Is the ketogenic diet superior to fitness athletes?

Nutrition is an essential part of a fitness athlete's training. Nutrition provides energy for training and recovery from training and enables training adaptations such as muscle gain and weight loss.

Carbohydrate restriction has been used as a weight-loss strategy for centuries, with the Atkins diet being one of the most popular examples. However, a low-carbohydrate diet is also one of the most controversial, as it contradicts the typically recommended low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. The Atkins diet and other low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets restrict carbohydrates while increasing protein and fat intake.

During the initial two-week induction period of a low-carbohydrate diet, only 20 grams of carbohydrates are allowed daily. This causes the body to enter a state of ketosis, whereby it begins to use ketones and fat as a source of energy instead of carbohydrates. A low level of hunger characterizes this state.

The energy content of a low-carbohydrate diet typically consists of less than 10% carbohydrate, 20-35% protein, and 55-65% fat. The total calorie intake is not restricted, but the amount of carbohydrates is limited. Once the target weight is reached, the maintenance phase is entered, with a maximum of 100 grams of carbohydrates per day.

The benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet include weight loss, increased muscle definition, satiety, improved insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, and reduced water retention. However, the ketogenic diet is controversial because it has been discussed that it can disprove the calorie theory, which states that weight loss is only possible when less energy is consumed than is expended. However, there is no research evidence of this.

After all, different diets are equally effective at losing weight, and their effectiveness is based on the energy deficit they create. The appropriate dietary pattern should be chosen on an athlete-by-athlete basis, as diets may differ in terms of, for example, how they affect an athlete's performance or eating management It is also important to be flexible and relaxed in your eating habits and occasionally indulge in treats and social occasions. The ideal diet type for an athlete may vary based on how it affects their eating habits and performance.

References:

Aragon, A., Schoenfeld, B., Wildman, R., Kleiner, S., VanDusseldorp, T., Taylor, L. & Stout, J. (2017). International society of sports nutrition position stand: diets and body composition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 16.

Hall, K. D., Heymsfield, S. B., Kemnitz, J. W., Klein, S., Schoeller, D. A., & Speakman, J. R. (2012). Energy balance and its components: implications for body weight regulation. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 95(4), 989-994.

Ismaeel, A., Weems, S., & Willoughby, D. S. (2018). A Comparison of the Nutrient Intakes of Macronutrient-Based Dieting and Strict Dieting Bodybuilders. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 28(5), 502-508.