Ketogenic diet in psychiatry: application in treating depression among athletes
Depression is a prevalent mental health challenge, particularly in athletes, where the interplay of high-performance demands, physical stress, and injury exacerbates psychological vulnerabilities. Emerging evidence suggests that the ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohy...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Quality in Sport |
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| Online Access: | https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/56615 |
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| author | Paulina Kumięga Zuzanna Kudas Nikola Perchel Aleksandra Litwin Karolina Krzywicka Paweł Nowocin Piotr Wasiński Natalia Dąbrowska Martyna Koszyk Dawid Kulczyński |
| author_facet | Paulina Kumięga Zuzanna Kudas Nikola Perchel Aleksandra Litwin Karolina Krzywicka Paweł Nowocin Piotr Wasiński Natalia Dąbrowska Martyna Koszyk Dawid Kulczyński |
| author_sort | Paulina Kumięga |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Depression is a prevalent mental health challenge, particularly in athletes, where the interplay of high-performance demands, physical stress, and injury exacerbates psychological vulnerabilities. Emerging evidence suggests that the ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate dietary intervention, holds therapeutic potential for managing depression. KD induces ketosis, a metabolic state that enhances brain energy metabolism, reduces neuroinflammation, and stabilizes neurotransmitter function, all of which are implicated in the pathophysiology of depression.
This review synthesizes findings from recent clinical trials, meta-analyses, and case studies focusing on KD's neurological and psychological effects. The results indicate significant improvements in depressive symptoms, mood stabilization, and mental resilience among individuals adhering to KD. Moreover, KD’s modulation of the gut-brain axis introduces an additional pathway for improving mental health by fostering a diverse gut microbiome and reducing systemic inflammation.
For athletes, KD offers dual benefits: alleviating depressive symptoms while supporting cognitive function and recovery. However, adherence to the diet and potential side effects such as fatigue and gastrointestinal discomfort pose challenges. Current research is limited by a lack of large-scale, randomized controlled trials specifically targeting athletic populations.
In conclusion, KD demonstrates promise as an adjunctive therapy for depression in athletes. Its multifaceted effects on brain health and performance metrics underscore its potential role in sports psychiatry. Further research is necessary to optimize KD protocols and establish evidence-based guidelines for its clinical application in athletic populations.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e5f06878dcd14fca97d567ddf93f7639 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2450-3118 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Quality in Sport |
| spelling | doaj-art-e5f06878dcd14fca97d567ddf93f76392025-01-21T08:23:01ZengNicolaus Copernicus University in ToruńQuality in Sport2450-31182025-01-013710.12775/QS.2025.37.56615Ketogenic diet in psychiatry: application in treating depression among athletesPaulina Kumięga0https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1431-0231Zuzanna Kudas1https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6750-6886Nikola Perchel2https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6489-7480Aleksandra Litwin3https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3221-0085Karolina Krzywicka4https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3248-4674Paweł Nowocin5https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2018-6139Piotr Wasiński6https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3824-3618Natalia Dąbrowska7https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7170-0614Martyna Koszyk8https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9927-6020Dawid Kulczyński9https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3897-1507Medical University of WarsawMedical University of WarsawMedical University of WarsawMedical University of WarsawSPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital in Warsaw, Józefa Sierakowskiego 13, 03-709 Warszawa, PolandMedical University of WarsawMedical University of WarsawMedical University of WarsawUniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w WarszawieMedical University of Warsaw Depression is a prevalent mental health challenge, particularly in athletes, where the interplay of high-performance demands, physical stress, and injury exacerbates psychological vulnerabilities. Emerging evidence suggests that the ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate dietary intervention, holds therapeutic potential for managing depression. KD induces ketosis, a metabolic state that enhances brain energy metabolism, reduces neuroinflammation, and stabilizes neurotransmitter function, all of which are implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. This review synthesizes findings from recent clinical trials, meta-analyses, and case studies focusing on KD's neurological and psychological effects. The results indicate significant improvements in depressive symptoms, mood stabilization, and mental resilience among individuals adhering to KD. Moreover, KD’s modulation of the gut-brain axis introduces an additional pathway for improving mental health by fostering a diverse gut microbiome and reducing systemic inflammation. For athletes, KD offers dual benefits: alleviating depressive symptoms while supporting cognitive function and recovery. However, adherence to the diet and potential side effects such as fatigue and gastrointestinal discomfort pose challenges. Current research is limited by a lack of large-scale, randomized controlled trials specifically targeting athletic populations. In conclusion, KD demonstrates promise as an adjunctive therapy for depression in athletes. Its multifaceted effects on brain health and performance metrics underscore its potential role in sports psychiatry. Further research is necessary to optimize KD protocols and establish evidence-based guidelines for its clinical application in athletic populations. https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/56615depressionketogenic dietathletespsychiatrymental health |
| spellingShingle | Paulina Kumięga Zuzanna Kudas Nikola Perchel Aleksandra Litwin Karolina Krzywicka Paweł Nowocin Piotr Wasiński Natalia Dąbrowska Martyna Koszyk Dawid Kulczyński Ketogenic diet in psychiatry: application in treating depression among athletes Quality in Sport depression ketogenic diet athletes psychiatry mental health |
| title | Ketogenic diet in psychiatry: application in treating depression among athletes |
| title_full | Ketogenic diet in psychiatry: application in treating depression among athletes |
| title_fullStr | Ketogenic diet in psychiatry: application in treating depression among athletes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ketogenic diet in psychiatry: application in treating depression among athletes |
| title_short | Ketogenic diet in psychiatry: application in treating depression among athletes |
| title_sort | ketogenic diet in psychiatry application in treating depression among athletes |
| topic | depression ketogenic diet athletes psychiatry mental health |
| url | https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/56615 |
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