For those who are on the keto diet, you may have worried about how your body will be affected as you reach ketosis. One question many wonders about is their athletic performance as they eliminate carbs from their meal plans. It has you wonder: Do you need to exercise on a keto diet? Then read on to see how the low-carb diet must be done to achieve your fitness goals!
Is Exercise On A Keto Diet Necessary?
Before we get into exercising during the keto diet, let’s first explain how it works.
This is an extremely low-carb diet, wherein one consumes about 30 grams (or less) of net carbs per day. The rest of what you consume will be high in fat and moderate in protein. When you lower your intake of carbs, the body will then go into a state of ketosis. This is a natural process, a way your body survives with the lowered carb intake. Ketones are then produced, which is from breaking down fats in your liver. Read more about ketosis in this guide.
Your body is then in a metabolic state, which helps burn fat more efficiently than other diets. This is thanks to ketosis, which uses body fat as energy sources.
So if your body burns fat and uses it as an energy source, will you still need to pair it with exercise to burn more calories?
Let’s look at it this way: When you are on a ketogenic diet, your body will continue to burn fuel for energy, even while sleeping. Because of this, there’s no need to exercise for weight loss. Another point to consider is that the ketogenic diet will curb your appetite because of the high-fat food you consume. With lowered calorie intake for the day, you won’t need exercise to burn any more calories.
So exercise isn’t an absolute necessity when on the keto diet, though I still recommend it!
But why?
For those who are able to workout, it’s still best to exercise because you will be burning even MORE fat compared to being on a low-fat diet. Furthermore, this low-carb diet burns fat while retaining muscle, your results will show even better. The excess fat is gone and replaced with the muscles you’ve been working out for!
Tips On Working Out During The Keto Diet
For those who do plan on working out when on the diet, how will you be able to do it safely without the sufficient energy from carbs? Here are some tips to follow:
- Take note that while this low-carb diet won’t affect your endurance exercise, you should expect a decrease in explosive power as you adapt to the diet. So continue your routine but do so carefully and notice any changes in your performance, if there are. Be patient when this happens! It takes time for your body to adapt and go back to the athletic performance you achieved before. Some people go through the keto flu for the first two weeks so it’s best to stay out of the gym during that time. But only if you feel any pain or discomfort!
- If you ever feel any discomfort while you exercise, then it’s best to stop and recover. If the symptoms of fatigue or nausea do not fade away, then stop completely.
- If you would like to burn fat while building muscle, then I recommend that you have a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Avoid too much cardio throughout the week and focus more on weightlifting or HIIT. Not only will strength training help you build muscle, but it helps you burn more calories and fat!
- You may want to go for a cyclical ketogenic diet, where you eat low-carb for a few days and aim for a higher intake of carbs during the days you workout. Or for athletes with high-intensity exercise, go for a targeted ketogenic diet, wherein you consume 20-50 grams of net carbs an hour before you exercise. Find out which works best for you.
Wrapping It Up
Being on the keto diet is no easy task, with people making investments on ketone supplements and high-fat foods to ensure that they reach the state of ketosis to achieve ultimate fat burn. And just like any diet, exercise is key to tone your body as it loses the fat. While there’s no need to exercise rigorously while on a low-carb diet, it’s still recommended for those who are able to work out or already have a routine.
Hopefully, this article answers your question on exercising on a low-carb diet. Now begin creating an effective routine that will have you reach your fitness goals today!
If you have any questions or would like to share your tips and experiences on exercise during this diet, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.
Author’s Bio:
My name is Layla and I’m a writer at Howtonight.com – lifestyle blog which mostly focuses on health and nutrition but we also publish articles related to pets, travel, and entertainment.