Does keto affect performance?

Yes, following a

keto diet

can reduce exercise performance in events requiring maximum or near-maximum effort [

1

]. However, the keto diet appears to be less detrimental for low and moderate-intensity exercise after the adaptation period. 

The keto diet is a high fat, very low carb eating approach, where carbohydrate intake is restricted to less than 50g/day. Studies have found that those on a keto diet performed 4-15% lower than those eating a high carbohydrate diet [

1

]. In addition, athletes on a keto diet experience early onset fatigue during short-duration activities [

2

]. 

While keto may be less detrimental for submaximal exercise, athletes may fall short on nutrients such as fiber, calcium, magnesium, selenium, vitamin C and B-vitamins which can potentially impact performance. For more information on the ketogenic diet for athletic performance check out

this article

.