Atheletes should avoid the ketogenic diet, new research suggests.
The low-carb, high-fat eating plan makes them perform worse, a study found.
Just four days after eliminating carbohydrates, a sportman’s running distance is reduced by 15 percent and their strength by up to seven percent, a study found.
Although it is unclear exactly why this occurs, keto diets are thought to affect people’s anaerobic energy, according to the researchers.
Study author Dr. Edward Weiss, from Saint Louis University, said: “This diet is especially hot among people who are trying to optimise their health.
“What this study tells me is that athletes should be advised to avoid these diets.”
The Keto diet, which is favored by the likes of Halle Berry, forces the body to burn fat, rather than carbohydrates, for energy, which effectively starves it of carbs but not calories.
How the research was carried out. The researchers analysed 16 adults who underwent exercise training after four days of following a keto or high-carb diet.
Cycling and high-intensity interval training was included in the exercise regimen.
The findings were published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
This comes after research released last February suggested keto diets may slow ageing.
What is the keto diet? The ketogenic diet defines a low-carb, high-fat way of eating.
