Reasons Why Athletes Must Avoid Ketone Salts

Apart from the exercises, taking care of the food that you eat is very important if you are an athlete. A strong stamina comes not just from keeping yourself physically fit but making a healthy choice of food is equally important.

Assuming that nutritional salt is good, many a times athletes increase their intake, but this could prove harmful. A new research says that ketone salts may inhibit, rather than improve, athletic performance during high-intensity exercises.

According to the study, ketone salts work by artificially elevating blood ketone levels and forces the body to rely on burning fat as a fuel.

So what exactly is ketone salt? Ketone salts are supplements that consists of beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB) combined with mineral salts such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, or potassium. This salt is used to improve absorption rate of the body.

During the study, the researchers had taken into consideration over two groups of male athletes with similar body mass indices. The first group consumed ketone salts while the second group consumed a tablet of similar flavour and then engaged in a cycling time trial.
The results of the group which consumed ketone salts was seven per cent lower in comparison to the second group which consumed the flavoured tablet.

The study was recently published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Also here are a few of the best foods for athletes, check them out.

Bananas:

Banana contains a good amount of vitamins and minerals. It is rich in potassium and contains natural electrolytes. Bananas also help relax the over stressed muscles and also helps provide needed energy. It is one of the best source of natural carbohydrates that provides instant energy and also prevents weight gain.

Sweet Potatoes:

Rich source of vitamin A, B and C, every athletes should consider eating sweet potatoes. In addition to this sweet potatoes are high in magnesium and potassium and this will help prevent muscle cramps and muscle spasms.

Nuts:

Nuts are a must have for athletes. Nuts are rich in good fats, rich in fibre and contains essential minerals. Walnuts and almonds are the two important nuts. Adding a handful of nuts everyday in the daily diet is important for an athlete. It helps improve the blood flow and at the same prevents any kind of inflammation.

Eggs:

Eggs are rich in protein and essential vitamins. Also the eggs are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that helps in reducing the inflammation level. So if you are an athlete then adding eggs to your daily diet is important as this helps in quick recovery from muscle aches after a strenuous activity.

Flax Seeds:

Flax seeds contains anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids which are a source of good fat. In addition to this flax seeds are also rich in fibre and contains moderate amount of protein that are good for athletes. Adding flax seeds in the daily diet helps one to recover quickly from inflammation after a hard workout. Flax seeds aids in fat burning in the muscles and prevents storage of fat.