A study confirms that ketones increase the production of EPO

A study from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom has delved into the advantages provided by ketones, the trendy supplement in the peloton when it comes to improving the cyclist's energy supply and recovery from the intense efforts of competition. Now, in addition, other advantages of using ketones are revealed that were not previously known.

More benefits of using ketones in cycling continue to be discovered

In an interesting interview with Professor Javier González from the Department of Health at the University of Bath, which is published on the well-known website Cyclingnews, he has revealed some details of the research he has been conducting on the improvements that the use of ketones brings to competitive cyclists, a world still to be explored in which teams are learning through trial and error.

Professor Javier González worked between 2020 and 2022 with the INEOS Grenadiers team to carry out his research on ketones, which, as we remind you, have become one of the most used supplements by many professional cyclists by delaying the use of precious muscle glycogen by providing the body with nutrients generated by fat metabolism without the need to use energy to mobilize fats.

Furthermore, as González states, "There is also evidence that ketones can help restore muscle glycogen, a key element in recovery, especially in stage races." In fact, the image of cyclists consuming their ketone supplement just after finishing stages has become common in races.

In addition to these effects, already well established, the study carried out by Javier González has revealed another interesting improvement, which is that ketone consumption would increase the natural production of EPO in the body by around 20%, something that could be used by those voices that have been calling for the inclusion of ketones in the list of prohibited substances.

However, we must remember that EPO is a hormone that the body naturally secretes to stimulate the production of red blood cells. While the consumption of exogenous EPO is prohibited, there are various methods to stimulate the production of this hormone naturally, the most well-known of them being altitude training that professionals systematically carry out before major events.

In any case, both the data from this study and the experience of the teams themselves continue to indicate that the use of ketones does not have the same effect on all organisms, and some cyclists benefit more from their use than others, so work is being done to personalize their dosage. In fact, there are cyclists who do not use them directly because they do not achieve a noticeable effect, as is the case with Jonas Vingegaard, despite his team, Visma-Lease a Bike, being one of the teams that has worked the most to benefit from ketones.

Also, despite being talked about as a miraculous product, or the strong opposition from the MPCC to its use due to unknown long-term effects, the reality is that ketones offer a small advantage but, by no means, the miraculous effects that were attributed to them when they first started circulating in the peloton.