A so-called \u201cU.S. Special Forces Drink\u201d that was once shrouded by suspicion and speculation is now one of the most guzzled supplements in the modern peloton.<\/p>\n
And it seems they\u2019re also on the brink of being given the full green light by the overlords of cycling.<\/p>\n
Reports this week out of Cycling Weekly<\/a> suggest a long-running trial by the UCI<\/a> will confirm there are no health risks associated with taking ketone esters.<\/p>\n It should clear any remaining doubt from a chemical concoction that\u2019s openly swigged \u2013 and actively promoted \u2013 by the teams of Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Mathieu van der Poel.<\/p>\n Cycling Weekly says the news will be made official soon after the Tour de France.<\/p>\n Velo contacted the UCI for comment or clarification but has not yet received a response.<\/p>\n If true, any imminent \u201capproval\u201d has been hella long time coming.<\/p>\n What were once the subject of tabloid fearmongering and sporting consternation<\/a> are now the backbone of a multi-million industry.<\/p>\n Ketones have joined \u201cgreen drinks\u201d and meal replacement powders in the pantries of biohackers and self-improvement gurus all over the world.<\/p>\n They\u2019re shilled on podcasts [including that of former yellow jersey Geraint Thomas], swilled by leading ultra runners, and fronted by protagonists of the 2025 Tour de France.<\/p>\n From university labs to pro cycling, via the US Special Forces Ketones have been one of the most divisive topics of the last decade of the Tour.<\/p>\n These synthetic esters provide the body a second source of substrate beyond carbohydrate to help enhance performance, concentration, and recovery.<\/p>\n They\u2019re perfect fodder for the attrition of the world\u2019s most intense race.<\/p>\n Indeed, they pack so much performance potential that the \u201cclean cycling\u201d MPCC<\/a> group has been steering its members away from the mystery substance until the UCI stamp of 100 percent approval.<\/p>\n Leading French riders and managers stirred further concern with comments that made ketones the devil\u2019s work and a symptom of \u201ca peloton at two speeds.\u201d<\/p>\n In fairness, the furor is reasonable given ketones have an \u201corigin story\u201d worthy of a Hollywood script.<\/p>\n These bitter concoctions bubbled out of university labs in the early 2000s after they were commissioned by the U.S. Special Forces.<\/p>\n A project named \u201cMetabolic Dominance\u201d called for a magic potion to power operatives in the most extreme environments.<\/p>\n When it emerged that the results were secretly slurped by British Olympians at the London Games and then potentially also Team Sky, it became the scandal of the post-Armstrong era.<\/p>\n The MPCC recently warned that ketones \u201cthreaten the credibility of the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n The organization \u201crecommends, or even prohibits\u201d its 7 men\u2019s WorldTour teams and 16 ProTeam members from the supplement.<\/p>\n Visma-Lease a Bike becomes ketone guinea pigs But time moves fast in elite sport.<\/p>\n The majority of the peloton pushed past seeing ketones as a pariah even before the start of the Pogi era.<\/p>\n The UCI\u2019s call for riders to \u201crefrain\u201d from ketones prior to the publication of its long-awaited report didn\u2019t stop Visma-Lease a Bike, Soudal Quick-Step, and Alpecin-Deceuncink from signing high-profile partnerships with ketone brands.<\/p>\n Dozens more riders use ketones, whether through team suppliers or independent purchase.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople seem to think ketones are some wonder supplement that completely changes performance. But they\u2019re not some magic potion\u201d Visma\u2019s head of performance Mathieu Heijboer once told Velo.<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-149925157-720x480.jpg\")
Ketones provoked all sorts of consternation when it was reported they were secretly trialed by British athletes in 2012. (Photo: Bryn Lennon\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Visma-Ketones-720x480.jpeg\")
Many top teams \u2013 including Visma-Lease a Bike \u2013 have partnerships with Ketone manufacturers. (Photo: Courtesy Ketone-IQ)<\/p>\n
![\"Milan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2223692005-720x480.jpg\")
Tour de France stage-winner Milan guzzles what appears to be a ketone shot after at the finish of the grand d\u00e9part. (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n