Effects of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet on health parameters in resistance-trained women

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a ketogenic diet on blood pressure, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone mineral density (BMD) in trained women. Methods Twenty-one resistance-trained women performed an 8-week resistance training program after a 3-week familiarization phase. Participants were randomly assigned to a non-ketogenic diet (n = 11, NKD) or ketogenic diet (n = 10, KD) group. Health parameters were measured before and after the nutritional intervention. Blood pressure was measured using a digital automatic monitor, while VAT, BMC, and BMD changes were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results There was a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure in KD (mean +/- SD [IC 95%], P value, Hedges' g; - 6.3 +/- 6.0 [- 10.5, - 2.0] mmHg, P = 0.009, g = - 0.81) but not in NKD (- 0.4 +/- 8.9 [- 6.8, 6.0] mmHg, P = 0.890, g = - 0.04). The results on VAT showed no changes in both groups. The KD showed a small favorable effect on BMD (0.02 +/- 0.02 [0.01, 0.03] g center dot cm(-2), P = 0.014, g = 0.19) while NKD did not show significant changes (0.00 +/- 0.02 [- 0.02, 0.02] g center dot cm(-2), P = 0.886, g = 0.01). No differences in group or in the time x group interaction were found in any of the variables. Conclusions Consuming a low-carbohydrate high-fat KD in conjunction with a resistance training program might help to promote the improvement of health-related markers in resistance-trained women. Long-term studies are required to evaluate the superiority of a KD in comparison to a traditional diet.