Very low in carbohydrates, high in fat, and moderate in protein, the Ketogenic (or Keto) diet has been linked to number of potential health benefits including improved blood sugar control and decreased hunger levels. Whether it has a beneficial effect on athletic performance, however, remains undecided. While some claim that Keto exercise can boost burning fat and enhance endurance others say that it lowers energy levels and does not help with muscle growth.
Studies show that the Ketogenic diet may improve some aspects of athletic performance such as endurance. The diet is not regarded as optimal for high-intensity bursts of activity but some studies have shown that it enhances performance for endurance athletes.
The diet may boost burning fat during exercise with one study showing that in race walkers it increased metabolism and burnt fat during a range of activities at varying intensities of performance. However, the study did find that, overall, the diet actually impaired performance for these athletes.
Post-work-out muscle recovery is faster for people following the Keto diet with self-reported gains in recovery and muscle inflammation after exercise in some athletes. Furthermore, a trial using mice showed that after 8 weeks on the diet mice showed increased muscle recovery after they were subjected to exhausting exercise.
The limited research that has been done of the Keto diet’s effect on exercise shows that it may benefit endurance athletes, help with burning fat and muscle recovery but it is still too early to say whether it is any more beneficial than other diets.
There also some potential drawbacks to following the diet. The fact that it significantly restricts a person’s intake of carbohydrates means that it is robbing the body of one of its main sources of energy. This can negatively affect athletic performance since energy is most easily absorbed from carbohydrates and it takes some time for the body to adjust to burning fat instead.
The best approach when exercising while on the Keto diet is to incorporate low-intensity workouts with steady-state exercises. Activities such as biking, rowing, jogging, or a session of yoga are an example of the types of activities you should be doing when following this diet. High-intensity activities that should be avoided include sprinting, swimming laps, and jumping rope among others. While the Keto exercise has benefits in some areas when exercising it has pitfalls in others that athletes should keep in mind.
No Comments