Originally Posted by
gregf83
I don't know the details, but all the studies I have seen indicate that, while sub-maximal performance can be OK on a ketogenic diet, your top-end (VO2Max and above) performance is significantly less. A ketogenic diet may be useful for something but it isn't something you would use if you were racing or were concerned with performance.
It may be a bit of a misconception that you have no glycogen in your muscles on a ketogenic diet. Studies have found that on a ketogenic diet one has roughly half the muscle glycogen stores at the beginning of an exercise session but the body also adapts and ends up burning proportionately more fat during exercise. Glycogen still gets produced on a ketogenic diet through a different mechanism than when you consume carbohydrates.
I was assuming this to be the case. And pro cyclists, teams and their nutritionists and doctors would be on top of this matter if it were a competitive advantage. Although, I think managing carbs and eating good fat such as omega threes is highly desirable. I like the idea of raising my fat burning capability. However, I need a maximal top end performance.