Running can be such a taxing sport, depending on how far you plan on running. For endurance athletes, runs can go for miles, while sprint athletes are focusing on a finish line 200 metres ahead.

For both athletes, proper nutrition is imperative. The belief for so long has been when it comes to aerobic sports, carbohydrates is the main macronutrient to assist with performance.  But with more and more studies being conducted regarding low-carb or no-carb diets (i.e. the ketogenic diet) and aerobic activities, that belief is starting to sway.

The Ketogenic Diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet, which has been around the fitness industry for decades, more predominantly among bodybuilding athletes. Basically, it is utilized by sending the body into ketosis, in which the levels of ketones in the body is elevated, forcing the body to break down stored fat for energy expenditure. Now this would seem ideal for someone who competes in bodybuilding competitions, could it be effective when it comes to running?

While there have been studies that has shown some runners have had great success whilst on the Ketogenic Diet, these have come from people who have been on the diet for an extended period of time. Zach Bitter, who is an American ultramarathon runner, is one example. Bitter has accredited the keto diet to his success, but it didn’t happen overnight. Some things to take into account are that before Zach claimed the record for both the 100-mile run and 12-hour run in 2019, he had been on the keto diet for 11 years, and he doesn’t stick to strictly keto, he cycles between keto and low-carb.

But for those who want immediate success, the ketogenic diet is not for you. It takes a fair amount of time for the body to adapt to such a low carbohydrate diet, and really is only effective for those endurance athletes.