Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a ketogenic diet on blood pressure, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone mineral density (BMD) in trained women.
Methods
Twenty-one resistance-trained women performed an 8-week resistance training program after a 3-week familiarization phase. Participants were randomly assigned to a non-ketogenic diet (n = 11, NKD) or ketogenic diet (n = 10, KD) group. Health parameters were measured before and after the nutritional intervention. Blood pressure was measured using a digital automatic monitor, while VAT, BMC, and BMD changes were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
Results
There was a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure in KD (mean ± SD [IC 95%], P value, Hedges’ g; − 6.3 ± 6.0 [− 10.5, − 2.0] mmHg, P = 0.009, g = − 0.81) but not in NKD (− 0.4 ± 8.9 [− 6.8, 6.0] mmHg, P = 0.890, g = − 0.04). The results on VAT showed no changes in both groups. The KD showed a small favorable effect on BMD (0.02 ± 0.02 [0.01, 0.03] g·cm−2, P = 0.014, g = 0.19) while NKD did not show significant changes (0.00 ± 0.02 [− 0.02, 0.02] g·cm−2, P = 0.886, g = 0.01). No differences in group or in the time × group interaction were found in any of the variables.
Conclusions
Consuming a low-carbohydrate high-fat KD in conjunction with a resistance training program might help to promote the improvement of health-related markers in resistance-trained women. Long-term studies are required to evaluate the superiority of a KD in comparison to a traditional diet.
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Abbreviations
- KD:
-
Ketogenic diet
- NDK:
-
Non-ketogenic diet
- KB:
-
Ketone bodies
- VAT:
-
Visceral adipose tissue
- BP:
-
Blood pressure
- HDL:
-
High-density lipoprotein
- LDL:
-
Low-density lipoprotein
- FM:
-
Fat mass
- BMC:
-
Bone mineral content
- BMD:
-
Bone mineral density
- RT:
-
Resistance training
- FFM:
-
Fat free mass
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- DXA:
-
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry
- LBM:
-
Lean body mass
- GLM:
-
General linear model
- ES:
-
Effect size
- SBP:
-
Systolic blood pressure
- DBP:
-
Diastolic blood pressure
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Supported by University of Málaga (Campus of International Excellence Andalucía Tech).
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SV served as study coordinator. SV and JBP conceived and designed the experiments. RR and JBP served as lab coordinator and project manager for the study coordination, respectively. SV and RR assisted in data collection. SV designed the nutritional protocols. SV oversight nutrition and training. JLP analyzed the data. SV, JLP, BJS, RBK, JBP, LC, and DAB assisted in analysis, and manuscript review. SV, JLP, DAB, and LC wrote the first draft. SV, RBK, BJS, LC, DAB, JLP, and JBP assisted in the statistics advice, discussion analysis, and manuscript preparation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Vargas-Molina , S., Carbone, L., Romance, R. et al. Effects of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet on health parameters in resistance-trained women. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 2349–2359 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04707-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04707-3