Carbohydrates, performance and weight loss Is low the way to go or the way to bonk?

Despite their popularity, meta-analyses demonstrate that low-carbohydrate diets are no more effective for weight loss than low-fat or balanced diets. Carbohydrates are essential for high-intensity exercise because the maximum rate of energy production is substantially higher for carbohydrates compared to fats. Low-carbohydrate diets reduce tolerance for very high-intensity exercise. Training under low-carbohydrate conditions may enhance skeletal muscle adaptations, but no study has shown that this type of training results in superior endurance performance. The fact that world's best marathoners consume relatively high carbohydrate diets is testament to the superiority of carbohydrates as a fuel for competitive endurance sports.