Your body must be continuously supplied with energy to perform its many complex functions. As the body's energy demands increase with exercise, work, or in various disease states, there must be a way to provide this additional energy of you stop functioning at your optimum level.

In normal conditions at rest, our bodies are able to produce all the ATP we need for a healthy existence. However, in stressful conditions, such as doing strenuous high-intensity exercise or when suffering from various diseases, ATP cannot be replaced fast enough. In fact, when ATP is broken down for energy under these conditions, some of the molecules used by the cell to recycle ATP are washed out of the cell and cannot be easily replaced. When that happens, there are not enough of these compounds available to continued life of the cell, can be compromised.

To stay healthy and active, to keep our hearts functioning properly and to maintain peak levels of muscle performance, we need to keep this pool of ATP at the highest level possible. This pool of ATP is absolutely vital for out heart and skeletal muscles to have all the energy they need to provide maximum strength and endurance.   

 

You like to give it your all at the gym and on the playing field. After all, you know that maximum intensity can lead to maximum gains. But sometimes you train so hard that the amount of energy stored in your muscle cells can't be restored before your next workout. If this happens, you wind up with a long-term reduction in a vital energy compound known as adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.

ATP stores virtually all of the energy needed by the body. During the normal process of metabolism, ATP is hydrolyzed—broken down with water and oxygen. The process of break down causes a burst of energy, giving ATP its "energy currency" status because it releases vital energy within cells innumerable times throughout the day. This energy keeps the heart beating and oxygen flowing and empowers muscle cells to meet daily demands.

A body at rest produces all the ATP it needs. In stressful conditions, however, such as strenuous, high-intensity exercise or various diseases, ATP cannot be replaced fast enough. In addition, some of the molecules used by the cell to recycle ATP are washed out of the cell. These events compromise both the life of the cell and how the cell functions.

If your body is not subjected to physical stress, you don't need additional ATP—but most people meet with physical challenges everyday. In particular, activities that cause ischemia call for ribose supplementation. Ischemia is a blockage of blood circulation, and can occur due to a number of factors.

A stroke is a cerebral—meaning brain—ischemia. Strokes cause problems when the circulation blockage prevents oxygen from getting to cells, and cells die. Similarly, when there is a blockage in circulation anywhere in the body, there is insufficient oxygen in the area that's blocked. If the blockage is due to exertion—doing a sit-up for instance—as soon as the motion is completed, circulation flow continues with no dire consequence, unless the motion that causes the blockage is prolonged or repeated enough to retard ATP production. Without oxygen, ATP cannot be regenerated.

Blood clots or other blockages to coronary arteries also cause ischemia; atherosclerosis is another cause. These are medical conditions that may call for ATP supplements. More commonly, sudden or strenuous exercise can also cut off blood supply to some part of the body—the sit-ups mentioned above, for example. This kind of ischemia is usually referred to as exercise ischemia.

Marathon runners, distance swimmers, triathletes, and cyclists may experience exercise ischemia if they are training for long periods. Firefighters and police officers may also experience physical stress and ischemia if they are required to exert sudden and extreme amounts of energy while on duty.

"Weekend warriors" have the entire week to restore their muscle-energy stores between exercise bouts and may not need ATP to maintain optimum cellular energy levels. In contrast, those who exercise to the point of exhaustion frequently during the week probably do have trouble keeping cellular energy levels up and could use a little help from ATP products. Even individuals training three or four times per week may not see cellular energy levels return to normal between sessions. One day of rest between heavy exercise bouts is often not sufficient to fully restore ATP levels in muscle.