Ribose for Sports & Fitness

What is it?

Ribose is a type of sugar normally made in the body from glucose. Ribose plays important roles in the synthesis of RNA, DNA, and the energy-containing substance adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Where is it found?

Ribose is present in small amounts in many foods of plant or animal origin.

Why do athletes use it?*

Some athletes say that ribose

helps improve recovery from intense exercise.

What do the advocates say?*

Ribose is used in the body to make adenine nucleotides, which are important components of the high energy compound adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Intense exercise depletes ATP and adenine nucleotides, and ribose supplementation can help restore normal levels of these components more quickly.

How much is usually taken by athletes?

Ribose is a type of sugar used by the body to make the energy-containing substance adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Intense exercise depletes muscle cells of ATP as well as the ATP precursors made from ribose,¹ ² though these deficits are typically replaced within minutes.³ Unpublished reports suggested that ribose supplementation might increase power during short, intense bouts of exercise.⁴ ⁵ However, in a double-blind study, exercisers took 4 grams of ribose four times per day during a six-day strength-training regimen, and no effects on muscle power or ATP recovery in exercised muscles were found.⁶ In two other controlled studies, either 10 grams of ribose per day for five days or 8 grams every 12 hours for 36 hours resulted in only minor improvements in some measures of performance during repetitive sprint cycling.⁷ ⁸

Are there any side effects or interactions?

No known side effects have been reported from the use of ribose when consumed in amounts of less than 10 grams per day. Larger amounts may cause gastrointestinal distress such as diarrhoea,⁹ and may lower glucose levels,¹⁰ although it is not known whether symptoms of hypoglycaemia might result.

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with ribose.

Resources

See a list of books, periodicals, and other resources for this and related topics.

*Athletes and fitness advocates may claim benefits for ribose based on their personal or professional experience. These are individual opinions and testimonials that may or may not be supported by controlled clinical studies or published scientific articles on ribose. For more complete and detailed information, including references and safety information, see Ribose as a nutritional supplement.

References
(To view, roll mouse over heading; to hide, click on heading)

1. Hellsten-Westing,Y, Norman B, Balsom PD, Sjodin B. Decreased resting levels of adenine nucleotides in human skeletal muscle after high-intensity training. J Appl Physiol 1993;74:2523–8.

2. Tullson PC, Terjung RL. Adenine nucleotide synthesis in exercising and endurance-trained skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol 1991;261:C342–7.

3. Zhao S, Snow RJ, Stathis CG, et al. Muscle adenine nucleotide metabolism during and in recovery from maximal exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol 2000;88:1513–9.

4. Ziegenfuss T. The effects of Ribocell supplementation on repeated sprint performance: a pilot study. Submitted to the American College of Sports Medicine 47th Annual Meeting, 1999.

5. Trappe S. Effect of ribose supplementation on nucleotide depletion following high intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle, 1999. Data on file at Bioenergy, Inc., 13840 Johnson St. N.E., Minneapolis, MN 55304.

6. Op 'T Eijnde B, Van Leemputte M, Brouns F, et al. No effects of oral ribose supplementation on repeated maximal exercise and de novo ATP resynthesis. J Appl Physiol 2001;91:2275–81.

7. Kreider RB, Melton C, Greenwood M, et al. Effects of oral D-ribose supplementation on anaerobic capacity and selected metabolic markers in healthy males. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2003;13:76–86.

8. Berardi JM, Ziegenfuss TN. Effects of ribose supplementation on repeated sprint performance in men. J Strength Cond Res 2003;17:47–52.

9. Gross M, Reiter S, Zollner N. Metabolism of D-ribose administered continuously to healthy persons and to patients with myoadenylate deaminase deficiency. Klin Wochenschr 1989;67:1205–13.

10. Gross M, Zollner N. Serum levels of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide during long-term D-ribose administration in man. Klin Wochenschr 1991;69:31–6.

Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.

Learn more about the authors of Healthnotes.

The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires March 2007.