The keto diet has gained much popularity in recent years. Much of its spread has focused on its usefulness for weight loss. Therefore, we are going to analyze the effects that this nutritional habit can have on our sports practice: running.
The nutritionist of the Caracas Football Club and Master in Physical Education, Pedro Reinaldo García, explains that the keto diet, is also known as the ketogenic diet.
"It consists of a significant reduction in the consumption of carbohydrates and an increase in fats. In the same way that a hybrid car uses electricity when gasoline runs out, our body begins to use the consumed fats when it can no longer rely on carbohydrates," says the specialist.
"By forcing our system to use this source of energy, we produce substances called ketones. These are good fuels for the muscles," he emphasizes.
How does the keto diet affect our performance in running?
A study conducted by David Shaw from the Auckland University of Technology analyzed the performance of eight runners in two different stages. In one, the athletes followed their usual diets. In the other, they followed the keto diet.
Running at 60 percent of their VO2 (maximum oxygen consumption or aerobic capacity) and following the ketogenic diet, the efficiency was the same.
However, when increasing the intensity to 70 percent of their VO2, they reduced their speed and endurance by 5 percent.
The study concludes that the keto diet does not alter the efficiency of athletes when exercising at low intensity. Whereas, when practicing high-intensity running, this diet decreases our efficiency.
Differences between fats and carbohydrates as a source of energy
Shaw states that "fat is a less efficient fuel source when exercising at high aerobic capacity. It requires more oxygen to create energy than carbohydrates".
About the decrease in speed, he explains that "fatty acids are not as useful for producing the energy needed for muscle contraction, which may have contributed to the loss of speed".
Is it recommended to follow the keto diet if we are runners?
Pedro Reinaldo García proposes to take advantage of the advantages of both worlds: carbohydrates and fats. For low-intensity workouts, where we do not want to increase distances or reduce time, we can decrease carbohydrate consumption. In this type of exercise, the type of fuel used is not so relevant.
If our goal is to improve our records or increase the quality of our training, we can reintroduce carbohydrates. This way, we are putting nutritional periodization into practice.
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