Low-carb ketogenic diet and McArdle’s disease: results of an international survey

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 placeboLe placebo est un produit dont la présentation est identique à celle d’un médicament, mais qui ne contient pas de principe actif. Dans un essai clinique, un placebo est utilisé pour mesurer l’action réelle du médicament testé, en comparant les effets du médicament testé contenant le principe actif et ceux du 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.

Patient-Reported Experiences with a Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet: An International Survey in Patients with McArdle Disease. Løkken N, Voermans NC, Andersen LK et al. Nutrients. 2023 Feb 7;15(4):843.

 

Can a modified ketogenic diet be a nutritional strategy for patients with McArdle disease? Results from a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. N Løkken , MR Nielsen, MG Stemmerik, et al. Clin Nutr . 2023 Sep 20;42(11):2124-2137.