The extreme low carb, high fat, moderate protein ketogenic diet is known for a lot of potential health benefits, ranging from improved blood sugar control to decreased hunger levels. But many people have a question in their mind if they can do a workout while following a ketogenic diet? Usually people who prefer Keto Diet With Exercise get better results than those who don\’t.
If one will pair Keto Diet With Exercise, results will be mind-blowing. While some states that keto can boost fat burning and enhance endurance, others note that it could drain energy levels and make muscle growth more challenging.
The following article reviews some of the ways that the ketogenic diet could affect your workout. This article will help those also who are skeptical about the combination of the Keto Diet With Exercise.
Executing Keto Diet With Exercise makes a fantastic difference if one follows it religiously.
BENEFITS:
May improve endurance
Some studies have found that it may enhance performance for endurance athletes. The metabolic state of ketosis improved physical endurance due to the body’s ability to use fat as an alternative source of energy).
A study reported that following a ketogenic diet for 12 weeks improved performance, body composition, and fat burning during exercise.
May boost fat burning
The keto diet increases the body’s ability to burn fat while working out, even during a range of different intensities of physical activity.
Obviously, it’s vital to keep in mind that the ketogenic diet comprises mostly fat, which may explain why more fat is burned during exercise.
Can Speed Up Muscle Recovery
Several studies have found that the ketogenic diet could help boost up post-workout muscle recovery.
For example, one small study reported that the ketogenic diet led to self-perceived improvements in recovery and inflammation after exercise in five athletes.
SUMMARY
Limited research suggests that the keto diet could help endurance, fat burning, and muscle recovery but may impair other aspects of performance. More research is needed to determine whether it may be more beneficial than other diets in this regard.
Best exercises on the ketogenic diet
- Sprinting
- Boxing
- Swimming laps
- Jumping rope
- Jogging
- Biking
- Rowing
- Yoga
Carbs, Exercise, and Keto
When you’re working out on keto, the intensity is crucial:
- During low- to moderate-intensity exercises (aerobic exercise), the body uses fat as its primary energy source.
- During HIIT (high-intensity) workouts (anaerobic exercise), carbohydrates are usually the main source of energy.
How to Use a Targeted Ketogenic Diet for Exercise
- While on the standard Ketogenic Diet you’d be sticking to 20-50 grams of net carbs per day, on a targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) these net carbs would have to be taken half to one hour before high-intensity activities.
- A good rule of thumb is to eat 15-30g fast-acting carbs, such as fruit, within 30 minutes before your workout and within 30 minutes after. This will confirm you provide your muscles with the proper amount of glycogen to perform during the training and also during recovery.
Health Benefits of Exercising in Ketosis
Improved Endurance
Maintained Blood Glucose Level
Helps to prevent fatigue during long periods of aerobic exercise as well as help athletes recover after high-intensity workouts.
How Keto Impacts Exercise Performance
By limiting carbs, we limit the ability of our muscle cells to access sugar — one of the fastest fuel sources that the body relies on.
In simple words, when we restrict carbs, we deprive our muscle cells of the sugar that it needs to fuel activities that require a high-intensity effort for 10 seconds to 2 minutes.
Carbohydrates provide you instant energy and might feel lethargic after a while, but fats breakdown takes place slowly and supplies energy gradually continuously.
Eating The Right Amount of Macronutrients While Exercising on Keto
- When it comes to creating a diet plan for active individuals, many health professionals will set the protein comes first in mind. Why does protein always seem to be the top preference? Protein improves satiation, stimulates muscle building, and has a more significant thermic effect (more calorie burning) than any other macronutrient. On top of that, when we don’t eat a fair amount of protein we tend to lose muscle mass and consume more calories, which can lead to a rapid increase in body fat percentage. To get all of these perks, we must consume the right amount of protein — especially on the ketogenic diet.
Protein Intake Recommendations for Exercising on Keto
In the most recent International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on diets and body composition, the researchers reported that a protein intake of 1.4-2 g per kilogram of lean body mass is classic for athletes and others who exercise regularly.
Keto athletes will also ease from higher protein intakes because their bodies will use the excess protein to provide their muscles with the glucose that they need by using a process called gluconeogenesis.
The best protein foods on the ketogenic diet are:
- Meat
- Eggs
- Fish
- High-fat dairy
- Low-carb protein powders
If you are trying to maintain or gain muscle and improve exercise performance while on a ketogenic diet. Eat around 1 gram of protein per pound or 2.2g per kg of lean body mass.
How Much Fat Should You Eat While Exercising on Keto?
Fat consumption is almost as essential as protein intake on a keto diet. Eating too much and you’ll gain weight — eat too little, and you’ll lose weight rapidly (while you starve throughout the whole process). To get the best results you must eat the right amount of fat according to your goals.
To Improve your diet for muscle gain and improved exercise performance:
- Eat a calorie surplus of 200-500 calories a day to increase your body weight by 0.5 to 1 pound a week.
- Most of the excess calories should come from fat, not carbs or protein.
- Maintain protein intake at around 1 gram per pound of lean body mass (~2.2 grams per kilogram
- of lean body mass).
- If carb limitation is hindering your performance, then consider implementing the targeted ketogenic diet or the cyclical ketogenic diet
To Improve your keto diet for fat loss while exercising:
- Calorie intake should be at an appropriate level that results in steady weight loss. Weight loss of 0.5 to 1% per week is typically recommended to maximize muscle retention.
- Lower fat consumption to achieve a caloric deficit of 250-500 calories.
- Maintain protein intake at 1 gram per pound of lean body mass (~2.2 grams per kilogram) or more.
- If you are overweight or obese, you will benefit from faster weight loss (>1% of body weight loss per week) and a slightly higher calorie deficit.
We can conclude that,
Keto diet could enhance endurance, fat burning, and muscle recovery but may impair other aspects of performance. More research will help to determine whether it may be more beneficial than other diets in this regard.
Get yourself started today and Stay tuned for more such keto weight loss journeys, health content, and recipes! Also, don\’t forget to follow us on Instagram for the daily dose of the Keto Lifestyle
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