Ketogenic diet can benefit endurance athletes, say fitness experts - Examiner.com

Carb-loading is so deeply ingrained in endurance sports it may come as a shock to learn that a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet^[1] can help triathletes, marathon runners and cyclists achieve peak performance.

Fitness expert and Ironman triathlete Ben Greenfield^[2] is among the growing number of endurance athletes who are sold on the merits of a low-carb, high-fat diet.

He discussed the health benefits of a ketogenic diet on a podcast^[3] with Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida Medical School, whose research has shown that a ketogenic diet kills cancer cells.

Greenfield, the author of Beyond Training^[4] , accomplished his goal of completing the grueling 2013 Ironman Triathlon in under 10 hours on a ketogenic diet.

The Ironman Triathlon (which celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay completed in 14 hours^[5] ) consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon without a break.

After switching to a ketogenic diet, Greenfield experienced improved stamina, stable blood sugar, better sleep, less brain fog, and even better skin and hair.

Endurance athlete and cancer surgeon Dr. Peter Attia has also written extensively on his blog^[6] about keto-adaptation and how ketosis can enhance athletic performance. After self-experimenting on a ketogenic diet, Attia observed that his aerobic efficiency improved dramatically.

"Keto-adaptation made me far more metabolically flexible and efficient in the aerobic environment," noted Dr. Attia, a graduate of Stanford Medical School who also has a degree in mechanical engineering.

I can now rely on much more fat, rather than glycogen, during prolonged exertion. This frees me up from needing to be constantly eating on long swims and bike rides."

Similarly, cyclist Dave Zabriskie, ultra-marathoner Timothy Olson, and Miami Heat guard Ray Allen^[7] have all abandoned their high-carb, low-fat eating plans in favor of the high-fat, lower-carb paleo diet, and experienced huge performance gains.

References

1. ^{^} ketogenic diet (www.examiner.com)


2. ^{^} Ben Greenfield (www.examiner.com)


3. ^{^} on a podcast (www.bengreenfieldfitness.com)


4. ^{^} Beyond Training (www.amazon.com)


5. ^{^} completed in 14 hours (www.examiner.com)


6. ^{^} on his blog (eatingacademy.com)


7. ^{^} Ray Allen (www.examiner.com)