A Pre-Workout Supplement of Ketone Salts, Caffeine, and Amino Acids Improves High-Intensity Exercise Performance in Keto-Naïve and Keto-Adapted Individuals

Twenty-four recreationally active adults, 12 habitually eating a mixed diet (keto-naive) and 12 on a ketogenic diet (keto-adapted), took part in a randomized, balanced comparison of a pre-workout supplement versus water. The supplement contained about 7 g BHB salts (72 percent R-BHB and 28 percent S-BHB) with about 100 mg caffeine and amino acids (leucine and taurine), taken 15 minutes before a cycle time to exhaustion test and a 30-second Wingate test. Compared with water, the supplement increased time to exhaustion by 8.3 percent in keto-naive and 9.8 percent in keto-adapted subjects (P < 0.001). Wingate power output did not differ between trials.