So, is there a benefit?
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Soudal Quick-Step is among the teams to use ketones. Tim de Waele\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the politics, which we suspect will run and run. But what of the studies into ketones and cycling performance? <\/p>\n
What is the general consensus from those? That\u2019s where we turn to Sebastian Sitko, a sport scientist and lecturer at the University of Zaragoza in Spain.<\/p>\n
In 2024, the journal Physiologia published Sitko\u2019s work, \u2018The role of exogenous ketones in road cycling: evidence, mechanisms and performance claims\u2019. Within, his meta-analysis took a deep dive into the published literature.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe potential benefits of ketone body supplementation in endurance sports like cycling are multifaceted, spanning metabolic, physiological and cognitive domains,\u201d he concluded in his paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, despite the growing interest in ketone supplementation, the current science applied to the practical field is limited by inconsistent findings, individual variability and a lack of long-term data.\u201d<\/p>\n
In short, there\u2019s an uncertainty around their benefits. But that doesn\u2019t mean they don\u2019t work. As Sitko highlights, it\u2019s an individual thing and, like most facets of training and nutrition, comes down to whether someone is a \u2018responder\u2019 or \u2018non-responder\u2019.<\/p>\n
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Visma-Lease a Bike has a partnership with ketone supplier Ketone-IQ. Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cEvidence for its use points to a mix of phenotype [observable characteristics of when nature meets nurture] and current metabolic state,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
\u201cA rider\u2019s baseline metabolic health (insulin sensitivity, level of fat), recent diet (carbohydrate availability, keto- adaptation), gut absorption, gender and training status all matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe delivered BHB exposure (not just the dose) is a big determinant of response,\u201d he adds. BHB is beta-hydroxybutyrate, a type of ketone. Its vessel tends to be either an ester or salt, with the evidence stronger for ester use because ketone content tends to be higher.<\/p>\n
\u201cGenetics likely plays a role, but robust genotype response links in athletes are still lacking,\u201d says Sitko. \u201cIn short, who you are (metabolic phenotype) and what state you\u2019re in (glycogen-heavy, fasted, recent training) are the main practical predictors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mechanisms of improvement<\/p>\n
If you respond, what does that mean? Potentially riding longer and stronger, fighting fatigue and delivering high-intensity moments when needed. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe most plausible mechanism why is due to sparing glycogen,\u201d says Sitko. \u201cKetone bodies can be oxidised efficiently by the working muscle and theoretically reduce reliance on carbohydrate, which could preserve muscle glycogen during very long efforts or in low-glycogen states.\u201d<\/p>\n
That physiological promise has clear mechanistic rationale, says Sitko, but enjoying consistent race benefits has proven tricky because cycling performance is the product of numerous interacting systems. <\/p>\n
For instance, fuel availability, neuromuscular function, pacing, thermoregulation and gut tolerance to ketones.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also an argument that ketones raise blood acidity, which is exactly what you don\u2019t want when exercising hard. \u201cThe major problem is that small metabolic gains often disappear when translated into whole-race conditions,\u201d Sitko continues. <\/p>\n
\u201cLaboratory protocols, participant feeding state, ketone dose and how it\u2019s delivered, and whether carbohydrate is co-ingested all change the metabolic context, so the same ketone drink can produce different outcomes across studies and athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n
In essence, like any mooted performance-enhancer, while it might give a physiological boost in the controlled setting of a laboratory, which can be measured easily, the same can\u2019t always be said once it\u2019s in the dynamic amphitheatre of racing. And if it does, there are too many variables to pinpoint ketones as the game-changer.<\/p>\n
After researching this area over several years, we\u2019d presumed that the time it took the UCI to make a statement came down to delays while it pored over recent studies that show a rise in circulating erythropoietin (EPO) in the body.<\/p>\n
EPO is a hormone that naturally produces red blood cells but, as Lance and co showed, can also be taken exogenously (primarily by injection) to raise levels artificially.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s why, under section S2.1 of WADA\u2019s Prohibited List, entitled, \u2018Erythropoietins and agents affecting erythropoiesis\u2019, EPO and other drugs that elevate levels of EPO are banned. Then again, not every method of boosting red blood cells is outlawed. Altitude training, for instance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t solid evidence that these temporary EPO rises translate into sustained increases in red-cell mass or haematocrit (which would require repeated exposure and time for erythropoiesis),\u201d says Sitko. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn short, EPO signalling equals possible stimulus, but increased red blood cell mass and measurable performance gain is not established in humans with current data. That makes any anti-doping or performance claims premature.\u201d <\/p>\n
Will the UCI\u2019s press release sound the death knell for ketone use in professional and recreational cycling? It\u2019s doubtful, especially when recent research suggests its benefits stretch beyond the (still debated) physical.<\/p>\n
Can ketones slow brain ageing?
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Ketones may help slow cognitive decline in ageing cyclists \u2013 if taken at the right time. Getty Images<\/p>\n
As Sitko mentioned earlier, studies show that ketones potentially have an\u00a0impact on \u201ccognitive domains\u201d. Again, the evidence isn\u2019t conclusive, but it is compelling, especially for those who are approaching their mid-40s.<\/p>\n
According to research in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, our \u201cbrain-network stability\u201d doesn\u2019t follow a linear path of decline. <\/p>\n
Instead, it\u2019s non-linear with distinct landmarks of acceleration and plateauing, with the human brain ageing much faster from the age of 44 before levelling off at 67.<\/p>\n
The researchers hypothesised that neuronal metabolic stress, such as increased insulin resistance and impaired glucose uptake, leads to a nudge in age-related cognitive decline. <\/p>\n
Or it would without drinking a bottle or two of ketones, for they discovered that administering this \u2018super- fuel\u2019 delivered an extra energy source that sidestepped the issues caused by this metabolic stress to protect the brain from deterioration.<\/p>\n
They warned that the intervention would only prove effective before the neurons fall off a cliff \u2013 in other words, start in your mid-40s \u2013 and stressed that further research was needed to confirm or disprove the mechanisms at play. <\/p>\n
That said, it\u2019s the latest study of many that suggests ketones could be a cognitive lifesaver because of their ability to deliver energy when the insulin system\u2019s struggling.<\/p>\n
Because the brain makes up 20% of your daily energy needs each day, the mechanism adds up.<\/p>\n
Where does that leave us? Arguably, where we were before the UCI\u2019s press release \u2013 in ergogenic limbo. Research shows that performance and recovery can benefit from ketones. It also shows that performance and recovery aren\u2019t impacted by ketones.<\/p>\n
As ever, it\u2019s an individual thing whether it works \u2013 or you believe it works (placebo is a feature in itself).<\/p>\n