D-ribose is a sugar molecule that acts as a critical structural piece of DNA. DNA holds all of the body’s genetic information and also assists in producing the body’s main energy source, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). While ribose is naturally occurring in the body, many animal-based studies have shown that supplementation of the enatiomer D-ribose can improve many aspects of overall health as well as performance levels.

As it was previously mentioned, D-ribose plays an important role in the development of DNA. That being said, studies have found that the compound could potentially benefit exercise performance specifically in animals exhibiting lower fitness levels. Researchers administered 10mg of D-ribose to the test subjects daily and compared the results to a placebo group. The animals receiving the10 mg dose of D-ribose led to higher power output and lower exertion levels than subjects receiving the placebo. However, it was noted that these results did not translate to animals with higher fitness levels, indicating that further research should be conducted to find a dosage that improves performance in high fitness test subjects.

In addition to improving performance in low fitness test subjects, D-ribose has also shown potential in improving muscular function in animal subjects experiencing various genetic conditions that directly affect the muscles. For example, diseases like myoadenylate deaminase deficiency (MAD) cause muscle pain, fatigue, and cramps following any type of physical activity. Various studies have found that by giving the subjects a dose of D-ribose, muscle functioning was improved and there were fewer incidences of stiffness and cramps after exercise.

Due to its association with energy metabolism, researchers have examined the role D-ribose potentially plays in the treatment and management of pain disorders. Researchers examined the effects of D-ribose on animals with induced chronic fatigue to observe how the compound improved the symptoms. Subjects received a 15 mg dose of D-ribose daily and saw vast improvements in pain, energy, sleep, and overall well-being. These results translated to similar studies regarding the use of D-ribose against fibromyalgia. Similar results were reported as the subjects experienced decreased pain and improved quality of life. However, many of the studies being conducted lack comparison to a placebo group leading to limitations and an inability to determine conclusive results.

In regards to improvement of overall health, evidence shows that D-ribose has the potential to improve heart functioning in subjects experiencing various degrees of heart disease. Because of the role D-ribose plays in ATP production, researchers have hypothesized that the compound could potentially benefit the production of energy in the cardiac muscle. Notable studies initially began by inducing coronary heart disease in different animals and then administered varying doses of D-ribose. The first study gave the test subjects 60 mg of the compound and results found that at this dose there was improvement in the heart’s ability to tolerate low levels of blood flow during instances of exercise. A secondary study administered 15 mg of D-ribose and found that the functioning of the heart chambers was enhanced and overall quality of life was improved. Despite the promising results, further research must be conducted in order to determine the efficacy of the compound (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/d-ribose#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3).

Effects of D-ribose on Congestive Heart Failure

As it was mentioned above, D-ribose has shown promise in positively affecting the cardiac muscle due to its correlation with ATP production. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is one of the leading causes of death, therefore, researchers have begun to examine the potential role D-ribose can play in reducing the effects of CHF.

Researchers Pauly et. Al noted that D-ribose is related to an increased rate of ATP production, specifically in ischemic and hypoxic conditions. The rapid production of ATP is further linked to the preservation of cardiovascular energy levels. The study proceeded by exposing
rat hearts to transient ischemic-reperfusion. The hearts of the test subjects were then either isolated or treated with D-ribose. Results of the study found that following 10-15 minutes of simulated ischemia, the rats treated with D-ribose reached ATP levels at approximately 89%-96% of the baseline. In hearts not treated with the compound, ATP levels only reached 66%-69% of the baseline.

These results indicate that supplementation with D-ribose can greatly increase the amount of ATP in the tissue, thus leading to protection against hypoxic and ischemic conditions. Additionally, the researchers concluded that when comparing D-ribose to glutamate or pyruvate, it is not considered the most effective substrate for cardiac energy production. While it is not completely ineffective in this scenario, the compound shows higher efficacy in terms of producing ATP (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8005739/).

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