drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
This is the latest human study for the metabolism of exogenous ketone salts(KS) and ketone Ester(KE) and their affect on blood ketone levels. 15 subjects ingested either 12g of BHB from the KE or 24g of BHB from the KS, both with and without food. The KE elevated BHB levels on average of 2.8mM vs the KS being 1.0mM, both in nutritional ketosis. Interestingly, if taken with food, BHB levels decreased by 33% vs without food. The KS are usually 50/50 D-BHB and L-BHB, while the KE is 99% D, and this study showed that the L-BHB has a much longer half-life, with L-BHB levels still being elevated after 8hr vs 4hr for the D version. Both the KE and KS had similar effects on blood glucose levels, lowering them even when taken with food but not lowering insulin levels. This means there must be another pathway by which ketones can lower blood glucose. It's still unclear as to if supplementing with exogenous ketones can mimic being in a state of ketosis, but there are health and performance benefits from taking them. There are a few new KE supplements(they taste like shit) and they are very, very expensive compared to the salts. HVMN is $100 for 3 67mL bottles containing 25g of KE. I do believe exogenous ketones have a positive effect on cognitive function and performance, but work much better if you're following a ketogenic diet.
