There are three main styles of the keto diet:
- Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD)
- Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)
- Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)
Each one serves a specific purpose for particular groups of people. Depending on your goals, your workout regimen, and your exercise experience, you will benefit from one variation more than the others.
The Standard Ketogenic Diet
The Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD) is what most people think of when a keto diet is mentioned. This is a diet that is very low in carbs, moderate in protein, and high in fat. If you are looking to lose fat quickly and you only do low to moderate intensity activities (e.g., walking, cycling, yoga, and light weightlifting), then the SKD may be the ideal diet for you.
With this dietary approach, carbohydrates have to be restricted greatly. An intake of 30g or fewer of carbohydrates a day is typically required to induce and stay in ketosis (which is one of the primary purposes for restricting carb consumption so much). Keto carb limits will vary from person to person, but the general rule is to avoid fruits, starches, added sugars, and other foods that are high in net carbs.
Your primary sources of carbohydrates on the SKD will be low carb vegetables, nuts, seeds, and high-fat dairy products. For a more in-depth look at what you will be eating on the SKD, check out our keto food list
The Targeted Ketogenic Diet
The Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD) consists of eating carbs around workout times (usually 30-60 min before) and following the SKD at all other times. The TKD provides us with a simple way to maintain high-intensity exercise performance and promote glycogen replenishment without interrupting ketosis for long periods of time.
This dietary strategy is typically recommended for two specific groups of people: (1) Individuals that need carbs to fuel their exercise performance but cannot or will not partake in long carb loads of a CKD or (2) individuals that are just starting an exercise program and are not ready to perform the amount of exercise needed to optimize a CKD diet.
If you are only doing cardio type exercises or any activity that is low to moderate in intensity, then the TKD (and CKD) is not for you — stick with the SKD instead..
The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet
The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) is a dietary approach that combines carb loading day(s) with the standard ketogenic diet. It is typically used by people who are more advanced in terms of high-intensity exercise. Bodybuilders and athletes are a prime example of people that should use the CKD, since a high volume and intensity is needed in their training to optimize their performance. With this much volume and intensity, it is nearly impossible for them to train at their best without the help of carbohydrates.
For this reason, it is best for them to implement carbohydrate refeeding days once or twice a week to fully replenish glycogen stores so that they have an adequate amount of sugar to fuel their training bouts.
Unlike the TKD, where the primary goal is to maintain blood sugar and muscle glycogen at a moderate level for training, the goal of the CKD is to completely replete glycogen during carb loads and deplete glycogen and increase ketone levels between the carb loads. However, both dietary approaches will allow you to reap the benefits of carbohydrates and ketosis.
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