Abstract
Adjusting dietary fat intake is reported to affect mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO), and thus may enhance exercise capacity. However, a high-fat diet where carbohydrate intake is not limited enough also makes it difficult for athletes to maintain weight, and may fail to force the body to utilize fat. As such, a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, ketogenic diet (KD) may be viable. We have previously reported that an eight-week KD enhances exercise capacity, and suggested the mechanism to be enhanced lipolysis and ketolysis. In the present study, we investigated how an eight-week KD alters mRNA expression during fatty acid mobilization, FAO and ketolysis. We found that an eight-week KD may remodel the lipid metabolism profile, thus contributing to influence exercise capacity. We also found that ketolysis, lipolysis and FAO adaptations may contribute to enhanced exhaustive exercise performance. Along with enhanced FAO capacity during exhaustive exercise, a KD may also alter IL-6 synthesis and secretion profile, thus contribute to fatty acid mobilization, ketolysis, lipolysis and preventing muscle damage. Both the lipid metabolism response and IL-6 secretion appeared to be muscle fiber specific. Taken together, the previous and present results reveal that an eight-week KD may enhance exercise performance by up-regulating ketolysis and FAO ability. Therefore, a KD may have the potential to prevent muscle damage by altering IL-6 secretion profile, indicating that a KD may be a promising dietary approach in endurance athletes, sports, and for injury prevention.
Highlights
Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins are three classes of molecules utilized as fuel, or to make up bodily structures
Since proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator (PGC)-1alpha mRNA expression was not significantly influenced by ketogenic diet (KD), the enhanced ketolysis capacity may be merely attributed to the abundance of available ketone bodies, without enhancement of basal metabolic rate mediated by PGC-1alpha
We report that an eight-week KD enhanced exercise capacity, and suggested that mechanism involved in this response may be enhanced lipolysis and ketolysis; according to the metabolite profile observed before and after exercise
Summary
Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins are three classes of molecules utilized as fuel, or to make up bodily structures. Among these classes, protein is a vital nutrient that holds our bodies together. Carbohydrates and lipids are more flexible for use as energy sources. Compared with the storage capacity for carbohydrates (which is limited to ~5 g glucose in blood circulation and ~100 g or ~500 g glycogen in skeletal muscle or liver), the upper limit for human lipid store as fat seems to be unrestricted [1]. Due to limited carbohydrate reserves but an abundant lipid reserve, coaches and elite athletes are wondering if there
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