Transcription
One of the first things you learn as a runner is that carbohydrates are the primary fuel if you want to run fast. But there's a problem with carbs. Your body can't store that many. That's why hitting the wall or bonking is such a big issue in the marathon. Once you run out of carbs, your ability to produce energy drops dramatically, and you have to slow down because protein and fat stores are just not as effective.
But what if there were a fourth source of energy that could prevent you from hitting the wall altogether? The truth is, there is. It's called ketones. So let's talk about it. Now, I'm Nicholas, I'm an elite performance specialist, physiotherapist, and former pro triathlete. You've probably already heard about ketones thanks to the popularity of Keto, also known as the ketogenic diet. And according to popular influences, following a ketogenic diet will not only help you take advantage of ketones, it will also help you lose fat and give you the ability to fly.
But in this video, we're not going to discuss the ketogenic diet because if you want to run faster for longer, then it's just not a great strategy for most people, and I'll show you why later in this video. Instead, I want to answer the question: Will ketones make you run faster for longer? So, in this video, I'm going to show you what ketones are, what the research says on whether they can actually improve running performance, discuss the potential side effects, and more importantly, give you my take on how to best implement ketones in your training.
So, what is ketones? To really understand, I want you to think about your body as a smartphone that you use every single day. Usually, you would keep your phone charged with a normal power source, like a power outlet. So look at this power like when you eat your regular meals, like pasta and bread and rice, and anything that gives you energy in the form of glucose. You see, glucose is like the main power your body uses to keep everything working, just like your phone uses energy to make calls, run your apps, and all the other stuff.
But what happens if you can't charge your phone because you're out and about all day? Then your phone switches to battery saver mode to stretch out the energy that it has left to work for as long as possible. It might even turn off some background apps to make sure that it uses less energy to stay alive for longer. Just like your phone switches to battery saver mode, when your body doesn't have enough glucose, because maybe you didn't eat enough or you are on a low carb diet, then it has to find a way to keep going. That's when it switches to using fat as a primary source of energy. And when your body breaks down fat, it produces something called ketones, which is this special type of power source. Just like when your phone goes into battery saver mode to keep functioning, these ketones are your body's way of making sure that you still have enough energy to do whatever you need to do, even without the usual energy from glucose. Think of it like your body's clever way of making sure that you have energy on until you can recharge again.
Now, ketones play a big role in two situations: when you're fasting and when you're on a low carb diet. After some time, your body switches over to something called ketosis, which is like your phone relying solely on this battery saver mode. In this state, your body becomes extremely good at using ketones for energy, especially during exercise. It's like if your phone got better at reserving energy and could keep going for even longer. For some ultra-marathoners, this is a big deal. They've started to use this battery saver mode by following a ketogenic diet to try to run faster for longer. The idea is that by relying more on fat and ketones, they don't need as many carbs to keep going, kind of like making sure that your phone can last a full day without getting a recharge.
But here's the catch: following a ketogenic diet is extremely hard and not ideal, especially for endurance. In fact, a study from 2015 in the Australian Institute for Sport showed that low carb diets have repeatedly been shown to impair performance because your body downregulates its use of carbs during exercise. It's like trying to use your phone for heavy tasks when it's in battery saver mode. It might work, but it's just not as smooth. So your body gets less efficient at using carbs, which will slow you down when you need to go hard. So while being in ketosis can be great in some situations, for top performance, it's just not the best.
But what if there were a way to get the benefits of ketones without being on a ketogenic diet? What if we could get the best from both worlds? That is where what's called exogenous ketones comes in. Imagine you're running a race and you have two types of energy drinks. One is your regular sports drink, full of sugar, that will give you a quick boost of energy. The other drink has exogenous ketones, which are this backup power that we just discussed, but as a supplement. Scientists have been curious to see if we supplement it with these exogenous ketones, could it help you run further and faster without changing your diet and keeping the benefit from carbs, like we just discussed?
Your body doesn't normally produce ketones if it's not in ketosis, but it could maybe use it if it got it from somewhere else. In a study from 2016, researchers actually found that when athletes were given ketones, they got better at using them for energy. This helped them save the carbs or glucose in the bloodstream so that they did not tire as quickly. It's like having an extra battery pack that kicks in when the main battery gets low. And not only did the Ketone drink help them save energy, it also made them faster. In one test, cyclists who had ketones were able to go further and faster than those in the control group who only got a regular sports drink. Plus, after the races, the people who got the ketones recovered better. Their muscles seemed to heal faster, which is extremely important if you are training a lot and you want to keep improving.
So, in theory at least, taking exogenous ketones could help us run faster, recover better, and maybe even help us push through hard workouts. But it's still relatively new, and scientists are still just discovering how well it works and if it's really worth it to add to our daily routine.
So what should we do then? The ketogenic diet was something that once held a ton of promise, especially for runners, but in the real world, it's just not a great strategy for most people. But now, with exogenous ketones, it looks like we can actually get all the benefits from ketones without having to change our diet, and even if we're just regular runners. So we might be able to take advantage of all the performance-enhancing effects without all the downsides, if we do it right. Even though you will get the most benefits if you run marathons or ultramarathons, studies have shown exogenous ketones to have an effect all the way down to 800-meter events.
But before we discuss what type of ketones and when to take it, we need to talk about side effects. Let me give you a word of caution: if you're thinking about taking exogenous ketones, always talk to your doctor first. Taking Ketone supplements can cause extreme stomach upset in some people, and for some people, it can also lead to electrolyte imbalances, and that is not good. Always remember that whenever you want to try a new supplement, talk to your doctor first. Don't just listen to some random guy on the internet. Also, always keep yourself updated on the anti-doping laws. They are updated all the time and may or may not include ketones in the future.
Now, with that said, what kind of ketones should we take and when if we want to optimize for performance? The research has consistently shown that using what's called Ketone Esters is better than what's called Ketone Salts for optimizing performance. If you're in doubt, check out the label. In terms of when to take ketones, the studies usually have participants take them about a half hour before the exercise, alongside some water or some sports drink. If you're racing marathons or even half marathons, studies suggest that you can actually take them during your race, and that will help you save energy. Research also shows that you can take them immediately after exercise, and that can help you recover faster, especially during hard training periods. Always make sure to test it out in training way before your race.
But to put it simply, you can take exogenous ketones whenever you want if it aligns with your goal, whether that's performance or recovery. And for a step-by-step process on how to reach those goals, I will show you exactly how to run faster without getting tired in this video right here.
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