By: Trent Rincon, PT, MPT, CSCS, FRAS, FRCms

Ketones naturally occur in our bodies for fuel when our carbohydrate stores are empty. Carbs are fast-burning energy sources, so, when they are gone, our bodies turn to fat. Fat converts to ketones- which can cross the blood-brain barrier. They fuel the body and the brain.

Ketone do not use as much energy to process as carbs or fats to produce power. They are efficient while being sustainable. When you fuel with caffeine or sugar for energy during exercise, you will get a quick rise and a quick crash. However, ketones rise slowly- almost in an undetected way unless you’ve taken them over a longer period of time. But they sustain you without jittery-ness or a crash.

Utilizing a ketone supplement allows you to utilize the fuel source without stripping down your carbohydrate and fat stores. You can take them in conjunction with a keto diet and maintaining ketosis, but, you can directly add in ketones into any diet and benefit from them. Recent studies have suggested up to a performance boost of 15%. (Most high-level athletes are looking for around 3-5%).

Benefits of Ketones:

Per HVMN, a supplement brand that has created a ketone supplement, ketones can help you achieve:

  • Sustained energy,
  • Mental clarity,
  • Improved endurance and recovery,
  • Weight management,
  • Metabolic health, and
  • Longevity.

Trent’s Experience:

I recently competed in a 6 hour mountain bike race. Every athlete, in some fashion or another, should have a nutrition plan in training and in competition.

If you’re going to train and workout for 2 hours- and not supplement with anything other than water and pre-workout- the caffeine alone will not mitigate a drop in performance markers. Fatigue will certainly increase, and performance will go down. Athletes experience extreme soreness because of this, which limits their ability to work as hard as they want in their next workout.

My goal, during my race, was to ingest 80 grams of carbohydrates every hour. Mixed in with this were ketones. I ingested this combination every 3 hours throughout my race.

The race occurred after a day of work where I have 100% engagement with other people through treating and meetings. After an entire day of being fully present, I had to be still 100% present for this long race that occurred in the heat of an Arizona summer. Because the race was at night, I wanted to avoid caffeine so I could sleep and recover well.

I rode 3 different times for 10+ mile laps. The first lap felt fine, but, by my second lap, I felt physically fatigued. The third lap was especially hard on my body. But, my mental engagement was the exact same with each lap. I noticed I felt really good. I wasn’t losing the ability to concentrate and focus even though my legs were on fire and I was physically tired. I never had to mentally dig deep down and grit and grind to keep going. I could stay on task and make clear decisions. Because I didn’t have nearly as much mental fatigue, I followed my and my team’s game plan and could react as needed.

This was especially important for my race because I was biking on a trail at night. I never lost concentration or felt like I was losing my ability to keep my bike on the trail.

I used ketones throughout my training and my race, and they aided in my performance overall.

Supplementing Ketones:

You can measure your body’s current level of ketones through a blood, breath, or urine test. This allows you to get a picture of where you are at and, if you want to add in a supplement, see how much you should add in. You can see where you are at and what you need. The supplement level that is appropriate for you may not be the same as the person you see on your running trail every morning or at the gym every night.

If you are preparing or recovering from a race, schedule an appointment with a Spooner physical therapist so we can help you move, feel, and perform your best!