β-Hydroxybutyrate Oxidation in Exercise Is Impaired by Low-Carbohydrate and High-Fat Availability

Abstract

<b>Purpose:</b> In this study, we determined ketone oxidation rates in athletes under metabolic conditions of high and low carbohydrate (CHO) and fat availability. <b>Methods:</b> Six healthy male athletes completed 1 h of bicycle ergometer exercise at 75% maximal power (WMax) on three occasions. Prior to exercise, participants consumed 573 mg·kg bw^-1 of a ketone ester (KE) containing a ¹³C label. To manipulate CHO availability, athletes undertook glycogen depleting exercise followed by isocaloric high-CHO or very-low-CHO diets. To manipulate fat availability, participants were given a continuous infusion of lipid during two visits. Using stable isotope methodology, β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) oxidation rates were therefore investigated under the following metabolic conditions: (i) high CHO + normal fat (KE+CHO); (ii) high CHO + high fat KE+CHO+FAT); and (iii) low CHO + high fat (KE+FAT). <b>Results:</b> Pre-exercise intramuscular glycogen (IMGLY) was approximately halved in the KE+FAT vs. KE+CHO and KE+CHO+FAT conditions (both <i>p</i> < 0.05). Blood free fatty acids (FFA) and intramuscular long-chain acylcarnitines were significantly greater in the KE+FAT vs. other conditions and in the KE+CHO+FAT vs. KE+CHO conditions before exercise. Following ingestion of the ¹³C labeled KE, blood βHB levels increased to ≈4.5 mM before exercise in all conditions. βHB oxidation was modestly greater in the KE+CHO vs. KE+FAT conditions (mean diff. = 0.09 g·min^-1, <i>p</i> = 0.03; <i>d</i> = 0.3), tended to be greater in the KE+CHO+FAT vs. KE+FAT conditions (mean diff. = 0.07 g·min^-1; <i>p</i> = 0.1; <i>d</i> = 0.3) and were the same in the KE+CHO vs. KE+CHO+FAT conditions (<i>p</i> < 0.05; <i>d</i> < 0.1). A moderate positive correlation between pre-exercise IMGLY and βHB oxidation rates during exercise was present (<i>p</i> = 0.04; <i>r</i> = 0.5). Post-exercise intramuscular βHB abundance was markedly elevated in the KE+FAT vs. KE+CHO and KE+CHO+FAT conditions (both, <i>p</i> < 0.001; <i>d</i> = 2.3). <b>Conclusion:</b> βHB oxidation rates during exercise are modestly impaired by low CHO availability, independent of circulating βHB levels.