Exogenous ketones

Ever heard of the “ketone drink”? Some Tour de France teams use this new in-drink to boost their athletes’ performance. These “exogenous ketones” are moving more and more into the spotlight, and not only in cycling: they promise easier ketosis without changing your diet, and the ultimate sporting kick among competitive athletes.

But what exactly are exogenous ketones? What do they do, and who should use them and when? In this article you will find out more.

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which the ketone values in the blood are raised above the normal value. Three ketone bodies are formed in the body: beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone. While the last of these is breathed out in the air we exhale, the other two are used as a source of energy. They lead to a real boost of energy and can improve health and wellbeing in many respects.

In contrast to the so-called endogenous ketones produced by the body itself, exogenous ketones have to be actively taken in.

Put simply: exogenous ketones have to be bought and drunk or eaten, endogenous ketones are made by the body itself.

Exogenous ketones come in various forms: ketone salts and ketone esters.

They differ not only in name but also in their composition. Ketone salts in powder form, for example, are mostly found as a combination of beta-hydroxybutyrate and magnesium, calcium or other minerals. Ketone esters are liquids in which ketones are coupled to a carrier substance through a special bond (an ester). Above all they are notable for a horrible taste (like the finest solvent or petrol), but they do have a somewhat longer half-life (they can keep the ketone values in the body up for longer).

Exogenous ketones no longer have to be converted in the body. They raise the ketone content of the blood directly and are available to the body as a super fuel without conversion.

Their effect is basically similar to that of endogenous ketones, and they are used to deepen an existing ketosis, to avoid dropping out of ketosis when a keto diet is followed a little carelessly, to escape the “keto flu” or to push sporting performance.

To be able to answer this question, you have to look a little at the underlying goal of taking them.

If you want to put your body into ketosis in order to experience the many benefits (increased concentration, better skin,…), our current view at Foodpunk is: no, that is not necessary. Our ketogenic recipes and dishes in the ketogenic nutrition programme are designed with 30 grams of carbohydrates per day so that you get into ketosis in a completely natural way. The goal is reached through the food you eat alone, and you do not necessarily have to support that with exogenous ketones. An initial keto flu can also be brought under control yourself with small home remedies such as salt water or coffee.

If the goal is to have ketone bodies in the blood even though you eat a carbohydrate heavy diet, you do not get to enjoy all the benefits of a food induced ketosis. Blood sugar swings, inflammatory reactions and blocked weight loss are all still there despite raised ketone values in the blood. So ketone products would be able to produce all the positive effects mainly in addition to a reduced carbohydrate diet. In that case they can deepen a ketosis or counteract initial side effects (keto flu) a little.

In the treatment of illnesses, exogenous ketones represent a promising approach. Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, for example, could in future be treated through supplementation. Animal studies on this are already under way and offer hope for use in humans. Until that point, though, reliable results on safety and effectiveness still have to be awaited.

In competitive sport, positive reports about the use of exogenous ketones are mounting up: improved performance and recovery are attributed to them. Since there are as yet no long term studies and results on this, however, it remains to be seen to what extent they will establish themselves as a supplement in this area in future. Because of the lack of this long term data, some voices in sport still advise against using them at present.

Whether or not they should already be used in individual cases has to be decided individually. The potential, which looks large, will certainly gain even more popularity and attention in the near future, of that we are convinced.

It should also be mentioned that a ketosis produced by exogenous ketones would require them to be taken very frequently. First analyses suggest that a dose would have to be swallowed every 3 hours. As a consequence, these high amounts could also lead to an increased intake of minerals that can lie well above the recommended daily requirement.

We are keeping our eyes and ears open for you and will report on further developments in all areas.

You will not yet find exogenous ketones at the nearest supermarket or the nearest chemist. In German speaking countries they are somewhat harder to get hold of. You can find them in selected sports shops or online. The products are currently quite expensive, which with regular intake can easily add up to a three-figure sum per month.

MCTs, medium-chain triglycerides, such as caprylic acid (C8), are not ketones.

These medium-chain fatty acids can be absorbed faster and metabolised faster than long-chain fatty acids. This means MCTs can be converted into ketones more easily than their longer colleagues.

To the point: MCTs are not ketones, but in the body they can lead to increased ketone production.

The body, and above all the liver, begins to produce endogenous ketones for energy when less glucose from carbohydrates is available and therefore more fat has to be used to supply energy.

That happens when you eat in a ketogenic way, that is, when you take in few carbohydrates and more fat instead. The body then has to go without its favourite source of energy, glucose, and on the one hand use more of the fats it takes in, and on the other draw more fat from the small, unloved stores that all of us would like to be rid of.

In our nutrition programme we create individual plans that can, among other things, be designed to be ketogenic. That way you reach the state of ketosis with the help of healthy, varied dishes that are calculated exactly so that the desired goals are reached. You do not have to track any macronutrients yourself, the programme takes care of all the calculations automatically. Our experts from nutritional science support customers with plenty of experience and knowledge from the field of ketogenic nutrition.

If all this still seems a little new to you, you can also read up with our article “Everything about the ketogenic diet”. There you will find, among other things, more about the benefits of this way of eating and a 3 day plan for getting into ketosis quickly.