Exogenous Ketone Supplementation and Cognitive Function During Exercise

Effect of Exogenous Ketone Supplementation on Cognitive Function During Exercise After Induced Mental Fatigue

15 healthy trained males will volunteer to participate in this study. there will be 2 treatments: Ketone esters supplementation and iso-caloric carbohydrate. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of ketone esters on cognitive function during exercise after induced mental fatigue

mental fatigue is often seen in sports of moderate to long duration. its onset is associated with detriments in cognitive function which leads to poor decision making and detriments in specific sport skills. Ketones can serve as a powerful brain fuel source so they may have the potential to delay/ revert the onset of mental fatigue. in this experiment, we will induce mental fatigue in individuals who will be performing 45 minutes of intermittent exercise right after. During exercise cognitive function will be measured under 2 condition, Ketone supplementation and placebo. The purpose of this study is to see if ketones can play a role in reverting that initial mental fatigue during exercise, compared to placebo.

Inclusion Criteria:

• In order to be eligible to participate in this study you must be a healthy male or female recreationally active individual, 18-35 year old.

Exclusion Criteria:

• You will be excluded from this study if you:
• Are not involved in regular exercise (at least 2x week)
• Have symptoms or take medication for respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, neuromuscular disease
• Use any medications with side effects of dizziness, lack of motor control, or slowed reaction time
• Are taking part in another research study
• For women, if you are pregnant or become pregnant during the study.
• Have a history of concussion/head injuries.
• Have an excessive alcohol intake (>2 drinks/day)
• Are consuming a ketogenic diet (for at least 2 weeks)
• Are a smoker
• ** Cannabis use is not a exclusion criteria; however, it must be avoided on experimental days.**