Going keto means adopting a high-fat, low-carb diet. Often, the reason for taking on a keto diet is to starve the body of the carbohydrate energy that’s readily available and push it into utilizing fat as a primary source of fuel.
Most runners rely on carbs to generate energy, and are, therefore, skeptical about trying keto. To them, going keto translates to reduced energy levels. For others, the whole process of figuring out keto recipes is a put-off.
While a keto diet might affect your energy levels, this only happens as your body transitions from using carb as the primary energy source to becoming a fat burner. Once this process is complete, the energy levels peak again.
As a runner, you can boost your energy levels by exploring different keto diet ideas available on sites like eatpropergood.com. If you’ve not tried keto yet, here are five reasons why you can consider to do so:
1. Build Fat Adaptation
If you’ve ever hit the wall in a running event, then you know what it feels like to run out of energy. When you’re pushing your body harder in the long run, it derives most of its power from the glycogen reserves created from the carbs you eat. Once your body exhausts these reserves, it needs to turn to another energy source to keep you going, which is fat.
But, this isn’t an obvious transition. If your body isn’t accustomed to utilizing fat as an energy source, you’ll hit the wall once you exhaust the glycogen reserves. As such, your body will struggle to switch from glycogen to fat suddenly, a factor that’ll affect your performance negatively. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources online, such as https://www.drberg.com, which have plenty of information and advice about what to expect when you start a keto diet so that you can go into it as prepared as possible and understand what is happening to your body (and why!).
Going on a keto diet helps your body to adapt to switching from glycogen to fat energy sources, and you’ll begin to look out for keto-friendly meals that will help you achieve this goal. Once your body becomes fat-adapted, the hitting-the-wall challenge will disappear gradually. This means your energy levels will last for an extended period, and you can run for hours without getting fatigued, resulting in improved performance.
2. Sleep Better
When your body is in ketosis mode, you’ll find yourself sleeping better. When you retire to bed, you’ll sleep faster. Mornings will feel good, and you’ll be ready to kick off your day right away. Early morning routines, like gym and running sessions, will become a breeze because you won’t experience low energy or hunger pangs.
3. Burn Excess Fat
Every runner wants to burn excess fat and build muscle instead. While running is one of the most effective ways to burn excess fat, going on a keto diet helps fast-track the process even more. You’ll maintain strength and build muscle by cutting down on your carb intake and increasing protein, fat, and vegetable intake. As the body gets accustomed to the keto diet, you’ll likely develop great lean muscles. If you’re not sure which foods to eat, search the Internet for sites that specialize on keto diet, such as eatpropergood.com. You’ll be surprised at the recipe ideas available on their website.
4. Increase Energy Levels
The initial days of going keto are never easy. You’ll find yourself struggling from the drop in energy levels as your body is starved of carbs. But, this state isn’t permanent. As you continue with the diet and your body learns to convert fat into energy, your energy levels will begin to peak again.
By the time you’re done with keto, your energy levels will be much smoother, meaning they’ll flow more steadily, with fewer ups and downs.
Furthermore, the slump experience that many runners experience during afternoon sessions disappears when you go on a keto diet. Although you’ll get tired and require some time to relax and recover, a keto diet goes a long way in giving you mental clarity and keeping you energized throughout the day.
5. Boost Brain And Heart Health
The keto diet offers numerous health benefits to runners. A low-carb, high-fat diet has the potential to remove pre-cancerous cells from the body. Going on a keto diet two to three times a year can boost your heart health by lowering oxidative stress and reducing inflammation. Furthermore, this type of diet can enhance the ability of brain cells to protect you from neurodegenerative conditions, like Alzheimer’s disease, and keep stroke at bay.
Final Thoughts
As a high-fat, low-carb diet, keto is mainly associated with weight loss. It’s viewed as the ideal diet for people looking to burn the excess fat they’ve accumulated in their bodies. But, this isn’t necessarily true. Anyone, including runners, can benefit significantly from keto diet. Runners who reduce their carb intake train their bodies to use fat as an additional energy source once they exhaust their glycogen energy reserves. This translates to prolonged and highly improved performance for them.
