Keto Diet May Harm Athletes’ Bones

Like so many questionable commitments, ketogenic diets are in fashion, again. Word has it that the low-carb, high-fat regimen can help us lose weight, mainly by burning our own body fat when our bodies discover that there are no carbohydrates available. That may be exactly what happens, but what also happens, according to research conducted at the Australian Institute of Sport and other Australian research organizations, is that bones of athletes on keto diets break down more quickly and rebuild more slowly than the bones of athletes on high carb diets. The New York Times reports on the research, for which 30 serious athletes split into two groups: one group following the keto diet and one following their customary high carb diet. The researchers drew blood before the experiment began, and again after three and a half weeks. What did they see? The Times tells us that the markers of bone breakdown were higher among the athletes on the keto diet than at the start of the study, while those indicating bone formation and overall metabolism were lower, while the same markers were generally unchanged in the high-carb athletes. The bottom line: athletes on the ketogenic diet appeared to have impaired bone health.

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