Keto And Exercise: A Good Idea?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts the body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. While the keto diet is known for its weight loss benefits, it's important to consider how it might impact your workout routine.

When following the keto diet, some workouts will likely be more challenging than others. Low-intensity, steady-state workouts, such as jogging or cycling, tend to be less affected by the diet. On the other hand, high-intensity exercises that require short bursts of energy may be more challenging due to the body's reduced carbohydrate stores.

Additionally, it's crucial to manage your macronutrients before working out and choose the right types of exercises to stay in ketosis. This involves fuelling your body with proteins and carbohydrates at the right times and opting for strength training or low-intensity cardio over high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Overall, combining exercise with the keto diet can maximize health and weight loss benefits, but it's important to plan accordingly and listen to your body to ensure a safe and effective workout routine.

High-intensity exercises may be tougher on keto

Exercising while on the keto diet is essential for building a healthy body and maintaining an active lifestyle. However, the keto diet changes how your body gets energy. Instead of relying on carbohydrates for energy, your body in ketosis uses fat as its primary fuel source. This can affect how your body responds to exercise, especially high-intensity workouts.

High-intensity exercises, such as strength training, sprinting, and other sports, require short, intense bursts of energy. Typically, the human body powers through these activities by using carbohydrates stored in the muscle cells as muscle glycogen. However, when your body is in ketosis, it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. As a result, you may experience some challenges with high-intensity workouts.

Performance Limitations

The keto diet tends to limit performance during high-intensity workouts. A study found that athletes on the keto diet experienced a decrease in performance in anaerobic exercises, such as weightlifting, sprinting, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This is because high-intensity exercises rely on glycogen, derived from carbohydrates, as a quick source of energy. When you're on the keto diet, your body has limited access to carbohydrates, which can lead to faster exhaustion and decreased performance.

Adaptation Period

When you first start the keto diet, your body goes through a significant metabolic adjustment known as the keto flu. This period can last anywhere from one to three weeks and may include symptoms like exhaustion, lack of energy, and muscle cramping. It's important to start with lower-intensity workouts during this adaptation phase to avoid worsening these symptoms. Listen to your body and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts as your energy levels improve.

Carbohydrate Timing

If you're committed to high-intensity exercises while on the keto diet, consider the timing of your carbohydrate intake. As part of a targeted ketogenic diet (TKD), you can consume 25-50 grams of digestible carbohydrates within 30-60 minutes before working out. This provides your body with a targeted boost of carbs, ensuring that your muscles have enough glycogen to power through the intense activity without disrupting ketosis.

Modified Keto Options

If you find that high-intensity exercises are consistently challenging on a standard keto diet, you may consider a modified keto approach. The cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) or carb cycling involves consuming a low-carb keto diet for most days of the week and allowing for higher-carb intake for one or two days. This method ensures your body has sufficient glycogen stores while still maintaining ketosis for the majority of the time.

In conclusion, while high-intensity exercises are possible on the keto diet, they may be tougher due to the body's limited access to carbohydrates. By understanding the impact of the keto diet on your energy sources, you can make informed decisions about your workout routines and carbohydrate intake to optimize your performance and overall health.

Low-intensity exercises are less affected by keto

If you're on the keto diet, you may find that some workouts are more challenging than others. Low-intensity, steady-state exercises like jogging, cycling, or swimming are generally the least affected by the keto diet.

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet that puts your body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. While this can have weight loss benefits, it can also impact your exercise performance.

High-intensity exercises that require short bursts of energy are primarily powered by carbohydrates. On the keto diet, your body burns fat for energy, which is not as easily accessible, making high-intensity workouts more challenging.

Low-intensity exercises, on the other hand, are less dependent on carbohydrates for fuel. This means that you can still perform them effectively while in ketosis. In fact, some studies suggest that keto may even increase your endurance for low-intensity exercises.

Additionally, low-intensity exercises are easier to recover from and are suitable for people of all fitness levels. They are also effective for weight loss, as they help burn calories and increase your metabolism.

If you're combining keto with exercise, aim for 3-5 sessions per week of low- to moderate-intensity exercises. This will help you maximize the benefits of keto while minimizing the impact on your performance.

Remember, it's important to listen to your body and adjust your workouts and diet accordingly. You may need to modify your exercise routine or consider a modified version of the keto diet, such as the Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD) or Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD), to find the right balance for your body.

You may feel less energised during the adaptation phase

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat as fuel instead of carbohydrates. While this can have weight-loss benefits, it can also be challenging to adjust to, especially when it comes to exercising.

During the adaptation phase, your body is learning to use fat as its primary fuel source instead of carbohydrates. This can lead to a temporary decrease in energy levels, which may impact your workouts. It's important to listen to your body during this time and not push yourself too hard.

Some people on the keto diet report feeling less energised, especially during high-intensity exercises. This is because high-intensity exercises rely on carbohydrates for short, intense bursts of energy. As your body adjusts to using fat for fuel, it may not be able to keep up with the demands of high-intensity workouts.

To help manage this, it's recommended to focus on lower-intensity exercises such as jogging, cycling, or swimming. These types of exercises are less affected by the keto diet and can help you stay in ketosis.

Additionally, timing your carbohydrate intake before your workout can help maintain energy levels. Consuming 25-50 grams of digestible carbohydrates within 30 minutes of working out can provide your body with the glucose it needs to fuel your workout without disrupting ketosis.

It's also important to make sure you're getting enough protein. Aim for about 0.6-0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day to protect your body from muscle loss. Spread your protein intake throughout the day, aiming for 20-25 grams of protein per meal.

While you may feel less energised during the adaptation phase, this effect is usually temporary. Once your body becomes fat-adapted, your energy levels and physical performance will likely return to baseline or even improve.

Overall, the keto diet can be a powerful tool for weight loss and improving your health. By making some adjustments to your exercise routine and macronutrient timing, you can successfully navigate the adaptation phase and maximise the benefits of the keto diet.

Keto may boost fat burn

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb diet. It is designed to put the body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. This can lead to weight loss, boosted energy, and fewer blood sugar swings.

While the keto diet may not be ideal for high-intensity exercises, it can boost fat burn during low-intensity, steady-state workouts such as jogging, cycling, or swimming.

Increased Fat Burning During Exercise

A 2017 study found that elite competitive walkers who were on ketogenic diets were able to significantly increase fat burning during training compared to those on a standard diet that included carbohydrates. This suggests that keto can lead to greater fat burn during low-intensity aerobic exercise.

Higher Calorie Burn

A 2018 study found that when overweight adults replaced carbohydrates with fat in their diet for five months, they burned approximately 250 more calories per day than those on a high-carb and low-fat diet. This is because fat has more calories per gram than carbohydrates.

Appetite Suppressant

Ketogenic diets can act as an appetite suppressant, helping you feel fuller for longer. This is due to positive changes in hunger hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. As a result, you may consume fewer calories, leading to increased fat burn and weight loss.

Improved Insulin Sensitivity

The keto diet can improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar management. Insulin plays a crucial role in diabetes and metabolic disease. By lowering insulin levels, keto can help improve fuel utilization and metabolism, leading to more efficient fat burning.

Decreased Fat Storage

Ketogenic diets may reduce lipogenesis, the process of converting sugar into fat. When there is a minimal intake of carbs, the body uses fat as its primary fuel source, resulting in increased fat burn.

High-Fat Foods

The keto diet includes high-fat foods such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, and coconut oil. These foods can help promote fat loss by increasing feelings of fullness, improving metabolic health, and providing essential nutrients.

Weight Loss

The keto diet is an effective weight loss strategy, and fat loss is a key component of weight loss. By reducing overall body fat, keto can lead to improved metabolic health and a reduced risk of obesity-related diseases.

While keto may boost fat burn, it is important to note that individual results may vary, and combining keto with an appropriate exercise regimen and overall healthy lifestyle is crucial for optimal results.

You may need to adjust your protein intake

Protein is essential to building and maintaining muscle mass. On the keto diet, it's important to be mindful of your protein intake, as it can help protect your body from muscle loss. The recommended amount of protein to consume per day is between 0.6 g to 0.9 g per pound of body weight. For example, an adult weighing 150 lbs should aim for 90 g to 135 g of protein per day.

It's also important to spread your protein consumption throughout the day. Aim for four protein-rich meals, with each meal containing 20-25 g of high-quality protein. This will help you avoid protein burnout and ensure your body can effectively use the protein for muscle growth and maintenance.

If you're looking to gain significant muscle, you can consider increasing your protein intake to 1.6 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. However, keep in mind that research suggests that consuming more than 1.6 g/kg of body weight per day may not provide additional benefits.

Some good sources of protein to include in your diet are beef, chicken, pork, and low-carb protein powders.

Additionally, when on the keto diet, it's important to be mindful of your carbohydrate intake. While keeping your carb count under 20-35 g per day is recommended, timing your carb intake before exercising can help maintain energy levels. If you're very active, you may need to increase your carbohydrate intake to balance the intensity of your workouts.

For optimal results, aim to consume 25-50 g of digestible carbohydrates within 30 minutes to an hour before working out. This will provide your body with the glucose it needs for energy during your workout without disrupting ketosis.

By adjusting your protein and carbohydrate intake, you can effectively support muscle growth and maintenance while on the keto diet.

Frequently asked questions