Elite race walkers who follow a keto diet for 3 weeks start burning fat for fuel during intense exercise, and their bodies show signs of ketosis — like having 1 mmol/L of ketones in the blood — even when working hard.

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Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Community contributions welcome

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Low carbohydrate, high fat diet impairs exercise economy and negates the performance benefit from intensified training in elite race walkers

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2017 May 1

The study looked at race walkers eating a very low-carb, high-fat diet for 3 weeks, and found their bodies burned more fat during exercise, which usually means they were in ketosis.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

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Source Study

Low carbohydrate, high fat diet impairs exercise economy and negates the performance benefit from intensified training in elite race walkers

Score: 51

DOI: 10.1113/JP273230

Similar Assertions

Elite race walkers who eat a super low-carb, high-fat diet for 3 weeks start burning fat like crazy when they exercise — one of the highest fat-burning rates ever seen in top athletes.

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83%

Even though elite race walkers get better at using oxygen overall on a keto diet, the diet makes their bodies use more oxygen during race pace, so their performance doesn’t actually improve after 3 weeks.

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82%

Elite race walkers who eat lots of carbs or time their carb intake during intense training get about 5-6% faster in a 10 km race, but those on a keto diet don’t get any faster.

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81%

When people with excess body fat eat very few carbs and more fats, their blood ketone levels rise quickly within two weeks, showing their body has switched to burning fat for fuel.

81%