Should Powerlifters Try a Carnivore Diet? | PROS & CONS

Breaking powerlifting down to the simplest definition is to essentially strengthen your body to be able to lift more weight. It’s common knowledge that diet plays a crucial part in gains so would a carnivore diet be a benefit?

The answer appears to be “yes” and “no” as it’s a very nuanced topic and everyone is different. However that’s not going to dissuade me from trying attempt to get a better understanding of the carnivore diet and how it can or can’t improve powerlifting and strength training.

Obviously since I’m not a powerlifter and my experience in that world is minimal I’m going to resort to some of the influencers in the space that have expertise in all things power-lifting, strength and diet. Those two people right now are Mark Bell and Dr. Shawn Baker.

Dr. Shawn Baker wrote the book, “The Carnivore Diet”, which I highly recommend should you be interested in pursuing a carnivore diet and/or lifestyle.

Carnivore Diet Basics

If you are new to the idea of the carnivore diet it’s rather easy to describe. It’s a diet in which you only eat animal products, add salt and drink water. The meat can include all types of meat from beef, pork, chicken, seafood to seal.

You can also add eggs if need be and if your body tolerates dairy then by all means go for it. Just know that dairy has its own set of challenges as it contains lactose and not everyone can tolerate it.

What about milk? We wrote an entire article on that one:

• Can You Drink Milk on the Carnivore Diet?

People generally set out on the carnivore diet for health and weight loss needs. The carnivore diet is essentially an elimination diet and what I mean is that you eliminate all crappy processed foods, plant foods, vegetables, fruits and seed oils (this includes most protein powders) .

This allows the body and gut to heal after years of plant abuse. We are talking about relief from autoimmune issues, skin problems, digestive issues, and plenty of issues in between.

The weight-loss piece is usually from the result of eating almost no carbohydrates which in turn possibly and sometimes allows the body to go into ketosis….which begs another question which is better the keto diet or the carnivore diet? We dropped an interesting article on that topic too.

• Is the Carnivore Diet the Same as the Keto Diet? We Explain the Difference

According to Dr. Shawn Baker he believes in maintaining a diet that allows for optimal clinical outcomes…this means improving strength, energy, sexual performance, and all matters of life enhancement. For him the carnivore diet provides progression in said categories.

With regards to the carnivore diet for powerlifting we may have a challenge on the weight loss part. Obviously powerlifters don’t have an interest in losing weight which brings us to Mark Bells opinion…

Mark Bell’s Knowledge Nuggets

When discussing the carnivore diet for bodybuilding.com on YouTube Mark brings up the question that a lot of people ask which is, “if you switch over to the carnivore diet are you going to lose strength?”

Mark believes that if you lose bodyweight then chances are you are going to lose strength.

Glycogen Factor

Another consideration for the carnivore diet is the lack of glycogen in the muscles during the beginning of a carnivore diet which you would normally get predominantly from carbohydrates. Most people believe that the lack of glycogen may impact energy levels and decrease the amount of “pop” you would have toward the end of lifts.

Dr. Paul Saladino mentions in his book, “The Carnivore Code”, that, “studies of ketogenic diets in endurance athletes suggest a performance advantage with this way of eating, (keto), and that after a 6 to 8 week period of keto-adaptation, rates of glycogen storage and replenishment are equivalent with those of carbohydrate-focused athletes.”

2 studies on a low carb/keto diet and glycogen:

• The human metabolic response to chronic ketosis without caloric restriction: preservation of submaximal exercise capability with reduced carbohydrate oxidation.
• Nutritional Ketosis Alters Fuel Preference and Thereby Endurance Performance in Athletes.

However Mark doesn’t believe that to be much of a big deal and in terms of overall strength it’s a non factor.

Lifting Priorities

Mark advises you to get your goals and priorities straight. If you look in the mirror and want to lose weight then of course a carnivore diet may help with that but if you want to increase strength you better damn make sure you eat enough to do so.

As soon as you start to see a drop in weight you may see a drop in strength so Mark advises upping the eggs and food volume. In his words, “eat like a savage.”

Untrained vs. Trained

Another factor Mark likes to mention is that if you are an overweight person just starting out on both a carnivore diet and powerlifting then of course you will see strength gains and weight loss.

If you are an experienced lifter your gains will be more anchored to your weight.

He’s personally seen people lose hundreds of pounds while on the carnivore diet and also become powerlifting beasts.

Adjustment Period

Almost everyone new to the carnivore diet goes through an adjustment period and sometimes gets what’s called the keto/carnivore flu. You basically feel like crap for a few days or weeks while your body transitions from a carb/sugar burner to one that uses fat for energy.

Mark likes to warn carnivore diet newbies to be aware of the energy issues and that the stomach may feel a little funky. Plus strength may go up and down until the body is normalized.

Mark’s Training Advice While on Carnivore

Overall Mark believes you can build strength as a carnivore. He says to go as hard as you can but be careful with how often you go heavy.

Be more concerned with training strength and not testing your strength…basically keep it safe.

Overall you’re not changing much just because you’re on a carnivore diet.

Also watch out for caloric deficit. If strength is key, you have to keep track of calories and if you are circuit training or mixing in cardio your strength may suffer.

One other thing he advises is to make sure you are getting enough salt. He also uses an electrolyte blend of magnesium and potassium when needed. His morning routine includes a glass of water with salt…it’s an energy boost.

I use salt and electrolytes as a pre-workout too. You can buy the pre-made packets or just make your own mix. This is what I use:

1. Redmond Real Sea Salt (Super high Quality Salt and I buy in bulk.)
2. Magnesium Citrate (I like Natural Calm, 1-2 teaspoons.)
3. Potassium Chloride (Doctors say be careful if you have kidney problems.)
4. LMNT Recharge Electrolyte Hydration Powder | Developed by Robb Wolf and Ketogains

What’s Dr. Shawn Baker Saying?

Dr. Shawn Baker has been on a strict carnivore diet for over 3 years now. He was the first person to turn me onto it.

We should note that he is a very athletic person and has been powerlifting and competing in different events his whole life. He even holds world records in rowing.

According to Dr. Baker he got stronger when he switched to a carnivore diet. In his past he ate a rather crappy diet and slowly transitioned into paleo. Paleo provided him some improvements but then over time he went full-on carnivore and hasn’t looked back since.

When discussing strength and muscle gains he likes to point to a recent study.

• Muscle Androgen Receptor Content but Not Systemic Hormones Is Associated With Resistance Training-Induced Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy in Healthy, Young Men

According to that study androgen receptors play a huge roll in the body’s ability to gain muscle and strength. In fact testosterone levels don’t mean nearly as much as the androgen receptor sensitivity.

You could have super high testosterone but if you receptors are faulty then you’re probably going to have strength issues.

The Natural Way to Improve Androgen Receptor Sensitivity

Dr. Baker says to use resistance training and eat lots of meat. Meat has copious amounts of carnitine which is crucial for androgen receptor sensitivity.

Food	Milligrams (mg)
Beef steak, cooked, 4 ounces	56–162
Ground beef, cooked, 4 ounces	87–99
Milk, whole, 1 cup	8
Codfish, cooked, 4 ounces	4–7

Another way to hack the receptors is with infrequent meals.

Obviously there is the unnatural and synthetic route which includes pharmaceuticals and steroids…which work great but it comes with an added cost.

Pro and Cons

As you can see there appears to be some major pros and cons. The studies are minimal and as with anything in the diet and nutrition realm a lot of information relies on anecdotal evidence.

The pros for the carnivore diet are going to be based on clinical performance which is how you feel overall. Some athletes will increase in strength and be able to push themselves harder with that extra sense of overall well being.

The androgen receptor study is major in that it shows levels of carnitine are important for strength increase. Certain meat like beef has plenty of carnitine.

However the cons are that most powerlifters are going to have to maintain their weight and not drop it as it could decrease their strength. One of the remedies that Mark Bell offers is to add some potatoes or rice to your diet. Makes sense but that’s where you disqualify the carnivore diet part.

Or you just have to eat like savage and drop in extra eggs and fat to keep your weight maintained. Also stay clear of the cardio and circuit training as you may become caloric deficient.

Either way I hope this article points you in the right direction. There are plenty of YouTube channels on the subject and I really like what Dr. Shawn Baker and Mark Bell have to say about strength training and diet.

Here is another article you may enjoy when it comes to athletic performance and the carnivore diet:

• Is a Carnivore Diet Good For Endurance and Strength Athletes?

Also if you go all in an the carnivore diet you will want to read this to make sure got what you need:

• 21 Essential Carnivore Diet Products You Need On Your Shopping List

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Consult with and ask your doctor about any diet or medical-related questions. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition.