Nat Com: the ketogenic diet lowers blood sugar levels and enhances endurance.
The ketogenic diet can not only lower blood sugar levels but also enhance the effects of physical exercise. This conclusion was reached by scientists in an experiment on mice with hyperglycemia. The results of the study were published in Nature Communications.
After just one week of a strict ketogenic diet, the animals' blood sugar levels normalized—as if they did not have diabetes. With continued adherence to the diet, changes occurred in the muscle tissue of the mice: it became more 'endurance-oriented' and utilized oxygen more efficiently. A particularly noticeable effect was observed when the diet was combined with physical activity.
After eight weeks of the experiment, the animals' aerobic endurance increased, and their muscles became less prone to fatigue. The scientists attribute this to the state of ketosis—when the body begins to use fat as its primary source of energy instead of glucose.
However, the researchers emphasize that the results have only been obtained in animals so far, and the diet in the experiment was extremely strict. Additionally, improvements in physical condition did not always correlate with an increase in actual performance without the addition of carbohydrates. In the future, the scientists plan to test whether these effects work in humans.
