In our body, various processes take place to create energy. How this process works is very important to know, because we cannot live without energy.
It plays an important role in strength athletes because you cannot build muscle mass without energy. That is why I would like to tell you more about it in this article.

Energy is created in the body in different ways. This depends on the diet you follow, your health and how much energy you use. The body can create energy with multiple nutrients. When no energy is created in the body, it literally cannot function.

Under normal circumstances, mitochondria produce energy (ATP) in cells. ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. These are 3 phosphates that are linked together by means of a magnetic attraction. In order to make a movement or a certain action in the body take place, the ATP connection is pulled apart, leaving ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and 1 loose phosphate. By pulling this connection apart, energy is released that is used to make movements and activate certain processes.

After the connection is pulled apart, ATP must be created again. This is done by the mitochondria. These need glucose and a loose phosphate (P) to create ATP from ADP again. Glucose is released into the bloodstream by the liver, after which it brings insulin to the cell. In the cell, glucose is first broken down into 2x ATP, 2x NADH and 2x Pyruvic acid before it reaches the mitochondria.
In the mitochondria, Pyruvic acid is converted into acetyl-CoA enzymes. These are used again in the citric acid cycle to ultimately create the magnetic attraction that allows a loose phosphate (P) to link to ADP again.

When you take creatine as a supplement you produce ATP faster. Taking this increases the available supply of creatine phosphates. This makes the mitochondria produce ATP faster and easier.

Here  you will find our creatine products.

You've probably heard of the Keto diet. How it works and whether it can work for you, I will explain here.

Ketosis is a mechanism in which ketones are used to create energy.
It is formed from fats by liver enzymes. This process only occurs with a low-carb diet and with long-term intensive efforts. Because there is a shortage of carbohydrates, there is little glucose in the blood to provide the body with energy. This causes the body to burn fats in order to still obtain the necessary energy.

Fats are broken down into 1 glycerol molecule and 3 fatty acid chains (lipolysis).
These fats are then converted to acetyl-CoA enzymes and follow the same process as mentioned above. This allows the body to produce magnetic attraction again to bind a phosphate to ADP.

To get into a Ketosis phase your daily carbohydrate intake should be between 20 and 50 grams. You can measure this with ketostix. These are sticks that you can urinate on to see if you are in Ketosis.

A ketogenic diet will not support peak performance because it takes longer to produce ketones than it does to convert glucose into acetyl-CoA.
If you are doing HIIT training, a ketogenic diet is not a good choice because your blood sugar levels can drop significantly and you can end up in a hypo.

With a ketogenic diet you can also retain less glycogen in the muscles, which can reduce strength production and reduce muscle volume. The risk of heart disease and kidney problems also increases because you mainly eat proteins and fats. When you do or are going to do this diet it is important to mainly choose omega 3-6-9 fats. These have a positive effect on the hormone balance. You can find these fats in:

• Fatty fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Oils

You can also use the ketogenic diet to make yourself more sensitive to insulin. When you eat/have eaten a lot of carbohydrates as a strength athlete, your insulin sensitivity may have decreased. This means you can absorb less glucose into your muscle cells. A short low-carb phase can help you get this back, for example on rest days. You can also  use GDAs  to keep glycogen storage in the muscle cells optimal. If you want to know more about GDAs, read   this article .

For overweight people, a ketogenic diet is perfect for losing weight. The following is important:

• Good fats to get your cholesterol balance in order
• Get enough fiber for gut health
• Take extra  multivitamins  to prevent deficiencies

Because fiber is mostly in carbohydrates and not in fats and proteins, you can take fiber through nutritional supplements or vegetable shakes. The website lists various  vegetable shakes  with sufficient fiber.

To provide your body with extra energy during training, you can  use MCT oil  as a pre-workout. Use a dosage of 5 ML before your training.

This is a process that you should try to prevent at all times!
When the body does not get enough nutrition, it will switch to protein burning. The liver will break down proteins (often from muscle tissue) in order to create ATP. Excessive protein consumption can put too much strain on your kidneys.

Make sure you  always  provide your body with enough carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.