Dominic D'Agostino, a University of South Florida professor, has extensively studied exogenous ketones and their ability to preserve muscle mass. Exogenous ketones are compounds that mimic the effects of fasting by raising blood ketones and lowering blood glucose without requiring dietary changes. They include ketone esters, which are either naturally or synthetically derived by adding acetoacetate or beta-hydroxybutyrate to a backbone molecule through an ester bond. Ketone esters are potent and can significantly increase ketone levels for an extended period of time, making them promising for therapeutic uses such as reducing seizures without the risks of excess electrolytes associated with ketone salt formulations.