Ketones for athletes - endurance, efficiency and energy ⚡️
The physiology of ketone supplements.
The science of ketogenic supplements for athletes: boosting endurance, efficiency, and energy metabolism
Study Details
This new review analysed the available data on ketone supplements for athletes 🔍
Covering three primary areas…
🫀 Physiological Effects
⚙️ Mechanism
🔬 Evidence Type
Here are the 9 key ways ketones may support athletes ⬇️
Key Findings
ENHANCED MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION & BIOGENESIS 🧬
⚙️ HDAC inhibition and SIRT1 activation upregulate mitochondrial gene expression
🔬 Animal and cellular studies with emerging human evidence
INCREASED FAT & KETONE OXIDATION 🔥
⚙️ Upregulation of fat-oxidation enzymes with longer-term ketone exposure
🔬 Exercise metabolism trials with metabolic adaptation
REDUCED CARBOHYDRATE DEPENDENCE 🍞⬇️
⚙️ Shift in substrate preference away from glucose toward ketones
🔬 Endurance athlete studies and crossover trials
IMPROVED RECOVERY VIA ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS 🛡️
⚙️ Increased endogenous antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase) mediated by β-hydroxybutyrate
🔬 Human trials supported by biochemical markers
REDUCED INFLAMMATION & DOMS (NLRP3 INHIBITION) 🧯
⚙️ Reduced IL-1β and IL-18 via inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome
🔬 Preclinical research with inflammation biomarker outcomes
IMPROVED CENTRAL FATIGUE RESISTANCE 🧠
⚙️ Attenuation of cognitive performance decline during intermittent exercise
🔬 Human simulated sport and cognitive performance trials
REDUCED MUSCLE PROTEIN BREAKDOWN 💪⬇️
⚙️ Suppression of proteasome activity and ubiquitin ligases via β-hydroxybutyrate
🔬 Mechanistic investigations of muscle protein turnover
INCREASED MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS 📈
⚙️ Reduced AMPK signalling leading to increased mTOR activity and protein synthesis
🔬 Signalling pathway investigations involving AMPK–mTOR
IMPROVED ENDURANCE DURING PROLONGED EFFORTS 🏃♂️
⚙️ Sustained metabolic adaptation with consistent supplementation
🔬 Longitudinal observations in trained athletes
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41392283/
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