Eating very few carbs and more fats for 12 weeks doesn't improve the maximum oxygen your body can use during exercise in people with excess body fat when measured in absolute terms.

Scientific Claim

Very low-carbohydrate high-fat diets do not significantly improve peak aerobic capacity (VO2peak) in absolute terms in overfat adults after 12 weeks of intervention.

Original Statement

“The absolute O2peak values did not change in any study group. However, the relative O2peak (ml/kg/min) increased in the HIIT, VLCHF+HIIT, and VLCHF groups due to body mass reduction.”

From study:Effects of a Very Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet and High-Intensity Interval Training on Visceral Fat Deposition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Overfat Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

definitive

Can make definitive causal claims

Assessment Explanation

The study clearly measured absolute O2peak values and found no significant changes, which is accurately described as 'does not significantly improve'. The distinction between absolute and relative O2peak is properly noted.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Effects of a Very Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet and High-Intensity Interval Training on Visceral Fat Deposition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Overfat Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

RCT

Human

2021

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Effects of a Very Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet and High-Intensity Interval Training on Visceral Fat Deposition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Overfat Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Score: 60

DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.785694

Similar Assertions

Doing short bursts of intense exercise for 12 weeks doesn't improve the maximum oxygen your body can use during exercise in people with excess body fat, even though they can exercise longer before getting tired.

83%

Adding high-intensity interval training to a very low-carb diet doesn't stop the muscle loss that happens when people with excess body fat eat very few carbs for 12 weeks.

79%

When people with excess body fat eat very few carbs and more fats, they lose about 4-5% of their muscle mass within a month, and this muscle loss continues for the full 12 weeks of the diet.

75%

Eating very few carbs and more fats for 12 weeks makes the dangerous belly fat around organs shrink by about a quarter in people who have too much body fat.

72%

Adding high-intensity interval training to a very low-carb diet doesn't make the belly fat reduction any better than just doing the diet alone in people with excess body fat.

72%