ATP: The Complete Guide to This Supplementation

ATP has been thought of as a chemical that the body creates from other nutrients, not a substance that can be taken as a supplement. But taking ATP pills or powders can benefit your workouts.

What is ATP?

ATP has tri-phosphate in each molecule. When these groups are removed from the molecule, a large amount of energy is released. Your body uses energy to perform a series of critical processes.

These include the transport of proteins and lipids (fat) into and out of your cells, communication between cells, DNA and RNA synthesis and, last but not least, the muscle contractions that make movement possible. As you use your muscles, your body creates a new ATP to maintain the energy demand. But muscle tissue can only store enough to last for a few seconds. When you’re working muscles hard, you use all this energy quickly, so your body turns to phosphocreatine, glucose, and oxygen to help replenish ATP. Some people take a creatine supplement

to provide energy for short-term, high-intensity exercise performance. Creatine provides this energy by increasing the supply of phosphocreatine (PCr) that your body can use to form more ATP.

Consuming carbohydrates before exercise works similarly. By consuming them, you increase your blood glucose levels, which can also be used to produce more ATP during a process called glycolysis.

Benefits of ATP Supplements

Would not it make more sense just to take ATP supplements? Yes and no.

Some studies point to beneficial effects as long as you are a laboratory mouse. Follow-up studies using human participants were not as promising. But the story doesn’t end here.

ATP supplements may not directly increase the amount of chemicals in muscle tissue, but they can improve blood flow to the active tissue, increase your physical performance and accelerate recovery.

Better strength and endurance

A 2004 study found that while two weeks of supplementation did not increase the amount of ATP in muscle tissue, it allowed study subjects to complete more bench press repetitions at 70% 1RM compared to the group taking placebos.

Another study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition notified that over 400 milligrams of ATP taken for 15 days in a row reduced muscle fatigue and helped participants exert more force for longer during intensive exercise compared to the control group. Researchers found that 400 milligrams of ATP, combined with 12 weeks of resistance training, allowed participants to make significant improvements in their 1RM squat and deadlift compared to a placebo.

The study also showed that participants who took the supplements gained more than twice the thickness of the quadriceps muscle as those taking a placebo.

Increased blood flow

In addition to improving muscle function, ATP supplementation may also increase vasodilation or enlargement of the arteries. Wider tubes mean that more fuel – oxygen and glucose – can reach the active muscles faster.

This vasodilation also helps clean metabolic waste products such as lactate and urea from muscle tissue, and provides more nutrients to speed muscle repair.

Best Recovery

As per the 2017 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, supplementing with ATP prevented their levels from falling after intense exercise.

Participants who took supplements also maintained greater potency than placebo takers when both groups performed repeated tests. As of the date this post was written, there are no known side effects for adenosine triphosphate adiposity, although the longer study to date took only 12 weeks. The effects of sustained use have not been studied.

What about interactions with other supplements?

It seems safe to combine ATP with other supplements. If there is any effect, they are more likely positive by increasing the benefits you get from supplements like creatine and beta-alanine .

How much ATP should you take?

ATP supplements usually come in pill form, although there is also powder version. Health experts generally suggest that creatine monohydrate is best if you want to increase ATP levels during exercise. The key is to ensure that you get 400 milligrams of ATP to maximize any potential benefit.

When Should You Take ATP?

There are still definitive studies on the best times and amounts of ATP supplementation. It is advisable to take 400 milligrams of ATP 30 minutes before exercise to work better. On non-workout days, take it on an empty stomach 30 minutes before the first meal. For better muscle building, make sure you get the high quality genotropin 36 iu and hgh humatrope 72 iu.

Author: Dr. Dipan Samanta

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