If you are looking to boost your athletic performance, here are 3 popular diets that could just do the trick. Take your fitness performance to the next level by fueling yourself right. These diets are different. They work on optimizing your energy levels and training your body to use your body fat as an alternative source of fuel.
#1 Atkins Diet
Photo Credits: Livestrong
An Atkins diet is essentially a low-carbohydrate diet. The aim is to avoid carbohydrates. The rationale behind this is to train your body to switch from burning glucose to burning the fat stored in your body as an energy source. When you consume refined carbohydrates in large amounts, insulin levels rise and drop rapidly. The rising insulin levels trigger your body to store energy from the food you have consumed. If your body is using energy from the consumed food, it is less likely that your body will utilize the fat stored in your body as a primary energy source. People on this diet can, however, eat as much protein and fat as they like.
Read More: 5 Best Food For Runners
#2 Vegan Diet
The vegan diet is made popular by many ultra trail runners – Scott Jurek and Vlad Ixel alike. The vegan diet approach is only consuming plant derivatives. This means cutting out all animal-based products such as milk, cheese, eggs, and meat. People on the vegan diet often talk about the much higher energy levels they experience. This is because animal byproducts require more energy to be broken down. This causes a degree of fatigue as compared to a plant-based diet. Many Vegan ultra runners swear by this diet and attribute their high energy levels to Veganism.
Read More: Vegan VS Runner
#3 Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular of late. People who fast intermittently eat within an 8-hour block, fasting for the remaining 16 hours. When you consume food, your glycogen levels are topped up. Throughout the day, your body utilizes this glycogen as a source of energy. After 12 hours of fasting, your glycogen levels become low. When this happens, your body is triggered to release fat into your blood stream. This fat is then converted into energy for food for your body and brain. This is the benefit of intermittent fasting – training your body to burn fat as fuel.
