Ketone bodies

3 papers5 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

1 lab

Human trial1

Outcomes

5

Oxidative phosphorylation

no changein humans1

1 study

Ketone bodies have no effect on oxidative phosphorylation in humans.
“Complex I + II respiration was lower in older compared to young participants, with no effect of ketones.”
Human trialwith continuous glucose infusionquadriceps femorismales
Ketone Monoester Increases Skeletal Muscle Power and Energy Turnover in Older but Not Young Men Without Affecting Metabolic Economy: A Controlled, Double Blind, Cross-Over Trial
Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)6 Feb 2026

More on Oxidative phosphorylation

Metabolic economy

no changein humans1

1 study

Ketone bodies have no effect on metabolic economy in humans.
“Ketosis had no effect on metabolic economy in either young or older participants.”
Human trialwith continuous glucose infusiontibialis anteriormales
Ketone Monoester Increases Skeletal Muscle Power and Energy Turnover in Older but Not Young Men Without Affecting Metabolic Economy: A Controlled, Double Blind, Cross-Over Trial
Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)6 Feb 2026

Peak power

upin humans1

1 study

Ketone bodies improve peak power in humans.
“In the older group, ketones improved peak power and increased both muscle relative decline in peak power and contraction-induced pH decline.”
Human trialwith continuous glucose infusiontibialis anteriormalesn = 12
Ketone Monoester Increases Skeletal Muscle Power and Energy Turnover in Older but Not Young Men Without Affecting Metabolic Economy: A Controlled, Double Blind, Cross-Over Trial
Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)6 Feb 2026

Skeletal muscle work capacity

upin humans1

1 study

Ketone bodies increase skeletal muscle work capacity in humans.
“In older participants, ketones increased ATP production and time-torque derived work capacity.”
Human trialwith continuous glucose infusiontibialis anteriormalesn = 12
Ketone Monoester Increases Skeletal Muscle Power and Energy Turnover in Older but Not Young Men Without Affecting Metabolic Economy: A Controlled, Double Blind, Cross-Over Trial
Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)6 Feb 2026

Neuroprotection

upin reviews1

1 study

Ketone bodies improve neuroprotection.
“The presence of ketone bodies has a neuroprotective impact on aging brain cells.”
Reviewaging brain cells
Ketogenic Diet in Alzheimer's Disease
International journal of molecular sciences9 Aug 2019

Latest

2 in 12 months

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The Role of Ketogenic Diet and β-Hydroxybutyrate in the Prevention of Muscle Catabolism and Sarcopenia in Aging Populations: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Clinical Perspectives

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Acta Physiologica6 Feb

Ketone Monoester Increases Skeletal Muscle Power and Energy Turnover in Older but Not Young Men Without Affecting Metabolic Economy: A Controlled, Double Blind, Cross-Over Trial

Randomised trial in peopleMuscle

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The Ketogenic Diet and Cardiovascular Diseases

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