Cyclist
‘In a few years deltaG ketone drinks will be mandatory in all sports:’ Why deltaG is the only patented ketone for performance gains
The use of ketones has been a topic of much discussion in cycling over the past decade. Debates have been had about whether they should be banned and whether they even work; pros including Nairo Quintana and Thibaut Pinot have spoken out against them, while Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal-QuickStep both have official ketone partners.
deltaG was the first ketone found to boost performance, and it’s still the most potent today.
The idea originally came about in 2003 when the research arm of the United States Department of Defense, DARPA, wanted a new, efficient food that would enable soldiers to maintain their physical and mental levels over five days in battle. Groups from the University of Oxford and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) had already been working on projects exploring ketones for ten years so proposed the creation of an exogenous (lab-made) ketone food group in response to DARPA’s request.
‘Dr Veech (NIH) and my research groups had been working on ketone metabolism since 1993, so we knew of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate’s (BHB’s) key role in health before the DARPA call,’ explains Professor Kieran Clarke from the University of Oxford. ‘We had discussed a ketone food but didn’t know what form it could take that would raise blood BHB to meaningful levels.
‘Traditional funding bodies were not interested in a food that would raise BHB levels – the idea was too off-the-wall. We (and the world) were lucky that DARPA funds unconventional ideas – other scientists thought that we were totally wacky (and probably still do).’
Ketones are normally produced by the liver when the body starts burning fat instead of glucose for energy. Taking exogenous ketones means that the user can benefit from ketones without having to be depleted of glucose, which in turns means that less carbohydrate needs to be consumed to reach and maintain the same energy levels. Scientists are still working to assess the possibilities of ingesting ketones; an initial study by the University of Bath suggested that taking ketones during recovery may increase the body’s natural EPO concentration, which could mean athletes could reap the benefits without illegally injecting artificial EPO – once the prevalent form of doping in cycling.
deltaG is the result of years of extensive research and testing from some of the world’s brightest minds, with over 70 clinical studies run and approval from the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2011 that it wouldn’t be banned for athletes due to its similarity to glucose. Professor Clarke says, ‘The use of ketones in sports is “controversial” only to those who don’t understand how and why BHB helps the human body. Not only does BHB provide instant energy to the mitochondria, but it preserves glycogen and muscle, plus is an anti-inflammatory. BHB protects the body, which is why we have it.
‘In a few years deltaG drinks will be mandatory in all sports, just like helmets are mandatory now.’
Effectively, deltaG is two BHB molecules joined together, BHB being the same chemical that is naturally produced by the body. It is also the only patented molecule that can produce the level of ketosis required for the performance and recovery benefits, called Performance Ketosis.
‘Other drink products are either BHB salts or butanediol (BDO) – neither raises blood BHB to meaningful levels, so they don’t work,’ says Professor Clarke. ‘Raspberry ketones don’t raise BHB levels at all, so are a total waste of money. Our ketone ester, deltaG, is made of BHB attached to a BDO molecule, so can raise blood BHB to whatever levels are needed. We recommend 3 mM, measured using a finger prick and ketone sticks.’
deltaG products come in three categories: athletic performance, metabolic health and cognition. The athletic performance ketones help users achieve Performance Ketosis to improve athletic performance, accelerate muscle recovery and increase mental sharpness.
Metabolic health ketones help users restore their metabolism to its peak, which supports healthy weight loss, reduces inflammation and controls glucose levels.
deltaG’s cognition-focussed ketones increases brain network activity by 87%, which helps boost focus and cognition without caffeine or other stimulants.
deltaG Ketone Performance is $85 for a pack of three bottles, each of which includes 1-2 servings, which will help the user to reach Performance Ketosis, increase endurance, boost cognition at exhaustion, stabilise glucose levels and improve recovery.
Get 20% off your first deltaG purchase with code THECYCLIST at deltagketones.com
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