NatCom: Keto diet combined with exercise improves metabolism

American scientists have shown that a strict ketogenic diet — high in fats and low in carbohydrates — can normalize blood sugar levels and improve muscle function, at least in mice. The effect was especially pronounced when the diet was combined with physical activity. The study was published in Nature Communications (NatCom).

The research was conducted by a group of scientists from several U.S. research centers. The experiment involved mice with hyperglycemia — elevated blood sugar levels. Within just one week of switching to a keto diet, their glucose levels returned to normal.

“After one week on a ketogenic diet, the animals’ blood sugar levels were as if they didn’t have diabetes at all,” said physiologist Sarah Lessard of Virginia Tech Carilion.

After eight weeks, the scientists added physical exercise. Training was found to enhance the effects of the diet: the animals’ aerobic endurance increased, their muscles received oxygen more efficiently, and fatigue developed more slowly.

According to the researchers, ketosis — a state in which the body uses fats instead of carbohydrates as its main energy source — does not merely accompany these changes but actively influences muscle and vascular function.

Earlier, the same research group showed that hyperglycemia impairs the body’s ability to adapt to physical activity. The new study confirms that a ketogenic diet can partially compensate for this effect.

However, the study has important limitations. All experiments were conducted on animals, not humans. In addition, despite improvements in physiological indicators, the mice’s actual athletic performance did not increase — likely due to a lack of carbohydrates. When carbohydrates were reintroduced into the diet, endurance improved.

The authors emphasize that the keto diet is not a universal solution. It can be difficult to follow and may not be suitable for everyone. Alternative approaches, such as the Mediterranean diet, can also help reduce blood sugar levels.

Nevertheless, the study highlights that nutrition and physical activity do not act in isolation but reinforce each other’s effects. In the future, scientists plan to conduct clinical trials in humans to determine whether the observed effect holds true.

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