The Real Reason Jason Momoa Can't Go On The Keto Diet
Despite his love of red meat and physical fitness, actor Jason Momoa is not on the keto diet. The ketogenic diet, or the keto diet, is a high-fat, low-carb diet that is often used to help people lose weight (via Healthline). The goal of the diet is to cut back on carbs and replace them with protein and fat so your body can enter the metabolic state of ketosis and burn body fat more easily.
Momoa isn't trying to lose weight, however (via Men's Journal). According to Damien Viera, Momoa's personal trainer, the "Aquaman" star is more interested in bulking up and maintaining his lean and muscular physique. That's why it's crucial for him to eat a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fat in order to get the fuel and energy he needs to work out. "Carbs are a very important part of the nutrition used for fuel," Viera told Men's Journal. "Jason couldn't do something like a ketogenic diet, because he needs readily charged energy from carbs to be explosive."
Athletic performance is limited without energy from carbs
If you're performing high-intensity exercise on a regular basis, your body needs carbs in order to maintain your endurance, stamina, and athletic ability (via Insider). Without carbs, your performance will be fairly limited. After all, there's only so much your body can do when it's running on low energy. If you push yourself too hard without any carbs in your system, you could end up experiencing what is known as "exercise flu." This can cause your body to break down the protein in your muscles, resulting in muscle loss.
"If a person is eating unintentionally or intentionally low carb, at the end of a really high intensity workout, they can end up in a pretty nasty place where they just feel totally out of it, their body aches or their head hurts, and they just want to lay on the ground and not move for 20 minutes," nutrition coach Dr. Mike Molloy told Insider. That's why it's important not to completely deprive your body of carbs. This doesn't mean you need to start loading up on bread and pasta, however (via Men's Journal). Just like Momoa, you can get your fuel and energy from high-carb fruits and vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes (via WebMD).