Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

Should young athletes do Keto?

26 May 2026 · 1 min

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In this short video, the speaker answers the question of whether high school athletes should follow a ketogenic diet. The concise answer is no: athletes need carbohydrates as their primary fuel source. While acknowledging individual differences and special cases such as type 1 diabetes, the speaker cautions against a full keto regimen for most young athletes. He explains that muscles store energy in “fuel tanks” that are filled by carbs, and emphasizes that not all carbs are equal—complex carbohydrates are the preferred choice to maximize performance. The overall recommendation is to prioritize quality carbs rather than skimp on them, with the expectation that performance will improve dramatically when the right carbs are consumed.

Chapters

Should high school athletes be doing keto? Short answer is no. Every, every athlete's going to be different. If you're type 1 diabetic or something like that, might even be different. I wouldn't even recommend full keto for that. But carbohydrates are fuel. Not all carbs are made equally. There's better carbs and there's kind of worse carbs, but carbohydrates are fuel, and you need fuel to function as an athlete. Our muscles have what I like to call energy fuel tanks, And carbohydrates are the gas that fill those tanks. So no, don't skimp out on carbohydrates. Figure out the complex carbohydrates, get the right kinds, and watch your performance go through the roof.