If your FatMax or MFO is higher, you will be able to operate at race intensities without depleting your glycogen reserves substantially.
If you were to increase your FaxMax from 150w to 225w as an imaginary IRONMAN athlete with an FTP of 300w, your IM power, which is typically 75% of your FTP, will now coincide with your maximum fat burn rate.
By providing an additional 75 watts of power output without relying on carbohydrates as a fuel source, you can reduce your carb intake (if you have difficulties with that) or conserve more glycogen reserves for the run. This is particularly crucial as maintaining an adequate fuel supply during the run, where demand is typically higher, is an even greater challenge. Hence, it is still necessary to consume some carbs during racing.
Keep in mind that this is not a calorie-restricted diet
High-fat diets can lead to a feeling of fullness, especially for individuals without the necessary enzymes and bacteria to efficiently digest fatty foods. This can result in athletes not consuming adequate amounts of food. Instead of counting calories, it is recommended to rely on intuition and consume slightly more than perceived needs, as it is preferable to avoid a significant calorie deficit.
Including 75 per cent fat in your diet may prove difficult because of its high proportion. In order to maintain ketosis, it is advisable to incorporate additional saturated fats like butter, bacon, olive oil, fatty fish, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cheese, cream cheese, etc.
To maintain the same meaning while rephrasing the text step by step: 1. It is important to limit protein intake to moderate levels because excessive protein can be converted into glucose, hinder the production of ketones, and disturb ketosis. 2. Incorporate slow-digesting carbohydrates that are particularly rich in fiber, as they help to lower calorie intake without causing a sudden increase in blood glucose levels.
Insulin is an additional significant aspect to be taken into account in the keto diet as it plays a role in storing glucose in muscle or fat cells and inhibiting fat metabolism (preventing fat from leaving the cell).
The process of being on ketosis results in reduced levels of insulin and encourages the oxidation of fat as it enables the movement of fats from the cell to the circulation. This breakdown of fats for energy ultimately leads to the occurrence of ketosis, which typically happens within a span of 3 to 4 days.
If the glucose stores are used up, there is a chance that keto flu may occur as the body reacts naturally to the low glucose levels. This can lead to decreased energy levels and feelings of lethargy. However, it is important to become keto-adapted in order to experience the physical advantages, which typically takes around 3-5 weeks or longer.
When you are keto-adapted, your body has successfully switched to using fats and ketones as the primary sources of fuel for both your muscles and brain. Ketones have the ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier, much like glucose.
Low carb or Keto
Keto typically refers to keeping daily carbohydrate intake below 50g, and in some cases as little as 20g. However, as athletes who expend more glycogen compared to inactive individuals, we have greater flexibility with this threshold. As you progress further into the ketosis phase, consider incorporating a slightly higher carbohydrate intake on days when you engage in intense training.
This method is commonly known as Low Carb. It does not have a specific quantity of carbs defined; it is simply a less stringent form of the keto diet. However, be cautious about transitioning too early because your body can easily revert to burning carbs (you may experience symptoms of ‘keto flu’ or feel a lack of consistent energy throughout the day).
Also, take into consideration indoor training, which allows for an easier option to cut the session short if you’re not feeling well. As you become more accustomed to the diet, gradually incorporate more training and potentially experiment with higher intensity exercises. The most effective approach is to maintain extremely low carbohydrate levels on lighter training days and reintroduce a small amount during or directly following more strenuous sessions.
Sodium levels
A useful tip for individuals following a keto diet is to ensure they stay properly hydrated and consume more sodium. This is necessary due to the decrease in blood sugar and subsequent reduction in insulin levels resulting from the decreased consumption of carbohydrates, which leads to reduced sodium retention by the body (with more being excreted through urine).
Since athletes generally have higher sodium needs even on a traditional diet, it is important to be mindful of this. If you are unsure about the amount of salt to include in your meals, trust your intuition. Your body is adept at indicating its needs if you pay close attention, as cravings demonstrate.
FTP has dropped, what to do
By trying this diet in the offseason, you eliminate the urgency to regain this level of performance in real-time, which is the main reason why you should consider it. The decrease in performance can be more significant if you heavily depend on carbs, as they were the primary fuel your body used to generate this level of power.
Alternatively, considering the situation from a different perspective suggests that this emphasizes your reliance on carbohydrates. With persistence, the mechanisms responsible for utilizing fat should increase in activity, compensating for the deficit. After this adjustment occurs and you reintroduce carbohydrates into your diet and training, it is likely that your previous FTP values will return.
If long-duration athletes, for whom FTP intensities are not relevant, are not included, then maybe this diet is not suitable for you and you should revert back to something similar to what you were previously doing.
Eating carbs again
Metabolic flexibility, which is frequently mentioned in relation to a keto diet, refers to the capacity to effortlessly switch between utilizing fats or carbohydrates as a source of fuel.
If athletes consume excessive amounts of carbohydrates and fail to engage in enough foundational training, they may develop a strong dependence on carbohydrates and struggle to efficiently burn fat. However, as a keto athlete, there is a risk of swinging to the extreme opposite end.
If you are skilled at burning fat, it is still important to be able to process and utilize carbohydrates, as they are a significant source of energy, especially with increased intensity levels.
To prevent this, it is necessary to find a middle ground between consuming fats and carbohydrates, adjusting accordingly for low and high-intensity physical activity. Additionally, it should be noted that unless one is participating in races of extremely low intensity, the inclusion of carbohydrates is still necessary during such events.
Carbohydrates function as the main source of fuel for athletes. It is crucial to comprehend the diverse energy sources engaged in different activities. During intense, brief periods of exertion, muscle glycogen and intramuscular glycogen are the primary fuel sources utilized.
During low-intensity long-duration activity, the human body has the ability to shift its metabolism and effectively use fat as a source of energy.
The primary reason for fatigue and reduced athletic performance is generally attributed to the depletion of muscle glycogen stores and the hindered metabolic shift towards utilizing fat stores. By following a keto diet, individuals can enhance their ability to maintain glycogen stores during exercise.
Additionally, the diet also promotes the stimulation of fat release, transport, uptake, and utilization in muscle cells for energy conversion. However, it is important to note that adjusting to the diet typically requires a period of 3-5 weeks, and there is a chance of experiencing keto fever, as previously discussed.
As stated earlier, a ketogenic diet has been proven to decrease weight by reducing fat-free mass and lipid production while boosting lipolysis and fat metabolism. This is beneficial for athletes seeking to trim down their weight.
In addition, a 10 percent calorie restriction was noticed while observing this. A ketogenic diet has been proven to retain muscle mass by reducing gluconeogenesis and preserving muscle mass during ketosis, resulting in a protective effect on muscles. However, no positive findings have been made regarding muscle gain.
Ensuring proper hydration while following a keto diet is crucial because low insulin levels lead to increased loss of fluid and electrolytes. The presence of insulin enables the kidneys to retain sodium, whereas low insulin causes the body to filter out sodium. Additionally, higher levels of uric acid are also observed.
In order to minimize sodium imbalance and the accumulation of uric acid, as well as sustain tissue functions, decrease the likelihood of experiencing keto flu, and enhance performance, it is essential to ensure an adequate intake of fluids. You can incorporate sodium by consuming salted nuts or adding additional salt to your meals. Moreover, potassium, available in avocados, and magnesium, present in pumpkin seeds, can also be supplemented.
Further investigation is needed regarding the influence of a keto diet on athletic performance. Nevertheless, it has been noted that high-fat diets do not significantly enhance exercise performance during intense activities due to their ability to diminish muscle glycogen reserves by 50%, resulting in fatigue and hindered performance.
In addition, these diets resulted in decreased performance timings and benefits as a result of the heightened utilization of oxygen, as fat oxidation requires more oxygen compared to carbohydrates in order to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
In situations like these, it is possible to incorporate regular carbohydrate meals during training sessions to assist with high-intensity exercises. Additionally, scheduling a planned carbohydrate day can aid in providing the body with a daily intake of 300–350 grams of carbohydrates. This approach also facilitates an easy return to ketosis once you have become accustomed to a ketogenic diet.
Exercise at moderate and low intensities has been shown to benefit from the process of fat oxidation. When engaging in low-intensity activities, fat becomes the primary fuel source, and when combined with a ketogenic diet, it enhances the efficiency of fat metabolism and utilization. Moreover, this combination helps prevent the depletion of muscle glycogen and delays the occurrence of fatigue.
