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Updated: Mar 16, 2026
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Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements
Published on: January 7, 2019
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Novel ketone diet enhances physical and cognitive performance
Andrew J Murray1,2, Nicholas S Knight3, Mark A Cole4
1Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; ajm267@cam.ac.uk.
Summary
A novel ketone ester diet significantly improved physical endurance and cognitive function in rats. This energy-efficient fuel source also enhanced ATP availability, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits for metabolic disorders.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Nutritional Science
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Ketone bodies are highly energy-efficient fuels, yielding more ATP per mole of substrate than pyruvate.
- Elevated circulating ketones, achieved through ketogenic diets, are explored for treating epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Ketones may offer benefits for muscle and brain function during physiological stress, like endurance exercise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of a novel ketone ester diet on physical and cognitive performance in rats.
- To determine if this diet can increase circulating ketone levels while favorably impacting lipid profiles.
- To assess the impact of the ketone diet on energy metabolism at the cellular level.
Main Methods:
- Rats were fed a novel diet supplemented with (R)-3-hydroxybutyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate as 30% of calories.
- Physical performance was evaluated using treadmill running tests and cognitive function assessed via an 8-arm radial maze.
- Energy availability from ATP hydrolysis in isolated hearts was measured using [31P]-NMR spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Rats on the ketone diet exhibited a 32% increase in treadmill running distance compared to control groups.
- Ketone-fed rats completed the radial maze test 38% faster with improved decision-making accuracy.
- Hearts from ketone-fed rats showed enhanced ATP hydrolysis free energy availability during increased workload.
Conclusions:
- The novel ketone ester diet effectively raised blood ketone levels and decreased cholesterol and triglycerides in rats.
- This diet significantly enhanced physical performance and cognitive function, indicating its potential as an ergogenic aid.
- The findings suggest that ketone ester supplementation may offer therapeutic benefits for conditions involving metabolic abnormalities.
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