Many studies have linked low-carb diets like keto with many health benefits like controlling blood sugar and reducing hunger levels, but its effect on general physical activity and sports is more complex. Some say it boosts metabolism and helps build muscle, while others say these diets lower energy levels. Fitness Garage always cares about your health and activity, so we'll cover all the points related to keto and exercise, benefits and possible downsides.
The first benefit: improves endurance
There’s lots of research and tests proving keto improves endurance in athletes because the body uses fat for energy. It also raises metabolism and greatly cuts down recovery time. These were the results of some studies done on athletes.
The second benefit: It boosts fat burning
Scientists say keto may increase fat burning rate during workouts, but in many cases, it weakens athletes' performance. This is because of eating a lot of fat. Fat helps burn faster than carbs, so If you're on a weight loss journey, it's an ideal diet.
The third benefit: Speeds up recovery
Keto helps speed up recovery a lot. Some studies on athletes showed their recovery days were reduced by 50%, and they also found that following keto for 6 weeks lowered creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels, enzymes responsible for muscle damage. These studies were done after very tough workouts.
Possible negative effects:-
The first drawback: it lowers energy levels
The body in the keto diet relies on fats for energy since carbs are very low in this diet, so there is some people whose bodies don’t react quickly to fats, and they can’t adapt to fats as an energy source. So at the start of keto you might feel tired and lazy if your body isn’t quick to adjust to fats. But after a while your body goes back to normal activity. Some bodies find it hard to change diet types which is why there are always ups and downs in the early days.
The second drawback: it can weaken muscle growth
If you’re trying to build muscle this diet usually won’t fit that goal because muscle growth needs a certain amount of protein, and this diet doesn't provide that since it’s based on 80% healthy fats, although some athletes increase their protein intake on this diet, classic keto won’t help you with this goal.
Best exercises that go well with the keto diet
Carbs help fuel the body for many activities like running, swimming, and boxing, so doing these sports at first might be tough. But there are other activities that can help you lose weight with keto likecycling, rowing, and yoga, And finally, remember everyone adapts differently so it's important to try various activities that can help your body reach its goal, or have a personal trainer who helps you pick the right diet plans or activities for you.
