MCTs: How long before you notice that energy boost?
 

Hi everyone!

I'm a competitive beach volleyball player and I'm looking to time my consumption of coconut oil in the morning to be most effective for my games.

I've been on <50g net carbs for 2 months. Although my general energy and endurance has improved after the first 3 weeks, it's still not quite where I want it. It seems like once or twice a month I will have an amazing day, where I can run down everything and jump-serve all day long and never get tired. But I can't link those high-performance days to any specific action I took to get it. I almost always eat 2 eggs with 1-2 tbsp CO about 1 1/2 hours before my workout with mixed results.

I've read various reports that MCTs break down between minutes and 1hr after consumption, so I'm curious: how long after taking MCTs do you notice a significant boost in energy? Or, do you have any other tips (I do drink a lot of water, take my vitamins, and get a good night's sleep) for improving endurance during workouts?

As a competitive athlete, you might find it more efficient to consume pure MCT oil rather than coconut oil to fuel your game :idea:. This article from Perfect Keto explains the differences between MCT oil and coconut oil .. https://perfectketo.com/mct-oil/#5. Here are a few excerpts:

The main difference between MCT oil and coconut oil is their MCT content.

Coconut oil is 55% MCTs, while MCT oil is made 100% of MCTs.

Furthermore, coconut oil contains all 4 medium-chain fatty acids, including large quantities of lauric acid, the least efficient MCT. MCT oil only uses the two most efficient MCTs for energy: caprylic and capric acid.

Unlike almost all other foods, the two MCTs used in MCT oil are swiftly absorbed and metabolized as energy in your body, making them the perfect fuel.

Link to full article .. https://perfectketo.com/mct-oil/

I hope that's helpful :rose:


Doreen

Thank you Doreen that is really useful information! And here I thought I had read just about everything the web had to say on keto and exercise science :)

Looks like I'll have another n=1 experiment to do as soon as I can find some reasonably priced pure MCT oil!

I still wonder when it says "quickly metabolized into ketones", what is meant by "quickly". Before starting (rather, re-starting) keto, I would have to eat ~2hrs before a workout, specific proportions of simple and complex carbs, protein, and fat, so I would have sustained energy throughout. Even so, I would get fatigued during the last couple sets and have a full belly during the first. Plus, it's tough to wake up at 5:30 on a Sunday morning just to fuel my workout properly! I find the energy I get from CO to be more in intensity and consistency, so I'm really interested to see what the pure MCT oil can do for me.

Additional questions about MCT oil:

Any difference performance-wise between the liquid and the powder?

If I'm used to taking 1-2 tbsp CO and have never had GI upset, can I jump right into 1 tbsp MCT oil? I know the recommendations are to start out slow due to possible digestive issues.