Acute Ketone Salts-Caffeine-Taurine-Leucine Supplementation but not Ketone Salts-Taurine-Leucine, Improves Endurance Cycling Performance.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ketone salts-caffeine-taurine-leucine (KCT) supplementation | increase | 20-km cycling time-trial performance | thirteen recreationally active men | 37.80 ± 2.28 min vs 39.40 ± 3.33 min | improved | #1 |
ketone salts-caffeine-taurine-leucine (KCT) supplementation | increase | 20-km cycling time-trial average power output | thirteen recreationally active men | 180.5 ± 28.7 W vs 170.9 ± 31.7 W and 164.8 ± 34.7 W | was greater | #2 |
ketone salts-caffeine-taurine-leucine (KCT) supplementation | increase | Wingate peak power output | thirteen recreationally active men | 1,134 ± 137 W vs 1,068 ± 127 W | was greater | #3 |
ketone salts-taurine-leucine supplementation (KT) | increase | Wingate peak power output | thirteen recreationally active men | 1,132 ± 128 W vs 1,068 ± 127 W | was greater | #4 |
ketone salts-caffeine-taurine-leucine (KCT) supplementation | increase | blood ketones | thirteen recreationally active men | 0.65 ± 0.12 mmol/L vs 0.06 ± 0.05 mmol/L | elevated | #5 |
ketone salts-taurine-leucine supplementation (KT) | increase | blood ketones | thirteen recreationally active men | 0.72 ± 0.31 mmol/L vs 0.06 ± 0.05 mmol/L | elevated | #6 |
ketone salts-caffeine-taurine-leucine (KCT) supplementation | increase | exercise performance | thirteen recreationally active men | - | improved exercise performance effects | #7 |
Coingestion of ketone salts, caffeine and the amino acids, taurine, and leucine improves endurance exercise performance. However, there is no study comparing this coingestion to the same nutrients without caffeine. We assessed whether ketone salts-caffeine-taurine-leucine (KCT) supplementation was superior to caffeine-free ketone salts-taurine-leucine supplementation (KT), or to an isoenergetic carbohydrate placebo (CHO-PLAC). Thirteen recreationally active men (mean ± SD: 177.5 ± 6.1 cm, 75.9 ± 4.6 kg, 23 ± 3 years, 12.0 ± 5.1% body fat) completed a best effort 20-km cycling time-trial, followed 15 min later by a Wingate power cycle test, after supplementing with either KCT (approximately 7 g of beta-hydroxybutyrate, approximately 120 mg of caffeine, 2.1 g of leucine, and 2.7 g of taurine), KT (i.e., same supplement without caffeine), or isoenergetic CHO-PLAC (11 g of dextrose). Blood ketones were elevated (p < .001) after ingestion of both KCT (0.65 ± 0.12 mmol/L) and KT (0.72 ± 0.31 mmol/L) relative to CHO-PLAC (0.06 ± 0.05 mmol/L). Moreover, KCT improved (p < .003) 20-km cycling time-trial performance (37.80 ± 2.28 min), compared with CHO-PLAC (39.40 ± 3.33 min) but not versus KT (38.75 ± 2.87 min; p < .09). 20-km cycling time-trial average power output was greater with KCT (power output = 180.5 ± 28.7 W) versus both KT (170.9 ± 31.7 W; p = .049) and CHO-PLAC (164.8 ± 34.7 W; p = .001). Wingate peak power output was also greater for both KCT (1,134 ± 137 W; p = .031) and KT (1,132 ± 128 W; p = .039) versus CHO-PLAC (1,068 ± 127 W). These data suggest that the observed improved exercise performance effects of this multi-ingredient supplement containing beta-hydroxybutyrate salts, taurine, and leucine are attributed partially to the addition of caffeine.