Role Of A Ketogenic Diet On Body Composition, Physical Health, Psychosocial Well Being And Sports Performance In Athletes A Scoping Review

Researchers reviewed 12 studies to understand how very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets (less than 5% of calories from carbs) affect athletes' body composition, health, and performance. For decades, sports nutrition has emphasized eating plenty of carbohydrates to fuel muscles, but interest in ketogenic approaches has grown recently.

The review found mixed results. On the positive side, ketogenic diets helped athletes reduce body weight and fat mass while improving their ability to burn fat for fuel. Athletes also reported better well-being and mood, though only after getting through the first two weeks of adaptation. However, the diet showed some concerning effects on physical health, including negative changes to gut bacteria and problems with iron absorption.

Most importantly for athletic performance, the results were conflicting - some studies showed benefits while others showed decreased performance. This suggests that ketogenic diets may work better for some types of athletes or sports than others, though more research is needed to understand these differences.

For patients interested in metabolic health, this research highlights that while ketogenic diets can be effective tools for fat loss and metabolic flexibility, they aren't universally beneficial and may have trade-offs. At VALIA Health, we work with patients to determine if a ketogenic approach aligns with their individual health goals, activity levels, and metabolic profile, always monitoring for potential adverse effects while optimizing the benefits.