Ribose, Caffeine Combo Fights Fatigue 54168

HAM LAKE, Minn.A combination of caffeine and ribose can provide energy benefits, especially in circumstances of fatigue, according to new research conducted by Bioenergy Life Science.

Researchers used a standard mice fatigue model to study the effects of caffeine, ribose and glucose on energy. For three days prior to the start of the experiment, mice swam to the point of exhaustion to deplete their energy reserves. During the actual experiment, the mice swam in the morning and afternoon for three days. On the third day, their swimming time dropped more than 20% compared to their baseline average over the first two days.

On day four, the mice were fed their normal diet plus one of four treatments: glucose only, caffeine only, ribose only or a 50/50 ribose and caffeine combination. Their endurance was tested again after receiving the treatments. Results showed:

In the second stage, we used different ribose/caffeine concentrations. We determined that the optimal combinationwhen translated into human equivalentsis 10mg/kg caffeine plus 4 grams of ribose. With this combination, we could boost swimming time to 180%. Though this is the optimal combination, it should be noted that lower doses of ribose also improve the swimming time, " said Alex Xue, Ph.D., executive VP and chief technology officer, Bioenergy Life Science.

When the caffeine concentration was higher, the effect was negative, possibly due to too much stimulant (caffeine) without base energy (ribose) to fill the order, Xue said. "This makes sense because we know that ribose helps the heart to relax, and a relaxed heart can function more efficiently. Caffeine, on the other hand, can make the heart more exhausted because it causes the heart rate to become quick and shallow."