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Limited evidencePhysical performance

Ketone Salts (BHB)

Ketone salts do raise blood beta-hydroxybutyrate, but far less than ketone esters, and the performance literature is overwhelmingly null or negative. They are expensive, salt-loaded, and the marketing promise of "instant ketosis for energy and fat loss" is not supported.

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What the science says

  • Improving endurance or high-intensity exercise performance Limited evidence

    Margolis's 2020 systematic review found that ketone supplementation, including salts, did not consistently enhance physical performance, with most trials null and several showing impairment — particularly at higher intensities where ketones compete with carbohydrate oxidation. Racemic ketone salts also deliver a largely inactive D-BHB fraction, roughly halving the useful dose.

  • Lowering blood glucose Moderate evidence

    A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found exogenous ketone supplementation significantly reduced circulating blood glucose, with the effect appearing across both salt and ester forms. This is a reproducible acute metabolic effect, but it has not been shown to translate into improved long-term glycaemic control or clinical outcomes.

  • Weight loss and appetite suppression Limited evidence

    Ketone salts do not induce nutritional ketosis in the sense of burning body fat — they supply exogenous ketones while suppressing endogenous ketogenesis and lipolysis. Appetite-suppression data are short-term and inconsistent, and no trial has shown meaningful fat loss from ketone salts without dietary change.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseTypical study doses are 10-25 g of ketone salts providing roughly 6-12 g of BHB, taken 30-60 minutes before exercise; this usually raises blood BHB to only about 0.5-1.0 mmol/L. Ketone esters reach 2-5 mmol/L but taste far worse and cost more.
SafetyThe dominant issue is the mineral load: therapeutic BHB doses come bound to sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, and a single serving can deliver over 1 g of sodium — a real concern for anyone with hypertension, heart failure or kidney disease. GI distress (nausea, cramping, diarrhoea) is common and dose-limiting. Not prohibited in sport. People with type 1 diabetes should not use exogenous ketones without medical supervision, since they complicate distinguishing supplement-derived ketosis from ketoacidosis.

How to take it

Timing30-60 minutes before exercise, which is when the studied blood BHB peak lands.
With food?On a relatively empty stomach and well diluted, since concentrated salt solutions are what triggers the cramping and diarrhoea.
Worth knowingSalts typically only reach 0.5-1.0 mmol/L BHB, well below the 2-5 mmol/L that the performance case was built on with esters.

Interactions

With medications

  • antihypertensives, diuretics and heart failure medication

    A single serving can carry over 1 g of sodium plus potassium, calcium and magnesium, which works against a sodium-restricted regimen. do not use it if you are being treated for hypertension, heart failure or kidney disease without medical clearance

  • insulin and other type 1 diabetes therapy

    Supplement-derived ketones raise measured blood BHB and can mask or mimic the early picture of diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use without medical supervision if you have type 1 diabetes

With other supplements

  • electrolyte powders and sodium bicarbonate

    All three are mineral salt loads, and stacking them can push sodium intake well past anything you intended. add up the sodium across products before combining them

Well-established interactions only — this is not a complete list. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist what you take.

Frequently asked questions

Do ketone salts improve exercise performance?

No — the evidence is limited, with most trials null and several showing worse performance, especially at higher intensities. Ketone salts also raise blood BHB far less than ketone esters.

Do ketone salts help you lose weight?

No — the evidence is limited. Ketone salts supply ketones from outside while suppressing your own fat burning, and no trial has shown meaningful fat loss from ketone salts without dietary change.

Are ketone salts safe with high blood pressure?

A single serving of ketone salts can carry over 1 g of sodium plus other minerals. Do not use them if you are treated for hypertension, heart failure or kidney disease without medical clearance.

How much ketone salts should you take, and when?

Studies used 10–25 g of ketone salts, providing roughly 6–12 g of BHB, 30–60 minutes before exercise. This typically reaches only 0.5–1.0 mmol/L, well below what ketone esters achieve.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Nutricost, BHB Salts, goBHB®, Unflavored, 0.97 lb (442 g)

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