Athletes are constantly looking for any kind of edge over their opponents. Could switching to the “keto diet” be the key to superior athletic performance?
The ketogenic diet or “keto” for short, is a diet that consists of low amounts of carbs and high amounts of fats. This drastic reduction in carbohydrates is meant to put your body into a metabolic state called “ketosis”. Ketosis sets in when your body does not have enough carbs to burn for energy, so it switches to burning fat instead.
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Celebrities and professional athletes alike have turned to the keto diet in the hopes of losing fat while maintaining muscle mass. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kim Kardashian are just a few of the names that have turned to the new diet.
The keto diet is also becoming more popular for the “everyday man” and not just professional athletes. This is due to the fact that ketosis is a popular weight loss strategy. In addition to the fat burning benefits of the diet, it also makes you feel less hungry and helps you maintain muscle.
Researchers from the University of Saint Louis conducted a study on the anaerobic performance of 16 subjects that followed either a low-carb ketogenic diet or a high carb diet for 4 days. The study found that: “subjects following the low carb “keto” diet performed 4-15% worse than those adopting the high carb diet, depending on the task.”
The study author Edward Weiss, PhD, says that the keto diet could have a negative effect athletes involved in sports that require short burst anaerobic activities such as basketball and soccer.
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However, the opposite may be true for endurance athletes who rely more heavily on aerobic fitness. Jeff Volek, PhD, found that long-term use of the keto diet may not only lead to a boost in performance for endurance athletes but it can also help with overall health. This is only true however, if there has been a “long-term adaption period to the ketogenic diet.”
As it turns out, “recreational athletes tend to see more consistent benefits from adopting a ketogenic diet,” says Volek. “In part because, on average, they have a greater emphasis on weight loss, metabolic and health benefits.”
Written by: Kevin Fabian
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