Ketosis - Supplement or Not to Supplement
Set up: Two friends grabbing lunch
Jesse: Hey, you are eating a Bunless burger. You avoiding carbs?
Erika: Girl, I’m trying to enter ketosis. It’s been about 3 days now. I’ve been feeling wicked.
Jesse: How so?
Erika: I’m tired, sluggish, have a headache and experiencing flu like symptoms.
Jesse: Why don’t you stop going through all this and enjoy some sugar?
Erika: Nah, it’s part of the process. The body is adapting to using fat as its primary energy source. All the nags I mentioned are normal. Once the body fully embraces ketosis then, it will use my chichos as fuel and help me degrease. Today, I feel much better and I’m not really carving sugar. You should join me.
Jesse: Give up my sugar. Ohh Nah, you bugging. I’m comfortable the way I am. A man is going to have to take me as I am. If I start to swell up like a pimple, then I’ll reconsider and find a cheat code to do the weight loss thing. But I’m not going to starve myself to get slim.
Erika: Tchipe (sucking her teeth). You got it all twisted. I’m eating plenty. Don’t You worry. I’ll be full of Zest once I’m in ketosis. Did you know you get more energy from fats than carbohydrates (CHO). For 1 gram of fat, you get 9 calories while 1 gram of CHO yields 4 calories.
Jesse: Where’s are your sources at? You’re studious!
Erika: I pulled up on Prof. Nutellio. He was giving me dimes because I started looking into this lifestyle after a colleague at the gym was putting me on. I needed some confirmation to ensure old girl’s claims were legit.
Jesse: Alright. What Nutellio saying and did he give you a handout or samething??
Erika: Say no more. Peeps this email and hear me out.
Intro: You might be on a low-carb diet or in ketosis to lose the extra fat around your tummy, waist, or other trouble spots. It has been two months since the launch, and some changes have occurred. In spite of everything moving along smoothly, sometimes you want some sweets, so you binge on them. Then you regret it and work your way back into ketosis, which can take a few days to weeks. Several scientific studies have suggested that athletes can use fat as fuel by orally administering ketones. Some people want to enjoy their carbohydrates during endurance training and still be at their peak. However, there are some concerns about ketone supplements; their safety, efficacy, and scientific validity remain in question. Let's see what the verdict is at the moment.
Background:
Ketone this, ketone that. They are terrible because blah blah blah. They are effective because they do this, that and the third.
Ketones became a phenomenon when the Classical Ketogenic Diet was developed at the Mayo Clinic in 1921 to treat patients with diabetes mellitus. Epilepsy patients also responded well to these molecules. Ketogenic diets are antiepileptic.
The Science:
Normally, the brain burns sugar for fuel. Ketones are used as a source of energy when sugar (glucose) is not sufficient. Fasting, starvation, or following a ketogenic diet can cause this. The body breaks down and converts medium chains (6 to 10 carbon chains) and long chains (12 to 20 carbon chains) into smaller components, such as ketones, that can generate energy. Think of these chains as a row of mountains connected to one another from ground level to ground level.
The Journey to making Ketones
1. Enhances blood levels of free fatty acids (FFAs)
2. As FFA enters the liver, it is paired with an acetyl-CoA so that FA COA is formed, which initiates the breakdown of long-chain fats.
3. FA CoA undergoes a series of reactions to become Beta-hydroxybutyrate (a ketone), which is transported back into the bloodstream and reaches the organ needing energy.
4. Ketones convert back into acetyl-CoA which enters the Kreb Cycle to create ATP. (Consider a Ferris wheel. Each cabin requires specific ingredients and reactions to generate energy.)
This process has been simplified (as a sidebar). Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetone, and acetoactate (ACAC) belong to the ketone family.
Fun fact:
After a long time in ketosis, a person may experience an unusual taste or scent. It can be described as fruity or as something similar to nail polish remover, which typically contains acetone and acetate.
Ketones are primarily manufactured by the liver. Brain and spinal cord glial cells also produce ketones. The brain, kidneys, and liver are the primary organs that utilize ketones.
The Problem:
There are those who are interested in ketosis to trim down, while there are others who are more interested in using fat as an energy source for endurance training. A moderate ketogenic diet may also be followed by those who would like to enjoy a small amount of sweets every once in a while. Ketosis takes time and the level of Beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration varies from person to person based on:
· Aerobic fitness and physical activity level
· Age
· Body mass and composition
· Caloric intake
· Genetic variability
· Height
· Individual metabolic
· Sex
An Alternative:
You can find fat substate products in dietary supplement stores to help initiate ketosis. Researchers have made significant progress in understanding ketone supplements' functions and potential benefits in recent years. Scientists have investigated the similarities and differences between keto diets and orally administered ketones. Both approaches are currently grouped under one umbrella. It is not appropriate to do this, since more research is necessary to determine if oral delivery is safe, efficient, and a viable option. Here's what science has to say!
Close Out: According to the available information, more research is needed. Ketone supplements have a few benefits and drawbacks. There is indeed a gray zone. As part of Let My Script Parley, Professor Nutellio will analyze the differences between oral and diet-infused ketones. I look forward to seeing you next time! Stay Strong & Stay Vivid!
References:
1. Margolis. L.M. (2020). Utility of Ketone Supplementation to Enhance Physical Performance: A Systematic Review. American Society for Nutrition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7442417/.
2. Poff. A.M, Koutnik. A.P., & Egan. B. (July 2020). Nutritional Ketosis with Ketogenic Diets or Exogenous Ketones: Features, Convergence, and Divergence. American College of Sports Medicine. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2020/07000/nutritional_ketosis_with_ketogenic_diets_or.4.aspx
3. Valenzuela. P.L., Castillo-Garcia. A., Morales. J.S., & Lucia. A. (2021). Perspective: Ketone Supplementation in Sports – Does It Work? American Society for Nutrition. https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/12/2/305/5936045.
