The worldwide overweight and obesity epidemic has drawn significant attention. The obesity-related disorders, including musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), neurodegenerative diseases (NDD), certain types of cancer, and psychological problems, not only affect the quality of life of the overweight and obese population but also impose a high societal and economic burden. A small reduction (e.g., 5%) in the body weight of obese individuals has been shown to lead to clinically significant decreases in risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Thus, it would be important and urgent to investigate effective and inexpensive strategies for facilitating weight loss and preventing weight gain.
Diet and exercise remain the two most important non-pharmacological interventions for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Given that low carbohydrate diets (LCs) result in mild hyperketonemia and ketone bodies become a viable alternative fuel source during metabolic stress, LCs including ketogenic diet have been used to achieve weight loss, and improve cardio-metabolic health, despite a few adverse effects (e.g., loss of muscle mass) associated with caloric restriction and complex physiological (e.g., sodium and potassium balance) and metabolic (e.g., effects on liver and muscle glycogen storage) alterations. Moreover, ketogenic diets have a long history in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy, and nutritional ketosis is a promising strategy for the management of several neurodegenerative diseases associated with glucose hypometabolism. Exercise is an effective strategy to stimulate fat utilization in the muscle and cardiovascular systems as well as to increase the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors. As a result, exercise (e.g., moderate-intensity training, high-intensity interval training or resistance training) impacts positively on physical and mental health. The combination of LCs with exercise may enhance the therapeutic effects of either strategy of diet and exercise. However, how to combine LCs and exercise interventions to maximize their potential benefits warrants further research.
The goal of the Research Topic is to present the latest evidence on weight loss, the improvements of cardio-metabolic and even psychological responses to LCs combined with different kinds of exercise. We are particularly interested in Original Research and Review articles that focus on but are not limited to the following topics:
1. Effects of exercise with low-carbohydrate/ketogenic diet on anthropometry, body weight, body composition, cardio-metabolic risk factors, and gut health.
2. Impact of interventions (LCs and exercise) on the aspects of physical, mental and psychosocial health.
3. Interaction effect of LCs and exercise in normal and overweight/obese populations with different ages.
4. Changes in brain function (e.g. brain networks stability, neurotransmission) resulting from LCs and exercise in the state of mild hyperketonemia.
5. Innovative experimental models for studying the effect of LCs and exercise combined interventions on body weight and health.
6. Long-term effects of LCs regardless of exercise on weight loss and health outcomes (how effective they are compared to other diets/whether extreme low carb diets are sustainable and balanced in the long-term).
The worldwide overweight and obesity epidemic has drawn significant attention. The obesity-related disorders, including musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), neurodegenerative diseases (NDD), certain types of cancer, and psychological problems, not only affect the quality of life of the overweight and obese population but also impose a high societal and economic burden. A small reduction (e.g., 5%) in the body weight of obese individuals has been shown to lead to clinically significant decreases in risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Thus, it would be important and urgent to investigate effective and inexpensive strategies for facilitating weight loss and preventing weight gain.
Diet and exercise remain the two most important non-pharmacological interventions for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Given that low carbohydrate diets (LCs) result in mild hyperketonemia and ketone bodies become a viable alternative fuel source during metabolic stress, LCs including ketogenic diet have been used to achieve weight loss, and improve cardio-metabolic health, despite a few adverse effects (e.g., loss of muscle mass) associated with caloric restriction and complex physiological (e.g., sodium and potassium balance) and metabolic (e.g., effects on liver and muscle glycogen storage) alterations. Moreover, ketogenic diets have a long history in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy, and nutritional ketosis is a promising strategy for the management of several neurodegenerative diseases associated with glucose hypometabolism. Exercise is an effective strategy to stimulate fat utilization in the muscle and cardiovascular systems as well as to increase the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors. As a result, exercise (e.g., moderate-intensity training, high-intensity interval training or resistance training) impacts positively on physical and mental health. The combination of LCs with exercise may enhance the therapeutic effects of either strategy of diet and exercise. However, how to combine LCs and exercise interventions to maximize their potential benefits warrants further research.
The goal of the Research Topic is to present the latest evidence on weight loss, the improvements of cardio-metabolic and even psychological responses to LCs combined with different kinds of exercise. We are particularly interested in Original Research and Review articles that focus on but are not limited to the following topics:
1. Effects of exercise with low-carbohydrate/ketogenic diet on anthropometry, body weight, body composition, cardio-metabolic risk factors, and gut health.
2. Impact of interventions (LCs and exercise) on the aspects of physical, mental and psychosocial health.
3. Interaction effect of LCs and exercise in normal and overweight/obese populations with different ages.
4. Changes in brain function (e.g. brain networks stability, neurotransmission) resulting from LCs and exercise in the state of mild hyperketonemia.
5. Innovative experimental models for studying the effect of LCs and exercise combined interventions on body weight and health.
6. Long-term effects of LCs regardless of exercise on weight loss and health outcomes (how effective they are compared to other diets/whether extreme low carb diets are sustainable and balanced in the long-term).
