What it is
Regulatory status: dietary supplement or food product; product status varies by composition and jurisdiction
Mechanism evidence: human
At a glance
What it is, why people use it, the evidence, and what to know before trying it.
Why people use it
- Rapid nutritional ketosis
- Endurance performance
- Cognitive or recovery support
Evidence at a glance
These products reliably raise blood ketones for a limited period, but pooled exercise research does not show a dependable performance benefit and results cannot be generalized across esters and salts.
Confidence: moderate
Safety & interactions
Known side effects, interactions and use limits from reviewed sources.
Common issues include nausea, diarrhea, poor taste, and mineral load from ketone salts. Exogenous ketosis is not the same metabolic state as fasting or a ketogenic diet.
Forms and variants
This review does not automatically apply to:
- nutritional ketosis from fasting or a ketogenic diet
- medium-chain triglycerides
- 1,3-butanediol
Seen in protocols
Public protocols that include Exogenous ketones. Open one to see the full context and source.