The UCI has released a statement on the use of ketone supplements by pro cyclists, suggesting there is “no compelling evidence” they work and recommending that riders do not use them.

While the statement does not mention the prospect of a potential ban on ketones, just a recommendation that riders and teams should give them a miss, the UCI is confident there is no scientific evidence to support their use.

It has become a common sight at pro races, riders being handed a small bottle of liquid by soigneurs at the finish of stages, a supplement that is quickly chugged and empty packaging promptly passed back as the post-race recovery begins, such as in this behind-the-scenes video of Mark Cavendish beating the time cut at the 2024 Tour de France.

That was the claimed major plus point of their use that many riders and teams have cited in recent years, ketones apparently boosting recovery, hence their immediate use at the finish of a day’s racing. 

As the UCI points out, ketones are a chemical compound that is naturally produced in the body and used during exercise when glucose is in short supply. Supplements allow users to consume the compound orally, something which has boomed in popularity in cycling and other endurance sports in recent years.

HVMN Ketone.jpg
HVMN Ketone (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Due to their expensive price, they’ve largely remained a feature solely in the professional ranks where well-backed teams and sponsored athletes can afford to shell out in pursuit of any performance gain.

The UCI notes the popularity initially followed the publication of a 2016 study which suggested that ketones taken before or during exercise could improve cycling performance. However, subsequent studies did not confirm this and “there is now a consensus that such supplements have no effect on performance during endurance exercise”.

Instead, it was studies drawing attention to the potential benefits of ketones when it comes to the rapidity and quality of post-exercise recovery which have seen pro riders and teams continue to use them. Those studies suggested ketones “were found to have added value in terms of the speed of muscle glycogen resynthesis and endogenous EPO production”.

The UCI’s statement concludes that subsequent research has “contradicted” these findings and “the results of a very comprehensive, high-quality study show that taking ketones after competition or high-intensity training sessions has no effect on the quality of recovery.”

“As there is no compelling evidence that ketone supplements enhance performance or recovery, the UCI sees no reason for them to be used,” the press release ends. “Therefore, the UCI does not recommend the inclusion of such supplements in riders’ nutritional plans.”

It’s a slightly unusual communication from the sport’s governing body, the UCI not banning the use of ketones, but making it clear that its stance is that such supplements should not be used by riders, in this case as it claims there is no compelling evidence of their effectiveness.

It remains to be seen what impact the statement has on ketones’ use in cycling, numerous teams having sponsors and partners whose products are now no longer recommended by the UCI, the governing body claiming it does not believe in their effectiveness. 

Soudal Quick-Step and Astana list supplement company KetoneAid as one of their nutrition sponsors, Visma-Lease a Bike have a partnership with Ketone-IQ, and numerous other teams have similar products supplied by other supplement brands. road.cc has contacted multiple Ketone supplement brands for comment.