Author(s): VERMEIREN, S., VERMAERKE, N., TOMENIC, D., LAURIKS, W., ROBBERECHTS, R., DEBEVEC, T., MANTINI, D., POFFÉ, C., STALMANS, M., Institution: HASSELT UNIVERSITY, Country: BELGIUM, Abstract-ID: 2625

INTRODUCTION:
Strenuous exercise and high-altitude exposure can disrupt neural activity and impair cognitive functioning. Research suggests that ketone ester (KE) ingestion may counteract cognitive impairments, however, its impact on neural activity during exercise and hypoxia remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated the impact of KE on electroencephalography (EEG) patterns during hypoxia and exercise.
METHODS:
Twelve healthy males completed three randomized crossover sessions: i) normoxia + placebo (NPL), ii) hypoxia + placebo (HPL), and iii) hypoxia + KE (HKE). Each session included normoxic endurance (ET120’) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT80’), followed by a 16-hour recovery period (including a night), in either normoxia or hypoxia (3,000 m simulated altitude). The next day, participants performed a normoxic 30-min all-out time-trial (TT30’). EEG was recorded in a resting state 2h after the onset of hypoxia, as well as during ET120’, HIIT80’, TT30’, while cerebral tissue oxygenation index (cTOI) was only evaluated at rest.
RESULTS:
At rest, hypoxia increased alpha and beta power while reducing cTOI (p<0.05 for NPL vs. HPL). KE attenuated the increase in alpha and beta power (alpha: p=0.005, beta: p=0.022, both for HKE vs. HPL), and the drop in cTOI (p=0.019 for HKE vs. HPL). In all conditions, EEG activity rose throughout ET120’ and normalized during a 5-min recovery period (REC), while HIIT80’ elicited a fluctuating neural response that normalized during REC. Independent of the condition, TT30’ increased theta, alpha, and gamma power, which all remained elevated during REC.
CONCLUSION:
Our data show that KE stabilizes resting-state EEG alterations induced by hypoxia. Moreover, we observed that EEG patterns are distinct for various exercise modalities, showing sustained post-exercise increases in theta, alpha, and gamma power after all-out efforts. These findings suggest that KE can help preserve neural stability under hypoxia and highlight EEG’s potential for monitoring fatigue and tailoring training or recovery strategies.