by Tanya
Zilberter, PhD
Even the
strictest of all low-carb diets -
the ketogenic diet - shouldn't
prevent you from regular exercise. In fact, a cardiovascular workout of
moderate intensity is recommended: it was shown that ketogenic diets
could actuallyimprove one's exercise performance, compared to
"balanced" diets, even when matched in calorie intake.
Low-Carb
+ Moderate Intensity = Greater
Benefits
The
ketogenic diet caused an increased
maximal oxygen consumption capacity (VO2 max,) indicating a shift
towards higher exercise tolerance. The theory is that changes in body's
insulin and glucagon (insulin's opponent) caused by low-carb diets
result in greater oxygen delivery to exercising muscle.
Another
benefit of exercise for low-carbers
is the intensive fat burning, due to a higher noradrenaline (a
fat-burning hormone) response to exercise. Low-carbers also provide a
higher rate of free fatty acids that the body
taps into for energy.
While
exercise is recommended, you should
note that a low-carb diet results
in shorter time to exhaustion during high-intensity exercise, so again,
I recommend moderate intensity. High-intensity, interval intermittent
exercises, such as sprinting, are also possible, as long as you allow
yourself adequate time to recover between bouts.
Bodybuilding
is a completely different
story: it's all about increasing muscle mass ?something that just can't
be accomplished on a low-carb diet.
From all
these facts, the recommendations
are simple:
- Exercise
is not only possible during
low-carb diets ? it's encouraged.
- The
type of exercise is up to you, though
high-intensity and high-duration exercises should be avoided
- If
you chose to do interval training, be
sure to allow more time between
exercises.
Low-carb
diets should not prevent you from
keeping fit, desk-bound or not. Don't hesitate to let me know if you
want my specific advice on safe and efficient ways of fitness training.
