… I sent an email to Ketonix support asking if the Red on the sport ever went over two blinks as that was the highest mine has ever gone and by blood ketones have been up to 6.0. He got back to me this morning (fast) and I thought his answer would be interesting to others using the Ketonix so I am posting his reply here:
Hi Wallace!
Well no It could go to 10 but that is very high. The most I have seen is 5 in the red range.
The bhob and the acetone is two different animals which comes from the same source …then the similarities stop.
If you have a high bhob, your body have a good buffer of ketone energy in your blood and might not need to produce more ketones
depending on your energy need, e.g the ketogenesis becomes less active until you need more. If you then are not using the buffered ketones
(bhob) the acetone will decrease over time ….
Here is some information that I often refer to about the workings…
CORRELATION TO BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE
The correlation between blood and acetone is real and good ... when certain conditions exists like using a fasting protocol which is common in studies.
It can be described in a mathematical formula which only is valid in that context. Other situations ... other behaviour and formulas.
The reason that they sometimes correlate is that the acetone and beta-hydroxybutyrate have a common source acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate turns into acetoacetate when being used as energy.
An example, beta-hydroxybutyrate can be used as energy. When it is used as energy, it first turns back to acetoacetate. Acetoacetate spontaneously release acetone.
The result is beta-hydroxybutyrate decrease and acetone increase. In this situation the ketosis is remained and the beta-hydroxybutyrate will increase after body got some time to "fill up".
Another example is eating to much protein, example a large (to large) fatty steak with a fat sauce and greens. The fat in the meal will get the liver to produce acetoacetate (acetone, beta-hydroxybutyrate) and the excess of protein
might be converted into glucose and triggers insulin and kills the beta-hydroxybutyrate. The level of beta-hydroxybutyrate can be more rapidly destroyed than the breakdown and exhaled amount of acetone. Now the relationship is
high acetone and low beta-hydroxybutyrate. In this example it will take some time to get the ketosis up again, it will decrease during some hours.
A third example, you have a good level of energy in your body (fat in muscles, beta-hydroxybutyrate in blood) and had a long sleep. The body had no food to process or need to make more energy, ketogenesis is low. As the acetone is
broken down and exhaled over time, you may find a high beta-hydroxybutyrate and a low acetone level. This is a typical "morning value" to be low. (Im usually in green, about 5). During the day you eat and move, your body needs energy and
the ketogenesis increases. More acetoacetate (and acetone, beta-hydroxybutyrate) is generated. You would see a increase of acetone, and depending on your fat-adaption and energy expenditure, some level of beta-hydroxybutyrate.
Well to sum it up: acetone indicates the generation of acetoacetate. Acetone is not used for energy and is broken down in liver and exhaled. When using beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetone increase. Beta-hydroxybutyrate can be buffered in blood.
When energy is needed it gets used and acetone increase.
Ketonix measures the acetone and indicates the ketosis, creation and usage of ketones. It does not measure "blood ketones", their existence depends on how much you save or use. In some situations, like a study when a fasting protocol is used to
get the subjects producing ketones the relationship can be formulated.
The ketonix indicates "ketosis" - creation and usage of ketones, not the current unused concentration of beta-hydroxybutyrate in blood.
If one needs to know how much beta-hydroxybutyrate there is in their "gastank (blood)", the best way is to use a blood ketone tester.
Another difference is that the beta-hydroxybutyrate can be destroyed in minutes if a insulin spike is generated, Acetone is exhaled and broken down in liver, which
takes more time (hrs).
I hope this explains some of your question?
Best Regards
Michel