Sarah Lessard and colleagues reported in Nature Communications that a high‑fat, low‑carbohydrate ketogenic diet restored normal blood sugar and remodelled skeletal muscle in mice with hyperglycemia. The mice ate the diet while using running wheels for exercise; after one week on the ketogenic diet their blood sugar was completely normal. Over time the diet made muscles more oxidative and more responsive to aerobic training.
Compared with animals on other diets, these mice developed more slow‑twitch muscle fibres that support endurance and used oxygen more efficiently, a sign of higher aerobic capacity. Lessard had previously shown that people with high blood sugar tend to have lower exercise capacity, and she proposed that dietary change could improve the benefits of exercise.
The ketogenic diet induces ketosis, shifting metabolism from burning sugar to burning fat. It is controversial because it is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, differing from long‑standing low‑fat advice. The diet has been linked to benefits for conditions such as epilepsy and Parkinsons disease and was used in the 1920s before insulin to help lower blood sugar. Lessard and colleagues say the largest health gains are likely when diet and exercise act together. Next steps include testing whether people gain the same benefits, and researchers note that a less restrictive plan, for example a Mediterranean‑style diet with unprocessed fruits, vegetables and whole grains, might be easier to follow while keeping blood sugar low.
Lessard holds appointments at Virginia Techs Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTCs Center for Exercise Medicine Research and in the Department of Human Foods, Nutrition, and Exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Difficult words
- ketogenic — high-fat very low-carbohydrate eating plan causing fat burningketogenic diet
- hyperglycemia — abnormally high level of glucose in blood
- remodel — change the structure or organization of somethingremodelled
- oxidative — relating to use of oxygen for energy
- aerobic capacity — ability to use oxygen during physical activity
- ketosis — state when body burns fat for fuel
- metabolism — chemical processes that produce energy in body
- controversial — causing disagreement or public argument
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think the results seen in mice will apply to people? Why or why not?
- What practical challenges might people face following a strict ketogenic diet while exercising?
- Would a less restrictive Mediterranean-style diet be a better long-term choice for lowering blood sugar? Explain your reasons.
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