Do Ketones Actually Burn Fat? How to Use Drinkable Ketones, Keto Diet vs. Ketones & More!

The speaker explained that professional cycling team Visma‑Lease a Bike uses ketone IQ for recovery, but for performance they recommend this specific timing. The small calorie load is insufficient on its own, but it activates metabolic pathways that make carbohydrate fuel more effective. The 90‑minute top‑up aligns with the typical depletion curve when exercising. This protocol was described as the exact recommendation they give to athletes.

The speaker highlighted that Visma‑Lease a Bike, a Tour de France team, uses ketone IQ primarily for recovery—after the race and before bed—because of the compounding benefits. A study from KU Leuven with Hespel’s group showed improved biomarkers of angiogenesis and EPO with ketone IQ. The sleep normalization study added mechanistic support for evening dosing. Ben connected this to his own travel‑induced evening workouts, and Lat agreed that ketones could mitigate the negative impact on sleep.

Ben described his personal pattern: he does a fasted workout, then drinks a smoothie, and his blood glucose plummets to 50 mg/dL within 40 minutes, causing dizziness and brain fog unless he had ketone IQ beforehand. Lat explained that ketones suppress the liver’s glucose production (gluconeogenesis) and reference the work of Jonathan Little, which shows ketones lower post‑meal blood glucose in various populations. Ben’s own N‑of‑1 experiment confirms that the presence of ketones fully eliminates the cognitive symptoms, even when glucose is dangerously low on paper.

Both host and guest had fasted before the recording and used ketone IQ. Lat fasted over 24 hours and did cardio, then took ketone IQ. Ben fasted 14 hours with a workout preceded by ketone IQ. They discussed how the low‑calorie ketone dose acts as a metabolic signal rather than a main fuel, priming the body to tap into fat stores. The appetite suppression is frequently reported by users, especially those on calorie‑restricted diets, helping them sustain energy and mental clarity during the day.

The host raised the alcohol analogy: drinking alcohol with a meal supposedly shifts metabolism to burn alcohol first, potentially impairing fat burning. He wondered if exogenous ketones behave the same way. Dr. Lat countered that while the body does use the ingested ketones first, that small dose also triggers an adaptive response. Research shows that ketone-metabolizing enzymes (like those converting BHB to acetyl-CoA) are upregulated. This means that after the ingested ketones are depleted, the body's own fat-derived ketones are oxidized more efficiently. In a fasted state with low glycogen, the presence of exogenous ketones signals the liver to sustain ketogenesis, so the net effect is enhanced fat oxidation, not inhibition. The speaker emphasized that this effect is synergistic with fasted exercise, making ketone IQ a useful tool for those aiming to burn fat.

The speaker described a study where participants did repeated 10‑second all‑out sprints on a stationary bike. The ketone IQ group showed statistically significant improvements in peak power, average power, and cadence, while their fatigue index was lower. Even more puzzling, their respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was lower than placebo, meaning they were burning a greater proportion of fat relative to carbohydrate. As a physiologist, one would expect that shifting toward fat oxidation during high‑intensity exercise would impair performance because anaerobic glycolysis is the primary fuel for short bursts. Yet they performed better. The researcher explained this by proposing a central analgesic effect: ketones appear to dull the perception of muscle pain and exertion, allowing subjects to push harder despite using less glucose. This implies that the performance boost is not metabolic but neurological—a reduction in the rating of perceived exertion. The finding opens a new rationale for using ketones before CrossFit, sprinting, and other power sports.

The speaker described a recent study in which vigorous exercise decreased REM sleep. When participants were given ketones, REM sleep normalized, and abnormally high adrenaline and noradrenaline levels returned to normal, as did decreased dopamine during sleep. The host Ben connected this to his travel routine: he often has to work out in the evening and would like to preserve sleep. Dr. Lat confirmed that taking ketones after such sessions could indeed help safeguard sleep parameters. The study did not specify the timing of exercise relative to bedtime, but the implication is that ketones may blunt the sympathetic overdrive and allow better sleep architecture. Additionally, an NIH grant is pending with Johns Hopkins to investigate ketone IQ for sleep apnea, with the hypothesis that improved oxygen delivery via EPO and angiogenesis might help. The sleep normalization effect is therefore multifaceted—both hormonal and possibly oxygen-related.

The speaker explained that the study used functional MRI to compare two groups: one that received a single dose of ketones, and another that followed a ketogenic diet for one week. Both groups exhibited similar improvements in how often brain regions communicated with each other, indicating that ketones rapidly enhance brain network efficiency. This supports the notion that ketones are not just a fuel but also a signaling molecule that can quickly improve brain function. The speaker also mentioned that in infants, ketones are used as building blocks for neurons, underscoring their importance for brain health across the lifespan.