Creatine & Ribose for ATP Production
By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences
If you’re looking for more energy to power you through your workouts, consider a dietary supplement strategy that includes both creatine, an ATP initiator, and ribose, an ATP sustainer. The combination of these two natural substances is a promising ergogenic strategy for improving athletic performance and endurance.
ATP
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a high-energy compound which is often referred to as the body’s “energy currency.” This is truly an apt term since ATP provides a primary source of energy to power muscular activity. Although the biochemistry of ATP may seem complex, its contribution to energy metabolism can be explained simply: When the body splits off one of ATP’s three phosphates, its energy is released and the muscle cells channel some of that energy into mechanical movement.1 Where an athlete is concerned, the goal of energy metabolism is to provide an adequate amount of ATP to power the muscles throughout the course of their physical activity. This requires the presence of creatine and ribose, natural substances which initiate and sustain ATP production.