Are low-carb keto diets beneficial for athletic performance?

The ketogenic - keto - diet has become very popular in recent years, especially for its short-term weight loss results. The diet has become much beloved by celebrities and social media influencers and has been discussed at length in magazines and documentaries.

- George Winter

But what is a keto diet? A daily dietary carbohydrate (carb) intake of less than 130g is considered low-carb. But with an even lower daily carb intake - typically less than 50g - ketones appear in the blood or urine. Ketones, or ketone bodies, are chemicals produced in the liver by healthy individuals to provide energy when glucose is low or absent in the diet. So, a daily carb intake of less than 50g is consistent with a keto diet.

Evidence shows that low carb, high healthy fat (LCHF) and keto diets benefit a range of chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity, plus neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease and medication-resistant epilepsy. But can a diet that favours fat utilisation over carbs - the traditional approach to help fuel exercise - benefit athletic performance? Let's take a look.