It takes a solid two to four days of eating low carbohydrates (<50 grams) for the body to enter ketosis; aka, about two pieces of bread. For some, this torturous process of eating almost no carbs or sugar (*quietly crying) may take a week of dedication for the body to enter the super-fat-burning state coveted by keto lovers. Then, you have to workout in a fasted, low-energy state to get the most from your efforts. It’s a lot of work, but nootropics brand HVMN may be the answer to shortening that timeline.
No matter how you serve it, entering ketosis isn’t easy. Which is why HVMN — a supplements brand made for people “obsessed with ascending to the top of your field,” — released a 25 gram vial of “liquid ketosis.” It’s called the Ketone Ester and was designed for consumption before, during, or after a workout (fasted or not).
Dubbed “deep ketosis in a bottle,” Ketone Ester is completely ketogenic, FDA and WADA compliant, with no caffeine, sugar, salt, or fat. So… what’s in the drink?
Unfortunately, that’s a secret protected by patents. We can say that Ketone Ester was developed by Oxford and NIH scientists as part of the DARPA Metabolic Dominance Program and raises blood ketone levels to 3-5 millimolars (mM) in only 30 minutes. The crazy part is that the drink does this with zero salt, acid, or fat.
Awesome news for anyone on the keto diet, especially dudes who struggle to enter ketosis at all — usually a flub caused by sneaking carbs, not eating enough fat, or consuming too much protein.
(Still not exactly sure what the keto diet is? Here are the down and dirty basics of a keto diet and how to do it successfully.)
HVMN says, however, you don’t have to be on a keto diet for this magic liquid to work. The supplement burns both ketones and carbohydrates to “obtain metabolic benefits of ketosis without a ketogenic diet.” If this is true (at $33 a shot it better be), then guys hoping to reap the benefits of ketosis without fasting can reach that threshold during workouts … then grub down on carbonara for dinner, worry-free.
Obviously, adding Ketone Ester to an existing keto diet would give you a leg up on possibly enhancing physical and cognitive output during fasted workouts, when energy is already low and all you want to do is binge pickle chips and sleep. The nootropic by HVMN means an easier and more efficient switch from using glucose as fuel to ketones (sugar vs fat, basically).
HVMN promises its shot will do more than that, also accelerating muscle protein, reducing lactic acid production (by friggin’ 50%), and increasing overall endurance.
This literally sounds too good to be true, which begs the question: are new age supplements pouring out hyperbolae or engineering truly modern and new nutrition alternatives? HVMN’s ketosis liquid is backed by scientific study, has a butt load of ketosis science info to help us understand WTF a ketone is, and tons of five-star testimonials.
Overall, users say Ketone Ester was great for helping sustain energy during a workout done following a fasting period, aka, the time when your body is primed to burn a ton of fat. Price, however, was a significant deterrent, considering you get three vials for $99. On a sustained ketosis diet, you won’t be paying as much although it takes longer to enter ketosis. Then again, it doesn’t sound healthy to rely on this nootropic every day while eating whatever you want.
The taste may save many dudes from beer-bonging Ketone Ester. It was reportedly awful.
Since ketoisis is such a body-by-body process, it’s worth testing a nootropic (backed by scientific study) that can boost the effort you’re already putting in. If the taste is that bad, don’t feel guilty washing it down with a big bowl of pasta.