An international survey was conducted among 183 people with McArdle’s disease in 18 countries, including France, to gather their experiences with the low-carbohydrate, high-fat ketogenic diet. The results show that :
- a third of participants have tried this diet,
- of these, almost 90% reported positive effects on McArdle’s disease symptoms (exertional intolerance, muscle pain and fatigue).
- side effects were rare and generally considered mild to moderate.
These results suggest that the ketogenic diet may be a promising nutritional strategy for patients with McArdle’s disease.
To investigate the efficacy of this diet, the authors conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study involving 15 people with the disease:
- participants were randomly assigned to either a low-sugar ketogenic diet (70-80% fat, 15% protein, 5-10% carbohydrates) or a placebo diet for three weeks, followed by a washout period and then three weeks on the opposite diet;
- the diet had no effect on participants’ heart rate during a constant-intensity cycling test, the primary endpoint of this study;
- maximum exercise capacity improved by 20%;
- metabolism improved, with a 60% increase in fat oxidation;
- participants reported a positive effect on their emotional and physical well-being.
