Emma Suarez, Certified Nutritionist and Health Coach which also helps write keto papers at https://www.dissertationwritings.com/, would discuss its advantages and disadvantages for runners and the general population.
What is the keto diet for runners?
Actually, a keto diet for runners does not exist. It simply follows the same diet parameters known as ketogenic or keto. However, understanding why a runner would be interested in this strict eating plan is worth understanding.
To begin with, it seeks to have the body use ketones instead of glucose for energy. This is achieved by keeping carbohydrate intake to a very low level. Less than 30 grams per day is the maximum level allowed.
The hypothesis of this keto diet for runners is that since there are more fat stores compared to glucose, it is smarter to rely on fat for running than glucose. Let’s look at the energy stores in the body:
Energy is stored in the body
This is measured in kilocalories (kcal). In total, we have about 115,000 kcal at our disposal. However, these are present in different forms:
- Fat (71.8%)
- 80,000 in adipose tissue
- 2,500 in muscular triglycerides
- 75 in plasma triglycerides
- Seven serum-free fatty acids
- Protein (26%)
- 30,000 in muscle protein
- Carbohydrates (2.19%)
- 1700 in muscle glycogen
- 500 in liver glycogen
- 90 in blood glucose
- ATP/CP (0.01%) = adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate
While a keto diet for runners has advantages, let’s examine the disadvantages, which we break down in the episode.
Disadvantages
- Bad breath.
- Dehydration.
- Increased cholesterol.
- Hair loss and tiredness.
- Constipation and temporary vomiting.
- It can produce kidney stones, pancreatitis, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
And some specific disadvantages for runners:
- The body burns carbohydrates and fat very differently. Louise Burke wrote in “Sports Nutrition: Much More Than Calories” that fat oxidation is inhibited in the body when the intensity is higher than 75% of your maximum aerobic capacity. If you exceed that intensity, the body automatically switches to carbohydrate oxidation, as fat mobilization, glucose synthesis, and glycolysis take longer than the body can sustain intense exertion.
- Also, it takes 20% more oxygen to release energy from fats than from carbohydrates, which reduces your economy. This is not a major problem since you have plenty of energy to burn.
- Another disadvantage is the interruption of training. Initially, you will not have enough energy from either ketones or carbohydrates for your brain and other bodily tasks. For six months, the only thing you are improving is fat adaptation. Times, distances, and recovery suffer. Perception of fatigue increases.
- Loss of flexibility. The diet is so strict, and eating more than 30 grams of carbohydrates in a day can throw you out of ketosis, taking away your ability to fuel a race with whatever is available. Your prepared food may be unavailable at some point for various reasons.
Advantages
The health benefits of the keto diet for runners are manifold. Among them:
- Weight loss.
- Lowers oxidative stress levels.
- Reverses cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.
- Helps with polycystic syndrome due to less insulin intake.
- Improves brain function.
- Delays aging.
- Helps with irritable bowel syndrome.
- Decrease in general inflammation.
- Control of stomach acidity.
- Helps people with fatty liver disease.
- Fewer migraines.
- Stabilization of bipolar and autism-related behaviors.
- Easier fasting.
- Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s patients report improvements.
- Multiple sclerosis disappeared in one patient. Here you can see the testimony of Dr. Terry Walhs.
- Decreased acne.
- Here is a link that supports several of these studies.
Advantages for runners:
- In a 2015 study, researcher Jeff Volek of Ohio University found that athletes consuming 10% carbohydrate, 20% protein, and 70% fat were more than twice as efficient at burning fat as elite athletes consuming a carbohydrate-rich diet. However, multiple studies have found no performance advantage between carbohydrates and fats. Many prefer fats because they make them feel more satisfied and prevent the sugar highs and lows associated with simple carbohydrates.
- Fat-adapted runners competing at an even pace can compete for many hours while consuming fewer calories than carbohydrate-based athletes. For this reason, it is an advantage for people suffering from gastrointestinal problems. This happens because the practice of exercise for 9 to 24 hours or more cause digestion in the tract to be reduced or eliminated, creating gas, bloating, and nausea. This advantage, however, is questioned by Jason Koop, author of Training Essentials for ultrarunning, who says that the gastrointestinal system can be educated with proper planning and training. In his words, ketosis is a complicated solution to a relatively simple problem.
How to do the keto diet for runners correctly?
Now, if, after evaluating the pros and cons, you are still interested, here are some reminders:
- The only fruits allowed are berries and lemon.
- Some nuts are high in carbs, such as cashews, pistachios, almonds, and pine nuts. Care should be taken in their consumption.
- Vegetables allowed are tomato, spinach, kale, zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper, green beans, asparagus, and cauliflower. However, portion control should be used,
- Vitamin and mineral supplementation is recommended. Also, take this plan hand in hand with a health professional.
Foods to avoid:
- Bread, pasta, rice, beets/beets, potatoes, quinoa, sweet potato/bonito.
- Legumes such as beans or lentils,
- Fruits such as apples, bananas, and mango.
- Control the consumption of carrots
100% keto diet for runners:
- A diet low in carbs and high in healthy fats. You don’t have to stick to the strict 30 grams but start cutting carbs progressively.
- Training on an empty stomach.
- Recover with a low-carb diet.
- Train double time. One to use up all the glycogen. The second is to teach the body to seek energy from ketones.
Example of the keto diet for runners
Here is an example of a menu on the day of a person who decides to choose the keto diet for runners:
- Breakfast: Eggs fried in butter with spinach and avocado.
- Snack: Olives or ripe cheeses + strawberries or raspberries or pecans or macadamias
- Lunch: Salmon on a bed of shredded spaghetti squash and parmesan dressing. Spinach and cherry tomato salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing.
- Snack: Coconut cream with cocoa powder and stevia.
- Dinner: Cold meats with cheese and broccoli salad with olive oil.
- Listen to the full episode and decide if the keto diet for runners is for you. You can contact her if you have more questions or are interested in Emma’s coaching.
