Keto Means
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Can you exercise on keto?

Jogging, biking, rowing, and doing yoga are just a few examples of physical activities that may be especially beneficial on keto. While you can also include any other activities that you enjoy as part of your workout routine, you may find some high intensity exercises a bit more difficult on the ketogenic diet.

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What are the symptoms of lack of carbohydrates?

Severe carb limits can cause your body to break down fat into ketones for energy. This is called ketosis. Ketosis can cause side effects such as...

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This article reviews some of the ways that the ketogenic diet could affect your workout. While some claim that keto can boost fat burning and enhance endurance, others note that it could drain energy levels and make muscle growth more challenging.

However, its effect on athletic performance remains a subject of controversy.

The very low carb, high fat, moderate protein ketogenic diet has been linked to a long list of potential health benefits, ranging from improved blood sugar control to decreased hunger levels ( 1 , 2 ). Studies show that the ketogenic diet may improve several aspects of athletic performance.

May improve endurance

Although the ketogenic diet may not be suitable for high intensity bursts of activity, some studies have found that it may enhance performance for endurance athletes. For example, one study in 39 athletes noted that being in a metabolic state of ketosis improved physical endurance due to the body’s ability to use fat as an alternative source of energy ( 3 ). However, this was observed in the context of providing ketone supplements — not through following the ketogenic diet. Another study in 20 endurance athletes had similar findings, reporting that following a ketogenic diet for 12 weeks improved performance, body composition, and fat burning during exercise ( 4 ). What’s more, one review reported that increased levels of ketone bodies from supplements may speed muscle recovery and reduce the breakdown of protein following endurance exercise ( 5 ). On the other hand, some research has found that it could negatively affect performance in endurance athletes by impairing energy utilization and speeding time to exhaustion ( 6 , 7 ). Therefore, more studies are needed to determine whether the ketogenic diet offers any added benefits over other diets for endurance athletes.

May boost fat burning

Some research indicates that following a ketogenic diet may help boost fat burning during exercise. In fact, one small study in competitive race walkers showed that the diet increased the body’s ability to burn fat while working out, even during a range of different intensities of physical activity ( 6 ).

However, the ketogenic diet ultimately impaired exercise performance in these athletes.

Another study in 22 athletes found that switching to a ketogenic diet increased fat burning over a 4-week period ( 8 ). Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that the ketogenic diet comprises mostly fat, which may explain why more fat is burned during exercise. Therefore, just like any other diet, creating a calorie deficit by adjusting your intake to consume fewer calories than you burn is still necessary if you’re looking to lose weight on the ketogenic diet ( 10 ).

Can speed muscle recovery

Several studies have found that the ketogenic diet could help speed up post-workout muscle recovery. For instance, one small study reported that the ketogenic diet led to self-perceived improvements in recovery and inflammation after exercise in five athletes ( 7 ). However, it’s important to note that they also experienced reductions in other measures of performance, and there was no control group, which could skew results ( 7 ). Another study in off-road cyclists noted that the ketogenic diet reduced levels of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase — two enzymes used to measure muscle damage ( 11 ). Furthermore, a mouse study showed that following a ketogenic diet for 8 weeks increased muscle recovery following exhaustive exercise ( 12 ).

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Why you should eat cucumber everyday?

All that water in cucumbers can help keep you hydrated. Plus, the fiber boost they give you helps you stay regular and avoid constipation. The vitamin K helps blood clot and keep your bones healthy. Vitamin A has many jobs, like helping with vision, the immune system, and reproduction.

What Are Cucumbers? Cucumbers are popular long, lean, and green garden vegetables. Technically, they’re fruits from the same family as watermelons and pumpkins, but most people consider them veggies. Cucumbers are native to India, have a slight melon-like taste, and sometimes can be slightly bitter. Cucumber Types There are two main types: Slicing cucumbers are eaten fresh, often in a salad. They can be 12 inches or longer and usually have smooth skin. There are "burpless" varieties that have less of a plant compound called cucurbitacin. That gives them a milder taste, and it may make you burp less after you eat them. You may also hear them called “seedless cucumbers” or “European cucumbers.” Pickling cucumbers are much smaller and are the type used to make pickles. They can be 3-7 inches long, and they typically have bumps or spines on their skin. Nutritional Benefits of Cucumber A serving of cucumber -- one-half a cup -- is about 8 calories. They have small amounts of vitamin K and vitamin A and are about 95% water. They also have several phytonutrients (plant chemicals) called lignans. One medium unpeeled, raw cucumber has the following: Calories: 30

Total fat: 0 grams

Carbs: 6 grams

Protein: 3 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Vitamin C: 10% of the recommended daily value (DV)

Vitamin K: 57% of the DV

Magnesium: 9% of the DV

Potassium: 12% of the DV

Manganese: 9% of the DV

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