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Best Time to Test Ketones In Urine & Blood According to Research

Written by Hamz Edward

If you’re using ketone strips to test ketosis, it’s useful to know the best time to test ketones in urine and blood to get reliable results.

Consuming less than 50, or 30 grams of carbs per day is a guaranteed way to enter and maintain ketosis [1].

However, ketone strips can be a good indicator of how you’re doing when something doesn’t feel right, or when you’re new to keto. 

SEE ALSO: The absolute fastest way to enter ketosis

AT A GLANCE:
  • What is the best time to test ketones in urine? 
  • Results From The Study For The Urine & Blood Test
  • Bad Time To Test Urine and Blood Ketones
  • What level of ketones indicates ketosis? 
  • Takeaways

What is the best time to test ketones in urine? 

The department of medicine from the University of Freiburg, Germany, conducted a study to determine the best time of the day to test ketones in the urine [2]. 

Twenty healthy participants were instructed to follow the standard keto diet for six weeks. They were allowed to eat as they wished without any caloric restriction. However, they had to make sure 80% of their daily calories came from fat, 15% from protein, and 5% from fat. 

During the sixth week, the participants were instructed to measure their urine ketone and blood ketone level for 24 hours from 7 am till 7 am the next day. 

The tests were taken every hour and, every three hours during the day and, once at 3 am in the night. 

They measured the urine ketone level 18 times and blood 8 times in total. 

Results From The Study For The Urine & Blood Test

best time of the day for urine ketones
best time to test ketones in blood
  • As you can see from the image above, the early hours between 3 – 7 am was found to be the best and reliable time to test ketones in the urine and blood. 
  • Urinating in a few hours before taking the test could show slightly fewer ketones when you take the test. 
  • The time between 10 – 7 pm was considered to be the least effective time to test the ketone level.

Bad Time To Test Urine and Blood Ketones

You might have noticed some ups and downs throughout the day on both the urine and blood ketone graphs. The study says this is due to physical activity and food consumption, especially the urine ketones, can increase after dinner. 

What level of ketones indicates ketosis? 

According to a research paper published by the Ohio state university, ketone levels during nutritional ketosis is between 0.5 – 3mM. This is considered to be safe and well below the starvation and ketoacidosis ranges [3]. 

Takeaways

  • The best time of the day to test ketones in urine and blood is between 3-7 am. 
  • The worst time to test is 10 am – 7 pm.
  • Food and physical activity can give false results, thus why it’s best to test in the early hours. 

SEE ALSO:

  • is ginger keto friendlyIs Ginger Keto Friendly? Here’s What You Need To Know
  • what is starvation ketosisWhat Is Starvation Ketosis And Is It Bad For You?
  • fractionated coconut oil vs mct oilFractionated Coconut Oil vs MCT Oil: Is It The Same Thing?
  • how to get into ketosis in 24 hoursHow to Get Into Ketosis in 24 Hours: 4 TIPS To Speed Ketosis

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HI, IT’S HAMZ EDWARD!

I'm the creator of KetoDummies. I'm a 20 something married woman, and a health & wellness writer from London.

I've hypothyroidism and a bunch of other issues that pushed me to try keto. E.g., I didn't get my period for five months and got it back on the 7th day of being on keto. My primary goal for this blog is to share my experiences and everything I learn about keto with you all. Read my story...

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