Effect of low-dose acute ribose supplementation prior to and during repeated sprint exercise on anaerobic performance and blood lactate level

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the possible positive effects of acute low-dose ribose supplementation prior to and during repeated sprint interval exercise on anaerobic performance, blood lactate (BLa) levels, and perceived exertion. Materials and Methods: In a double-blind, randomized and crossover design, a total of 20 healthy males (mean [standard deviation]: age= 20.8 [0.8] yr, body weight= 79.9 [11.3] kg) ingested either a ribose supplementation or placebo prior to and during a Wingate test involving 4×30-s all-out cycling against a load representing 7.5% of participant’s body mass, with a 4-min of recovery at low-intensity between each sprint. The supplementation consisted of 2.5 g of ribose or placebo ingested 4 min before the Wingate tests and immediately after the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd sprint, for a total of 10 g. Results: Ribose supplementation significantly increased the peak power output (mean difference (Δ)=75.0 W; p=0.016; effect size (d)=0.59), and the mean power output of the second sprint (Δ=39.5 W; p=0.03; d=0.52), with no notable change in other sprint performances. Rating of perceived exertion significantly increased after the tests (p<0.001; partial eta squared (ηp2)=0.83), with no difference among the conditions (p>0.05). There was a slight but significant decrease in resting BLa before the Wingate test with ribose supplementation (Δ=0.05 mmol/L; p=0.047; d=0.48). The Wingate tests significantly increased BLa across time for both groups (p<0.001), yet levels of BLa prior to, during, and following the Wingate tests were similar among groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: These results show that acute ribose supplementation does not remarkably impact anaerobic performance during repeated sprint exercise.