The Ketogenic Diet and CrossFit Athletic Performance (Part 2)

Gluconeogenesis – The Creation of New Glucose

We have just explained why you do not need carbohydrates to maintain glucose, nor to restore glycogen after exercise.

Gluconeogenesis is a fancy word for the internal creation of glucose, meaning the restoration of muscle, blood, and liver glycogen by creating new glucose from non-carbohydrate based sources.

Glycogen is the storage form of glucose, is made up of many connected glucose molecules and can be found in muscles and the liver. Glucose is the individual sugar that is broken down directly to produce energy.

Gluconeogenesis occurs mostly in the liver and to a small degree in the kidneys. A common misconception about keto is that when people stop eating carbohydrates, all the glucose and glycogen in their body goes away permanently.

This is physiologically impossible, and if it did all go away, you would die. There are certain cells in the brain, red blood cells, kidney medulla cells, and cells in the testicles that rely on glucose.

Ketones can provide fuel for up to 70% of your brain’s energy needs. Thus, even when you go keto, your body figures out a new way to create this glucose, which is pretty remarkable.

Once you have become fully fat adapted, your body gets highly efficient at gluconeogenesis.

This ability to create glucose from non-carbohydrate sources also debunks the strongly held belief that carbs are an essential macronutrient, which they are not.

Your body can make glucose from protein and fat, thus protein and fat are the only essential macronutrients the body absolutely needs.

Let’s take a look at the different ways your body can make glucose.

The possible sources of gluconeogenesis within your body are glycerol (from fat), lactate (think lactic acid), and some amino acids (from protein). All of these sources are in different ways converted to a chemical substance called pyruvate, which is then, through a series of steps, converted to glucose.

Lactate

This is the same lactate, or lactic acid, that is created during intense exercise, and is typically thought of as that muscle burn that builds with prolonged intense exercise. All CrossFit athletes are probably too familiar with lactic acid.

Via a process called the Cori Cycle (lactic acid cycle), lactate made from anaerobic glycolysis from the muscles is shuttled to the liver, where it is converted, eventually, into glucose, and then goes back to the muscle.

Amino Acids

These are the basic building blocks of protein, and they can come from the diet or from skeletal muscle. The main amino acids used to create glucose are glutamine and alanine.

Glycerol

Glycerol is actually a component of fatty acids and can be converted to eventually make glucose. Who knew, sugar from fat.

In summary, the body makes all the glucose it needs from eating protein and fat, and generating lactic acid from exercise.

This concept is the key why the ketogenic diet and CrossFit are ultimately highly compatible.

It is possible to follow a ketogenic diet and perform at CrossFit.

THE IMPACT OF KETO ON ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE FOR CROSSFIT

In this article, we disproved the myths that keto can’t work for CrossFit. Keto athletes can get leaner, just as strong and actually produce all their own glucose from fat and protein.

They also use more fat at higher intensities of exercise, potentially saving precious glycogen stores for really hard efforts.

Next up in this Keto and CrossFit series, we are going to look at how keto impacts your bodies’ energy metabolism, inflammation, oxidative damage, mental health and sleep. While often neglected, these are extremely important aspects for CrossFit success that happen outside the gym.

Keep your eyes out for it.

–

Nic and Lindsay are certified Ketogenic Living Health Coaches, accredited by both NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and AFAA (Athletics and Fitness Association of America).

Collectively known as the Millennial Keto Couple, Nic and Lindsay run Millennial Methods to help others fix underlying health issues or optimise their body composition and athletic performance through keto. You can find more of their work here.

All content within this article is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or nutritionist. Please consult a health care professional before drastically changing your diet.