Fat for Fuel – Ketones and the CrossFit Athlete

By Jennifer Morris, B.Sc., M.Sc. Nutritionist, Biohacker, Masters CrossFit Athlete, CrossFit Gym owner.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have most likely heard the word “Keto” thrown around a lot in the last few years.  How low carb and ketogenic (keto) diets impact athletic performance has become one of the most controversial topics in the fitness community and most likely your local CrossFit box in recent years.

Before we begin to look at this controversy and explain the facts let’s get some terminology and key points straight.

Ketogenesis Vs Ketosis

When your body’s carbohydrate (glycogen) stores are depleted the body will start to try to produce ketone bodies, a process called ketogenesis (the genesis of ketones). This happens by converting stored fat, or the fat you consume into fatty acids and then into ketones (this process happens in the liver).  For many people this process takes weeks to months for the rusty metabolic pathway of ketogenesis to come to life.  Rusty, because most people exist on a diet that is high in carboydrates and cannot use ketones for energy (despite it being a natural process).  As humans we are born into ketosis for the simple reason that our developing brains prefer ketones over glucose.  Ketosis on the other hand just defines the Ketone level in our blood (between 0.5 to 7 mmol/l)- specifically Beta-Hydroxy-Butyrate.

When people switch to a higher fat almost zero carbohydrate based diet, known as the ketogenic diet (typical macronutrients are 75-85% Fat calories, 10-20% protein and less than 5% Carbs), they often feel exhausted and lethargic- and often conclude that ketosis isn’t for them.  Most people walk around in a state of Glycolysis for this reason- meaning they are glucose burners or carbohydrate burners- constantly looking for their next fix.  If you have ever felt “hangry” you are not “fat adapted” or “ketone adapted”- meaning that your body does not know how to use fat for energy.  This is a problem on several levels-wa topic for another article on insulin resistance and the related metabolic diseases.

Eventually if you stick to a very low carb, high fat diet, you will get to therapeutic ketone levels in your blood and will finally understand what all the fuss is about.   Better energy, fat loss, appetite suppression, muscle preservation, reduction in brain fog, gains in strength, better mood, better sleep, better digestion, clearer skin and less inflammation are all proven benefits of ketones and a keto lifestyle.

The ketogenic diet as we define it today has been around for a long time (recognized as a treatment for children with epilepsy in 1921). As humans, being able to get energy from our own body fat is what has ensured the survival of our species.  For well over 2 million years humans survived because of this metabolic flexibility- the ability to use both fats (ketones) and glucose for energy.  Think of it this way- who hunts better? A hungry hunter or one that just ate a large meal? 

All humans are able to survive and thrive without carbohydrate as long as they get their base requirements of protein and they have fat for fuel.  Think of this: there are essential fatty acids that we must consume, there are essential amino acids we must consume.  Can you name an essential carbohydrate?  There are none.  The body can create glucose through numerous pathways.

There are several problems with the ketogenic diet: 1) the first burst of stress or glucose shuts the pathway off and the battle to return to ketosis starts all over again, meaning you have to go through yet another round of what I call “carb withdrawl” sometimes called the “keto flu”.  2) restricting carbs for anyone, especially athletes, can be incredibly stressful to the energy systems in the body that are only used to using glucose for energy and most importantly , in my opinion is : 3) Most people cannot and will not stick to the macro nutrient ratios of the ketogenic diet because they lack the will power and energy to do so.  It is REALLY HARD, even for the most disciplined person.

We know that once someone goes through the adaptation period (to become fat adapted) that the next time they try and get back into ketosis it gets easier- but because people tend to fail on their first attempt at eating this way they are not easily convinced to try again.  After all, we love feeling comfortable and safe in general.  If someone can get through this adaptation, it seems like ketogenesis takes less time the next time around and has less symptoms as the body gets used to using ketones as well as glucose for energy.

Here is where the beauty of a new development in nutrition comes in:  Enter exogenous ketones from Prüvit.  The reason I am mentioning Prüvit in this article is that they are the company that started this whole buzz about Keto just over 3 years ago with the introduction of the World’s first exogenous (from the outside) ketone supplement.  Additionally they are the only company who makes the most bio-identical, palatable ketone drink you can get- putting you in a state of Ketosis within 20 minutes. 

How can a supplement put you in ketosis even while you’re eating carbohydrates?

Remember, that Ketosis by definition is having 0.5 to 7 mmol/l of ketones in your blood. When you use a ketone supplement your body uses them as fuel. If you’re like most people you’ll feel energy and a clear head pretty quickly.  Personally I noticed a difference within one hour of drinking the Chocolate Swirl Prüvit Ketones.  Within 5 days I was outperforming my peers at the box and within 14 days I was hitting PB’s I hadn’t seen in years!

What happens when there are ketones and glucose in the blood stream at the same time?  Simple- ketones are used preferentially sparing glucose and prolonging time to fatigue. There is evidence that blood sugar is better managed by the body when ketones are present.   This has serious positive implications for athletes- especially CrossFit athletes who need endurance, stamina, strength and power all at the same time!  

Should I cut out all the carbohydrates too?

For people who want to lose body fat or who aren’t training hard, I would definitely recommend a period of low-carbohydrate consumption or restriction (less than 40 grams per day). I would do this after your first 2-4 weeks on ketone supplements so that your cells have time to adapt to using ketones as fuel before you start to ramp up your bodies ketogenesis.  There is a mounting degree of evidence showing the “DUAL FUEL” effects of having ketones present as eluded to earlier.  We literally can be “hybrid” athletes- running on BOTH glucose and ketones which has some serious advantages.

Is it natural to be in ketosis? If so why aren’t people in ketosis naturally?

Yes, it’s natural. Your ancestors survived an ice age, which means they lived through periods of low carbohydrate consumption. All humans are able to survive and thrive without carbohydrate as long as they get their base requirements of protein and they have fat for fuel. Arctic populations still live and thrive on whale blubber, our domesticated animals are all genetically selected from wild species to have higher levels of body fat than their wild ancestors – chicken vs. wild birds, cows vs. buffalo or bison.

Most people you see haven’t been in ketosis since they were breastfed. If you didn’t get breastfed then you missed out on ketones because the supplement isn’t in baby food (there are studies showing that ketones have a dramatic impact on brain development for glucose resistant children). So since breast-feeding you’ve probably eaten carbohydrates and sugar every day of your life. The exception would be if you’re using periods of religious fasting or if you’ve done long endurance events or very long walks without much food or energy gels.

How can I tell if I’m in ketosis?

Ingesting ketones makes ketones available to the cells, therefore, you’re in ketosis. Ketogenesis (the genesis of ketones) is less clear. It’s possible to measure ketones through the breath, urine and saliva. The body actually excretes excess fuel from the body which is part of the reason why being in ketosis makes it so easy to lose body fat. You’re actually breathing, urinating and sweating out your fat stores in excess of what’s being used by the cells.

Measuring ketones through the urine is not very accurate or useful for non-diabetics. Blood and breath measures are better indicators of how good your body is at producing ketones. Low vitality, liver energy is a common thing that Chinese medicine associates with illness which may be part of the reason why many people experience keto flu when they try to initiate ketogenesis.

Are ketone supplements expensive?

My answer is simply NO.

You’re worth it. Seriously, try them and see if the investment is worth the change you feel in mental energy, performance, body composition etc. All sorts of money is being spent by people to look good and give the appearance of health – clothes, make-up, perfumes and deodorants, dental treatments etc. Ketones from Prüvit have actually helped so many people make a deep change in their lives that it’s unthinkable for me not to educate you on this to you and give you the chance to offer this to your communities, friends and families. They cost less than what most people spend on coffee, shakes or wine in a week. Nothing in the scheme of our consumer driven society.

As a CrossFit enthusiast you do CrossFit on a regular basis and are always looking to improve.  Peak performance and quick recovery matter, as well as having the ability to have good endurance (aerobic and anaerobic) and you want to be strong, flexible and have a good power to weight ratio.  Not to mention have somewhat of a life outside the box – as in eat tacos and have the occasional night out 😉

I believe that Pure Therapeutic Exogenous Ketones are the answer to every CrossFitter’s prayers.   Imagine being able to train harder, longer and faster, having less pain from workouts, maintaining and building muscle …sounds pretty good to me.

IN SUMMARY…..

Top benefits of Ketones for CrossFit Athletes

1) Greater energy efficiency- or greater ATP output with less oxygen.  It is a FACT that when in ketosis we use 25 % less oxygen and produce 30% more ATP (adenosine tri phosphate- the energy currency of the human body).  No wonder CrossFit athletes drinking ketones are outperforming their peers.  Personally I rarely feel out of breath like I used to and find that I can train longer and harder than ever- and that is at the age of 47!

2) Anti-catabolic effect– as I discussed earlier, when ketones are present muscle glycogen is spared and there is less tissue breakdown. We can run on Ketones AND Glucose (Dual Fuel concept) and become hybrid athletes.  My personal story here is that I have gained over 6 pounds of muscle in one year while losing over 15 pounds of fat (not something I was able to do prior to drinking ketones).

3) Inflammation inhibition.  I’ve seen it over and over and it’s becoming a CrossFit norm. Taking drugs to be able to train and compete is bad news. These drugs are proven to interfere with long-term healing and tissue structural integrity. Improving the body’s natural healing capacity through nutrition and lifestyle is the name of the game for longevity in performance.

Ketosis may help many experience less long-term pain and deal better with short-term pain.

3) Power to weight ratio: The fastest way to improve the performance of any male over 8% body fat or female over 15% body fat is to simply decrease their fat levels.

Think about this: You’re going in a local competition but I make you add a 5-10 lb weight vest to every pull-up, run, muscle-up or box jump you do. UNFAIR! Well, that’s what most people are training and living through.

4) Mental Focus, learning and repeated exposure: The mental, learning aspect of the training is another part of the reason why you should be interested in ketosis. Think about this from the Palaeolithic perspective: If you’re starving is that a time when you need MORE or LESS brain function? The body is smart. You go into a super aware, high-performing state when it’s all on the line. If the goal is to wire in all the movements then having the brain in hyper function mode is an advantage.  Another point here has to do with motivation to train.  I can tell you that when you feel amazing, have energy and are not sore your motivation to be in the gym jumps way up.  This is something that I noticed almost immediately. Pre-ketones I struggled to get 3 wods in a week I now have to force myself to take rest days since my motivation is so high!

Research around ketosis improving mental function is a very exciting area.

5) Other Geeky Sciencey Stuff.  There are lots of scientists working hard to understand Mitochondria Biogenesis, peripheral insulin sensitivity, Lactic Acid Buffering as possible mechanisms for why performance is maintained or improved in a ketogenic state where glucose is harder to come by. Dr. Dominic D’Agostino and Dr. Jacob Wilson are worth checking out along with Volek, Veech and Stephen Finney if you’re keen to get into the lab work that is trying to explain the results people are experiencing.

You are Human after all…

Right now humanity is going through a crisis of sugar toxicity that is wreaking a havoc never seen before. It’s an issue for the majority of the world’s population. Diabetes and pre-diabetes have become the norm which means that even as an athlete training regularly you’re likely to have some degree of sugar toxicity due to challenges with glucose disposal.

The best way for you to understand this is to experience ketosis for yourself and then you will compare your usual highs and lows, cravings and dopey times with the heightened state of ketosis.

Ketones won’t allow you to stop training and still get fitter but if you’re doing the work they might just help you to be a better version of yourself. The most common things that we hear back from people taking ketones are: Improved sleep, more mental energy, less cravings for coffee, sugar and junk foods, better recovery from training, getting in the best shape of their life, holding muscle mass and strength with lower training volume, tolerating higher training volume, massive reduction in DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).