Energy balance
A ketogenic diet tends to cause greater losses in body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass compared to higher-carbohydrate diets, likely due to differences in calorie and protein intake and fluid shifts rather than the diet itself being inherently superior for fat loss.
If you want to lose fat, a ketogenic diet can help you lose weight, but it is not inherently better than other diets. The greater weight loss seen is likely due to eating fewer calories and losing water weight. Ensure you are consuming enough protein to preserve muscle mass, regardless of the diet you choose.
When compared to a diet higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat, a ketogenic diet may cause greater losses in body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass, but may also heighten losses of lean tissue. However, this is likely due to differences in calorie and protein intake, as well as shifts in fluid balance.
Why this rating
Based on review of controlled trials showing similar or greater weight loss but with potential lean mass loss.
Source
International society of sports nutrition position stand: ketogenic diets
Alex Leaf et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2024
DOI 10.1080/15502783.2024.2368167
More from this paper
- A ketogenic diet (defined as <50g carbohydrate/day or blood ketones ≥0.5 mM) has largely neutral or detrimental effects on athletic performance compared to a higher-carbohydrate diet, despite significantly increasing fat oxidation rates.Good
- A ketogenic diet has similar effects on maximal strength or strength gains from resistance training compared to a higher-carbohydrate diet, although a minority of studies show superior effects for non-ketogenic diets.Good
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