Hormonal
Long-term LCHF diet adaptation may lead to the early development of central fatigue during exercise due to elevated blood concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and ammonia.
Be aware that switching to a low-carb diet might make you feel mentally tired or 'lethargic' during exercise, especially early on. This is due to changes in blood chemistry (fatty acids and ammonia) affecting your brain. This is a known potential downside of LCHF that may counteract physical benefits.
However, elevated blood concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids and ammonia during exercise after LCHF diets may lead to early development of central fatigue.
Why this rating
The paper cites pilot studies and mechanisms but states there is a knowledge gap regarding long-term adaptation effects on central fatigue.
Source
Low-Carbohydrate-High-Fat Diet: Can it Help Exercise Performance?
Chen‐Kang Chang et al. · Journal of Human Kinetics · 2017
DOI 10.1515/hukin-2017-0025
More from this paper
- Long-term adaptation (several months) to a low-carbohydrate-high-fat (LCHF) diet enhances endurance performance in ultra-endurance events by increasing maximal fat oxidation rates and sparing muscle glycogen, without compromising glycogen resynthesis.Moderate
- Long-term LCHF diet adaptation may improve performance in repeated high-intensity exercise (e.g., field sports) by maintaining power output in later stages of competition through increased fat oxidation and glycogen sparing.Moderate
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