Energize your cells
D-ribose is a natural sugar that is found in all living cells. It is a component of several essential cellular compounds, including ATP, the energy currency of all cells. Supplemental ribose bypasses the rate-limiting step of ribose synthesis in the body, allowing energy stores to be replenished more quickly.

Fatigue and other energy issues
Studies have found that D-ribose has benefits in many health conditions that are affected by energy metabolism. It has cardiac benefits and improves fatigue. It helps the heart and improves physical function in individuals with coronary heart disease. It has been shown to improve symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Supplemental ribose is also helpful for healthy people who wish to improve their exercise performance and increase muscular strength.

The energy sugar
Supplemental D-ribose is readily absorbed by the body and extremely safe and well tolerated. AOR's Ribogen provides help for those who need an energy boost.

A PIVOTAL ROLE IN ATP
D-ribose, sometimes known simply as ribose, is a naturally occurring, five-carbon sugar. It can be synthesized endogenously from glucose and is essential to the functioning of life, as it is a component of all forms of ribonucleic acid (RNA), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as well as all nucleotides and nucleotide coenzymes. D-ribose from RNA is converted to D-deoxyribose, a component of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the building block of life itself.

D-ribose combines with adenine and three phosphate molecules to form adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is known as the 'molecular currency' of intracellular energy transfer, providing energy for every move and chemical reaction made by the body.

When ATP breaks its phosphate bonds, large amounts of energy are released. Under conditions of stress ¬particularly cardiac ischemia - the cell is simply unable to generate ATP fast enough. If ATP levels continue to be depleted, the cell initiates something of an emergency measure known as the myokinase reaction, which results in a dramatic decline in adenine nucleotide pools and requires several days or longer for a return to baseline levels, resulting in significantly prolonged recovery times. The inability of the heart and skeletal muscle cells to replenish their nucleotide pools quickly enough is due in large part to the inefficient metabolism of endogenous ribose needed for ATP nucleotide re-synthesis.

PHARMACOKINETIC MECHANISM OF ACTION
The body produces endogenous ribose from glucose mainly via the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP), and this is a lengthy and complex process. Supplemental D-ribose bypasses the main rate-limiting reaction and is expediently converted into the active form of D-ribose utilized by the body.

D-ribose and Cardiovascular Ischemia
The effectiveness of D-ribose has been demonstrated in the gold standard of scientific study; double-blind, placebo-controlled human trials. In one study, D-ribose was given to 20 men with severe documented coronary artery disease (CAD) and a history of angina induced by normal daily activities. Treated subjects exhibited improvement as measured electrocardiographically, and time to onset of moderate angina (during exercise testing) increased significantly in the ribose-treated subjects, indicating that D-ribose improved the heart's tolerance to ischemia. In another study involving 15 patients with coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure, it was found that D-ribose resulted in improved diastolic heart function as well as increased scores in physical function and quality of life.

D-ribose and Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fybromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are debilitating conditions that have been diagnosed with increasing frequency. In one study, supplementation of patients with FMS and/or CFS with D¬ribose led to a significant improvement in symptoms such as energy, sleep, mental clarity, pain intensity and well-being.

D-ribose and Exercise
D-ribose also has benefits for healthy people who are in need of extra energy. A double blind, placebo¬controlled trial observed the effects of supplemental ribose in 20 young male recreational bodybuilders. Supplementation led to increases in muscular strength and exercise performance.

D-ribose is extremely bio-available and well-tolerated in human trials. It continues to attract interest from the scientific community for the study of an increasing number of health conditions affected by energy metabolism.