BHB for Performance: How goBHB Improves Heart Function, Energy, and Endurance
By: Marc Lobliner, IFBB Pro
Introduction: Why Heart Function Matters for Performance
When it comes to athletic performance, most people think about muscles, protein, and training volume. But the truth is this: if your heart isn’t working at its best, nothing else can. Every rep, every sprint, every movement depends on the engine that powers it all — your cardiovascular system.
That’s where BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate), specifically goBHB, comes in. Research is showing that ketones aren’t just brain fuel — they can dramatically improve how your heart performs. And when your heart is working better, everything else gets better too.
What is BHB and Why Does It Matter for Athletes?
BHB is a ketone body your body naturally produces during fasting, low-carb diets, or intense exercise. Supplementing with exogenous ketones like goBHB allows you to elevate circulating ketones without needing to starve or go zero-carb.
But here’s the breakthrough: ketones don’t just fuel the brain. They directly influence cardiovascular performance, blood flow, and endurance capacity.
Clinical Evidence: BHB and Heart Function
A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association showed that infusions of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB, the same molecule as BHB) increased cardiac output by 35–40% in both healthy individuals and patients with heart failure. The mechanism wasn’t contractility — it was afterload reduction. In simple terms, BHB helped the heart pump more efficiently by lowering resistance in the vascular system【JAHA, 2024】.
L-3-OHB (one enantiomer of BHB) was especially potent, leading to a 2.7 L/min increase in cardiac output.
This translated into better circulation, improved oxygen delivery, and greater overall cardiovascular efficiency.
When your heart pumps more effectively, muscles receive more oxygen and nutrients. That means better endurance, faster recovery, and higher performance across the board.
Why goBHB is Different
Not all ketones are created equal. Some companies use 1,3-butanediol, which isn’t even a ketone and must be metabolized in the liver — consuming ATP in the process and causing potential safety concerns.
goBHB is the clinically studied, pure form of beta-hydroxybutyrate that’s been used in trials at Ohio State University and with the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN). It’s safe, effective, and rapidly usable by your body as clean energy.
Performance Benefits of goBHB
1. Endurance Boost
More efficient heart output means more oxygen delivered to working muscles. That translates into higher endurance and the ability to sustain longer training sessions.
2. Faster Recovery
Improved circulation helps clear metabolic waste products and speed recovery between sets, workouts, and competitions.
3. Brain and Reaction Time
Ketones are preferred fuel for the brain. Athletes report sharper focus, improved decision-making, and reduced “mental fatigue” during training.
4. Energy Without the Crash
Unlike caffeine or sugar, goBHB provides steady energy without the spike-and-crash cycle that kills performance.
Example Training Splits With goBHB Support
4-Day Upper/Lower Split:
Day 1: Upper Body Strength (bench, rows, presses, pull-ups)
Day 2: Lower Body Power (squats, deadlifts, lunges, sled pushes)
Day 3: Rest or Active Recovery
Day 4: Upper Hypertrophy (incline press, lateral raises, dips, curls)
Day 5: Lower Hypertrophy (front squat, RDLs, Bulgarian split squats, calves)
Taking goBHB pre-workout supports higher work capacity and faster recovery between heavy lifts.
Endurance + Strength Hybrid:
Mornings: 30–45 min interval conditioning (rower, bike, sprints)
Evenings: Strength training with compound lifts
goBHB helps maintain energy across double sessions while supporting cardiovascular efficiency.
BHB vs Carbs and Caffeine: Smarter Fuel
Carbs: Provide fast energy but spike blood sugar and insulin. Leads to crashes.
Caffeine: Improves alertness but raises heart rate and blood pressure, stressing the system.
goBHB: Provides clean fuel, enhances heart output, and sharpens focus without the negative side effects.
Science Says: goBHB is a Game-Changer
Studies show:
BHB can increase cardiac output by up to 40%【Nielsen et al., Circulation 2019】
BHB infusion improves myocardial blood flow by 75%【Gormsen et al., JAHA 2017】
BHB improves performance markers in both endurance and recovery settings【ISSN, Ohio State ongoing studies】
FAQ
Q: Does goBHB improve athletic performance?
Yes. By improving heart efficiency and circulation, goBHB boosts endurance, recovery, and overall performance.
Q: Is goBHB safe?
Yes. goBHB is the clinically studied, safe form of BHB. Unlike 1,3-butanediol, it does not consume ATP or pose unnecessary risks.
Q: Can BHB replace carbs or caffeine?
Not entirely — but it’s a smarter fuel that provides steady energy, enhances heart output, and avoids the crash. Caffeine is stimulant energy while goBHB is REAL ENERGY.
Q: Who should use goBHB?
Athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and anyone looking to enhance endurance, focus, or recovery.
Final Takeaway
If your heart works better, you perform better. Period. goBHB from Ketone Labs isn’t just another supplement — it’s a clinical breakthrough in how we fuel performance. Stronger circulation, steadier energy, sharper focus, and faster recovery.
👉 Try goBHB today and experience the performance edge backed by real science.
References
Nielsen R. et al. Circulation. 2019;139:2129–2141.
Gormsen L.C. et al. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017;6:e005066.
Berg-Hansen K. et al. JACC Heart Fail. 2023;10:1337–1347.
Current ISSN & Ohio State University ongoing studies on goBHB.