In light of the fact that exercise DOES NOT cause weight loss, exercise has a fascinating ability to enhance ketosis.  No, seriously, I don’t care what your trainer told you, you won’t loose weight with exercise, no mater how hard you try.  However, exercise does help you body attain a ketogenic state.

When you exercise, the muscles take up glucose and oxygen to burn as their primary fuel.  Exercise has actually been shown to enhance this process and reduce the “insulin resistance” effect that the the SAD diet (Standard American Diet) has on 2/3rds of the population (whether they realize it or not).  Mild to moderate exercise like a walk or even a mild jog, and resistance training like weight lifting, yoga or Pilates increased the drive of the glucose into the cells and improves the ability of the cells to use the glucose.

In a person following a carbohydrate restricted diet (Ketogenic, Low-Carb, and even Paleolithic to some degree), the body maintains a stable level of blood sugar by releasing glycogen from the liver and gluconeogenisis as needed to support the 100 grams necessary per day required by the brain (the liver makes about 240 grams per day no mater what you do).  In the absence of extra glucose as fuel, the body will then use triglyceride and/or ketones as fuel.  Exercise improves the sensitivity to the small amount of glucose and actually ramps up the presence of ketones placing the person into a more ketogenic state.

This enhanced ketogensis is often experienced as “second wind” or “being in the zone” or even as an ability to “hyperfocus” during exercise.  But the exercise levels must be in the mild to moderate range for this to be accomplished.

But, there’s a fine balance, if the muscles are pushed too hard to fast, lactic acid builds up because of a shift to an anaerobic state and the acid creates a stress response, triggering cortisol and increased glucose formulation, causing one to shift out of ketosis.

How do you know if you exercising too hard?  You should be exercising hard enough to break a sweat, but not so hard that you can’t carry on a conversation with your partner at the same time.  Over time, as the body becomes more effective at using ketones, you’ll find your exercise intensity can and will improve.

See Dr. Nally try to explain all this while riding his horse Bailey in the White Tank Mountains:

Or you can Katch it here: https://katch.me/docmuscles/v/ce43292a-296f-3de4-bf6f-d19cd688fc62

Have a great weekend!!