The effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletes

INTRODUCTION:Exogenous ketones potentially provide an alternative, energetically advantageous fuel to power exercising skeletal muscle. However, there is limited evidence regarding their relative contribution to energy expenditure during exercise. Furthermore, the effect of blood ketone concentratio...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dearlove, DJ, Harrison, OK, Hodson, L, Jefferson, A, Clarke, K, Cox, PJ
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 2020
_version_ 1797063242915250176
author Dearlove, DJ
Harrison, OK
Hodson, L
Jefferson, A
Clarke, K
Cox, PJ
author_facet Dearlove, DJ
Harrison, OK
Hodson, L
Jefferson, A
Clarke, K
Cox, PJ
author_sort Dearlove, DJ
collection OXFORD
description INTRODUCTION:Exogenous ketones potentially provide an alternative, energetically advantageous fuel to power exercising skeletal muscle. However, there is limited evidence regarding their relative contribution to energy expenditure during exercise. Furthermore, the effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates is unknown. METHODS:Six athletes completed cycling ergometer exercise on three occasions within a single-blind, random order controlled, crossover design study. Exercise duration was 60 min, consisting of 20 min intervals at 25%, 50% and 75% maximal power output (WMax). Participants consumed either: i) bitter flavoured water (control); ii) a low dose β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) ketone monoester ((KME); 252 mgkg BW, 'low ketosis'); or iii) a high dose βHB KME (752 mgkg BW, 'high ketosis'). The KME contained a C isotope label, allowing the determination of whole-body exogenous βHB oxidation rates through sampled respiratory gases. RESULTS:Despite an approximate doubling of blood βHB concentrations between low and high ketosis conditions (~2 mM versus ~4.4 mM), exogenous βHB oxidation rates were similar at rest and throughout exercise. The contribution of exogenous βHB oxidation to energy expenditure peaked during the 25% WMax exercise intensity but was relatively low (4.46 ± 2.71%). Delta efficiency during cycling exercise was significantly greater in the low ketosis (25.9 ± 2.1%) versus control condition (24.1 ± 1.9%; p=0.027). CONCLUSION:Regardless of exercise intensity, exogenous βHB oxidation contributes minimally to energy expenditure and is not increased by elevating circulating concentrations above ~2 mM. Despite low exogenous βHB oxidation rates, exercise efficiency was significantly improved when blood βHB concentration was raised to ~2 mM.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T20:57:02Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:399a7d32-d1e5-41c3-af3a-a385da17a933
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T20:57:02Z
publishDate 2020
publisher Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:399a7d32-d1e5-41c3-af3a-a385da17a9332022-03-26T13:56:36ZThe effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletesJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:399a7d32-d1e5-41c3-af3a-a385da17a933EnglishSymplectic ElementsLippincott, Williams & Wilkins2020Dearlove, DJHarrison, OKHodson, LJefferson, AClarke, KCox, PJINTRODUCTION:Exogenous ketones potentially provide an alternative, energetically advantageous fuel to power exercising skeletal muscle. However, there is limited evidence regarding their relative contribution to energy expenditure during exercise. Furthermore, the effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates is unknown. METHODS:Six athletes completed cycling ergometer exercise on three occasions within a single-blind, random order controlled, crossover design study. Exercise duration was 60 min, consisting of 20 min intervals at 25%, 50% and 75% maximal power output (WMax). Participants consumed either: i) bitter flavoured water (control); ii) a low dose β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) ketone monoester ((KME); 252 mgkg BW, 'low ketosis'); or iii) a high dose βHB KME (752 mgkg BW, 'high ketosis'). The KME contained a C isotope label, allowing the determination of whole-body exogenous βHB oxidation rates through sampled respiratory gases. RESULTS:Despite an approximate doubling of blood βHB concentrations between low and high ketosis conditions (~2 mM versus ~4.4 mM), exogenous βHB oxidation rates were similar at rest and throughout exercise. The contribution of exogenous βHB oxidation to energy expenditure peaked during the 25% WMax exercise intensity but was relatively low (4.46 ± 2.71%). Delta efficiency during cycling exercise was significantly greater in the low ketosis (25.9 ± 2.1%) versus control condition (24.1 ± 1.9%; p=0.027). CONCLUSION:Regardless of exercise intensity, exogenous βHB oxidation contributes minimally to energy expenditure and is not increased by elevating circulating concentrations above ~2 mM. Despite low exogenous βHB oxidation rates, exercise efficiency was significantly improved when blood βHB concentration was raised to ~2 mM.
spellingShingle Dearlove, DJ
Harrison, OK
Hodson, L
Jefferson, A
Clarke, K
Cox, PJ
The effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletes
title The effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletes
title_full The effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletes
title_fullStr The effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletes
title_full_unstemmed The effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletes
title_short The effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletes
title_sort effect of blood ketone concentration and exercise intensity on exogenous ketone oxidation rates in athletes
work_keys_str_mv AT dearlovedj theeffectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT harrisonok theeffectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT hodsonl theeffectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT jeffersona theeffectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT clarkek theeffectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT coxpj theeffectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT dearlovedj effectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT harrisonok effectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT hodsonl effectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT jeffersona effectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT clarkek effectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes
AT coxpj effectofbloodketoneconcentrationandexerciseintensityonexogenousketoneoxidationratesinathletes