Natural killer cell subset count and antigen‐stimulated activation in response to exhaustive running following adaptation to a ketogenic diet

Abstract

Abstract We investigated the effect of a 31‐day ketogenic diet (KD) compared with a habitual, carbohydrate (CHO)‐based diet on total circulating natural killer (NK) CD3−CD56+, dim and bright subset count, and antigen‐stimulated CD3−CD56+ cell activation (CD69+) in response to exhaustive running. In a randomised, repeated‐measures, cross‐over study, eight trained, male endurance athletes ingested a 31‐day low‐CHO KD or their habitual diet (HD). On day 31, participants ran to exhaustion at 70% V̇O2max (∼3.5–4 h, ∼45–50 km). A low‐CHO ( 0.05). In conclusion, adaptation to a KD may alter the number of circulating NK cells but not their ability to activate to an antigenic challenge.

Keywords

• CD56
• CD69
• endurance
• exercise
• flow cytometry
• ketosis