Thanks for pointing this out. Ever since I've done my first large stretch of the Keto Diet before the pandemic and lost roughly 30 pounds, I've developed a weak bladder. I don't know how this happened or if this is even remotely connected, but running to the toilet after every other glass I drink is something very unusual for me and certainly wasn't the case before the diet. Your comment just made me make the connection between the diet and the condition. I still think overall it's a net benefit to my health and I'll go back on the Keto diet in a couple of days to lose some more weight, but I think it's certainly possible there are some adverse effects that aren't really talked about or studied yet.
The a major cause of a ‘weak bladder’ outside of prostate issues is urge incontinence, that is, just paying way too much attention to the sensation of needing to urinate and so having increased frequency due to that. In order to overcome this, it’s essentially training yourself to push longer and longer in order to reset your sensitisation.
Of course, obvious disclaimer that I have no idea if this applies to you and your situation, but something to consider if you haven’t had this investigated. But keto with increased hydration could have inadvertently sent you this way
I once talked to a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor muscles who basically says the same thing you did. Exercising the pelvic floor muscles will help, but changing the mindset helps even more.
Also worth noting is the fact that when your body stores glycogen, it does so by binding it to water molecules in a ratio of 1g glycogen : 4g water (iirc). So increasing your carbohydrate intake also increases the amount of water you retain.
Transitioning to a lower carb intake and utilising some of that stored glycogen releases the water molecules and increases the amount of circulating water molecules in your system, some of which will be excreted.
So yeah, you should notice an increase in urination when transitioning to a lower carb / keto style diet.
I have roughly the same thing, and while I never followed any actual keto diet, I do maintain a relatively low-carb diet. After not eating many carbs for a few days and losing some weight I also have to urinate quite frequently. That need goes away if spend a few days eating a lot of carbs (holidays where I overeat whatever I want, for example), so I'm not particularly worried about it. My guess is that it's a result from not having much to hold the fluid around in my body, so it goes straight to my bladder. Also a lot of caffeine and liquid consumption in general
Do you have proteinuria (protein in urine) which can cause painful urination and feelings of urge to urinate? If so you may want to be wary of high protein diets like keto, and maybe see a kidney specialist to make sure your kidneys are in good health...
