Influence of ketogenic diet on athletes' performance and other aspects of body function – review of literature

SIEKIERKO, Nikola, LEWANDOWSKI, Mateusz, ŻOŁNIEREK, Maja, KOTUSIEWICZ, Wiktoria, GACOŃ, Ewa, ZEMBALA, Julita, KUCHARSKI, Jakub, ZAPAŁA, Brygida, ZĄBER, Aldona and ŚWIĘTOCHOWSKI, Jakub. Influence of ketogenic diet on athletes’ performance and other aspects of body function – review of literature. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2023;28(1):138-154. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2023.28.01.011

https://apcz.umk.pl/JEHS/article/view/44850

https://zenodo.org/record/8174054

The journal has had 40 points in Ministry of Education and Science of Poland parametric evaluation. Annex to the announcement of the Minister of Education and Science of 17.07.2023 No. 32318. Has a Journal's Unique Identifier: 201159. Scientific disciplines assigned: Physical Culture Sciences (Field of Medical sciences and health sciences); Health Sciences (Field of Medical Sciences and Health Sciences).

Punkty Ministerialne z 2019 - aktualny rok 40 punktów. Załącznik do komunikatu Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z dnia 17.07.2023 Lp. 32318. Posiada Unikatowy Identyfikator Czasopisma: 201159.

Przypisane dyscypliny naukowe: Nauki o kulturze fizycznej (Dziedzina nauk medycznych i nauk o zdrowiu); Nauki o zdrowiu (Dziedzina nauk medycznych i nauk o zdrowiu).

© The Authors 2023;

This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland

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Received: 30.06.2023. Revised: 20.07.2023. Accepted: 20.07.2023. Published: 25.07.2023.

Influence of ketogenic diet on athletes’ performance and other aspects of body function – review of literature

Nikola Siekierko¹, Mateusz Lewandowski², Maja Żołnierek³, Wiktoria Kotusiewicz⁴, Ewa Gacoń¹, Julita Zembala⁵, Jakub Kucharski¹, Brygida Zapała¹, Aldona Ząber⁴, Jakub Świętochowski⁶

¹ Szpital Praski p.w. Przemienienia Pańskiego, Aleja Solidarności 67, 03-401 Warsaw, Poland

² Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne Warszawskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego, Ul. Banacha 1A, 02-097 Warszawa

³ Samodzielny Publiczny Specjalistyczny Szpital Zachodni im. Św. Jana Pawła II, ul. Daleka 11, 05-825 Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Poland

⁴ Wojskowy Instytut Medyczny Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, ul. Szaserów 128, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland

⁵ Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne Warszawskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego, Ul. Lindleya 4, 02-005 Warszawa

⁶ Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne w Gdańsku, ul. Dębinki 7, 80-952 Gdansk

We hereby confirm that neither the manuscript nor any parts of its content are currently under consideration or published in another journal.

ABSTRACT

Introduction and aim. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate dietary regimen that induces a state of ketosis, shifting the body’s fuel source from glucose to ketone bodies produced from fatty acids. The aim of this paper is to analyze the influence of the KD on athletes’ performance, body composition and other aspects of body function.

Materials and methods. A comprehensive literature search has been conducted through PubMed database using keywords such as “ketogenic diet sport” and “ketogenic diet athletes”, “ketogenic diet body”.

Analysis of literature. Some studies suggest that a KD can be a viable method for reducing body fat without negatively affecting strength, power, or muscle mass in athletes. It has been found that KD can increase fat oxidation. However, KD may not be optimal for improving performance in high-intensity endurance events or activities that require quick bursts of energy fueled by carbohydrates. Additionally, KD may not have a significant effect on factors such as VO2max, HRmax, time to exhaustion, and perceived exertion in some athletes.

Conclusion. More research is required to understand the effects of the ketogenic diet on athletes’ performance. It may aid in weight loss and fat oxidation, but questions remain regarding adaptation time, sport-specific benefits, and impact on various body parameters.

Keywords. ketogenic diet, sport, athletic performance