations, and Utility in the Management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

@Marcos_Davi This, I believe, is dead on. When you are dehydrated, your blood volume decreases (hypovolaemia), and the concentrations of things in the blood all artifically appear higher; when you are properly hydrated, your blood volume is greater (and normal), hence your concentrations will appear comparatively lower. If you were to go so far as to over-hydrate, your blood volume would be higher still (hypervolaemia) and the concentrations would consequently appear still lower, for the same actual amount of the substance being measured…

Hydration is a thorny issue, these days. Prof. (and Dr.) Tim Noakes, a marathon runner and sport nutritionist, was the first one to advise runners to stay hydrated. He found, however, that the sport drink companies took this notion and ran with it, and the recommendations for how much water to take in eventually became excessive. He caught on to this trend, and started warning of the dangers of overhydration, but quite a few runners have collapsed, and several have even died, from the electrolyte imbalance from drinking too much water. It is sufficient, the Professor assures us, to drink to thirst; we need not worry about trying to meet some arbitrary target.

(Marcos Davi) #5

THank you so much for being so knowledgeable. Actually I overhydrate (around 7 litters per day and I don’t sweat). So maybe this volume changes if I test it when I am semi-dehydrate, properly hydrate and overhydrate. That was exactly what I wanted to do. I did this question on the major Keto forum on Reddit and I was bashed and got so much people going on rant saying I was a troll. The moderators deleted my question and I asked why and they told me, as people on comment, that i shouldn’t test blood, and I dont understand basic fundamentals of ketosis and that what is important is to keep loosing weight. They were so rude for no reason and nobody was able to explain me. And I even explained them I don’t want to loose weight (because I am already thin), and I adopted keto diet since 2016 (cheating 3 day every 2 months)as a life style becuase I like the brain performance boost and more physical energy I get from it.

(Marcos Davi) #6

thanks for trying to anwser my question and for being kind. I did this question on the major Keto forum on Reddit and I was bashed and got so much people going on rant saying I was a troll and stupid. The moderators deleted my question and I asked why and they told me, as people on comment, that i shouldn’t test blood, and I dont understand basic fundamentals of ketosis and that what is important is to keep loosing weight. They were so rude for no reason and nobody was able to explain me. And I even explained them I don’t want to loose weight (because I am already thin), and I adopted keto diet since 2016 (cheating 3 day every 2 months)as a life style becuase I like the brain performance boost and more physical energy I get from it.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #7

Yeah that kind of behavior doesn’t fly here. We’re pretty nice people for the most part. Welcome to the forum. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #8

I also suspect it reflects your level of hydration, not how many ketones you are making or using.

And around here we understand there are many different reasons to eat ketogenically. Weight loss is just one of them. I wish I had known about it before I gained weight in the first place! Good health to you!