Why MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides) are fatty acids present in every BSE formula — and what that changes in practical terms
There is one question we are asked regularly:
"What are MCTs, and why do you put them in everything?"
Short answer: because they are the only lipid that behaves like sugar — without actually being one.
Long answer: here it is.
The problem with standard lipids
On paper, lipids are the best energy fuel in existence — 9 kcal per gram, compared to 4 for carbohydrates.
But their flaw is time.
A standard lipid — what is called an LCT, or long-chain triglyceride — follows a long and complex digestive path:
- Emulsification by bile
- Enzymatic breakdown by the pancreas
- Transit through the lymphatic system
- Arrival at the liver
- Specific transport to the mitochondria
From the mouth to the cell: 6 to 10 hours on average.
That's excellent for background energy. It's useless if you need it within the next 30 minutes.
What MCTs change
MCTs — medium-chain triglycerides — have a shorter molecular structure.
This structural difference changes everything at the digestive level:
- They are water-soluble — no need for emulsification
- They cross the intestinal barrier directly
- They arrive at the liver without lymphatic transit
- They enter the mitochondria without a specific transporter
Result: they are converted into ketones and available as energy in less than an hour.
And because they are consumed by the body as a priority, they are very rarely stored as fat.
It’s a lipid that behaves with the speed of a carbohydrate — without the associated blood sugar spike.
Why this is decisive for performance
Sugar gels work on a simple principle: glucose → rapid energy.
The problem: this spike is followed by a crash. And the more you take, the more you create a dependence on refueling.
MCTs break this cycle.
They provide energy that is immediately available, but without glycemic variation. No spike. No crash. No 20-minute window where you absolutely have to eat.
For long efforts — trail running, cycling, ultras — that is the difference between managing your energy and being a victim of it.
MCTs alone vs. MCTs + LCTs: why we combine the two
Pure MCT oil exists. We could stop there.
We don't.
Because MCTs alone have a limit: they last for less time than LCTs. The energy window is fast, but narrow.
That is why every BSE formula combines both:
- MCTs for immediate availability
- LCTs from oilseeds (macadamia, peanut) for duration
It’s a two-tier system. Not a random formula.
The quality of MCTs: a detail that isn't one
Not all MCT oils are equal.
MCTs come in several fatty acids, depending on their chain length:
- C8 (caprylic acid) and C10 (capric acid) → the most effective, rapid conversion into ketones
- C6 (caproic acid) → unpleasant taste and smell, no functional value
- C12 (lauric acid) → present in low-end MCT oils, behaves more like an LCT
The MCTs we use at BSE are composed exclusively of C8 and C10, derived from coconut oil, with no palm oil.
This is not a marketing claim. It is a formulation decision that directly impacts the effectiveness of the product.
Outside of sports: the brain also runs on ketones
A point we rarely mention, but which is well-documented.
The brain normally consumes glucose. But it can also use ketones — and some research suggests that it may even use them preferentially in certain contexts.
In practice, for an athlete or someone with a busy day: MCTs maintain stable mental clarity, without the post-meal brain fog associated with carbohydrates.
This is one of the reasons why the Peanut CORE formula works just as well as a daily snack as it does as pre-workout fuel.
Why MCTs are in every BSE formula
Not because of a trend. Not because it's a fashionable ingredient in the keto world.
Because without them, the lipid logic does not hold up for short to medium efforts.
LCTs from oilseeds are excellent — but slow. MCTs are the bridge between the slowness of lipids and the speed the body needs during effort.
Removing MCTs from our formulas would be like keeping the engine but removing the starter.