Keto and cardiovascular endurance

#1

Hello, I started keto January 2018, it has all been good I have not had any problems, lost 15 kg which was very nice, the only issue I have is my cardiovascular endurance has dropped. I’m a Master swimmer (in my late 50’s) and sit in the middle of the group when it comes to speed/performance (I’m doing it for the exercise only), and I have noticed that when I have been bad and eating too many cards my performance in the pool have peaked or back to how it use to be.
Has anybody else felt any difference while in Keto and exercising, what do you do? In my case it’s a noticeable difference exercising while carb up or not.

#2

That’s what I would’ve expected to hear, your body is so use to burning carbs for fuel and nowhere near as developed as a fat burner.

But the good news is it gets better and better over time.

Dr Phinney started off with an interest in sports performance. Dr Tim Noakes, marathon running. Dr Peter Atia extreme swimming. They talk about the initial struggles. With long term payoff.

We say adaption takes weeks or a month, sure ok, maybe for pen pushers like me, but it takes many months or over a year in a performance context.

After some struggles and initially somewhat diminished capacity, keto wins in the end. Fat burners were able to keep going and going and going …

(less is more, more or less) #3

As others have said, it does improve, and it won’t be a subtle improvement, that is, if your low-carb diet is as it ought to be.

Check these two fat-based ultra-endurance athletes’ story out:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

That’s to be expected, as your body makes the transition from metabolizing glucose to metabolizing fat. There are adaptations that need to take place at the cellular level, and they simply take time, about six to eight weeks, occasionally longer. It’s not a binary difference, you should soon start to feel things improving, and one day you’ll realize your back to your old performance level—or better. Give it time, and in the meantime, there’s no need to overstress your body, while it’s going through fat-adaptation.

(Robert C) #5

If you are making big money by peaking your performance with carbs - go for it.
If you are looking for longer life - skip the races and keep fit with the exercise you love - without keeping up with the pack.

#6

Thank you all for your replies, interesting facts and advice, still I have been Keto for over a year now and though everything else is good, this is something I was expecting to have improved by now, I know nobody is the same and keto probably effects people in different ways. I don’t race just keeping fit.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

Sorry! In your first post, you said 2018, and I completely read it as January of this year! So much for keto clarity, huh? :grin:

On re-reading your OP, I am now getting the impression that your problem is with explosive effort, not with endurance. Am I getting that right? Because I know that endurance runners do well on a ketogenic diet, but sprinters often have trouble. Peter Attia would be someone to Google and see what he has to say about it. I believe his Web site is www.peteriattiamd.com, but there are lots of interviews with him floating around, all well worth checking out.

#8

Thank you for the link, and yes it is not the endurance I’m looking for, the OP might suggest endurance but swimming 2-3km in the morning as I’m normally do is not.