Dextrose May Boost Sports Performance

In a recent study, dextrose has been shown once again to boost sports performance. Interestingly, the study compared Ribose to dextrose for sports performance in female college athletes. The theory posted by the article is that ribose could increase ATP stores and enhance exercise performance. I assume they were simply using dextrose as a placebo. Unfortunately I don't have access to the full text, and I am not sure if it has been entirely published online yet.

Ribose Versus Dextrose Supplementation, Association With Rowing Performance: A Double-Blind Study.

Dunne L, Worley S, Macknin M.

From the *Sports Medicine Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; the daggerDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH; and the double daggerChildren's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH.

OBJECTIVE:: It has been hypothesized that ribose supplementation rapidly replenishes adenosine triphosphate stores and thereby improves exercise performance. We compared the effects of ribose versus dextrose on rowing performance. DESIGN:: Double-blind randomized trial. SETTING:: Rowing team training area of large midwestern university. PARTICIPANTS:: Thirty-one women collegiate rowers. INTERVENTIONS:: We studied the effects of ribose versus dextrose supplementation (10 g each in 8 oz water) for 8 weeks before and after practice and 2000-m time trials. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS:: In the time trials, the dextrose group showed significantly more improvement at 8 weeks than the ribose group (median, 15.2 vs. 5.2 s; P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS:: We doubt ribose impaired, and hypothesize dextrose enhanced, rowing performance. Further research is needed to define what role, if any, dextrose and ribose play as athletic supplements

So for the rest of us, we can continue drinking our Gatorade during workouts.

Dextrose May Boost Sports Performance