That’s what Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, and Valen Labs wanted to determine with an open label, 41-patient feasibility study, the results of which are now being released.

The study had two endpoints: assessing the level of relief in symptoms of fatigue and pain; and determining changes in patient quality of life.

The patients in the study had an average age of 48 years and were 78-percent female, which is in keeping with the general population as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome affect twice as many women as men and typically first appears at middle age.

At the start of the study the patients completed a 10-point quality of life visual analog scale and then took five grams of CORvalenTM D-ribose orally, three times a day, for an average of 28 days.

After the 28-day treatment period the QOL questionnaire was repeated, and 69-percent of the 36 patients who completed the course of CORvalenTM treatment had significant improvement in their symptoms. They also averaged a 25-percent improvement in the QOL scale.

“What this did was verify what we already knew about the impact of ribose on energy recovery in muscles generally,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, Medical Director of the Center for Effective CFS/Fibromyalgia Therapies in Annapolis, Maryland. “But specifically we determined the energy building benefit of ribose directly improved the debilitating symptoms of these conditions. I think this study, and follow on studies now in development, will make ribose one of the most important new nutrients studies in the next few years.”

Any bit of good news on the relief front - from ribose or otherwise - will certainly be welcome by the over two million Americans who suffer from widespread pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, headaches and other symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

“Despite the fact chronic pain syndrome with fibromyalgia-like symptoms have been described in medical literature for over 200 years, we still don’t know the exact cause,” states Clarence Johnson, CEO of Bioenergy and Valen Labs. “We do know however that people with fibromyalgia have lower levels of the energy molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and a reduced capacity to make ATP in their muscles. We know from previous studies ribose can fuel ATP synthesis and are gratified to see this latest piece of science showing ribose supplementation can reduce muscle pain and enhance quality of life for those suffering with fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue.”

Bioenergy, Inc., is a privately-held, Minneapolis-based life sciences company whose core technology lies in the development and commercialization of products based on the physiological benefits of D-ribose in health and wellness. Bioenergy’s clear mission is to develop products that increase the quality of its customers’ lives by improving the function of their hearts, muscles, and other body tissues. Valen Labs, Inc., its subsidiary, markets ribose-based products to the functional food and clinical nutrition markets. Valen’s products include Bioenergy RIBOSETM, a functional ingredient in the active lifestyle market; CORvalenTM, a clinical nutrition product giving metabolic support to heart patients; and CORvalenMTM, a dietary supplement that helps relieve myalgia, muscle soreness, cramping and fatigue. For more information go to http://www.bioenergy.com.

D-ribose, however, is very essential for life. Some of the most important biological molecules contain D-ribose, including ATP (adenosine triphosphate), all the nucleotides and nucleotide coenzymes and all forms of RNA (ribonucleic acid). D-ribose, in the form of ribonucleoside diphosphates, is converted to deoxyribonucleoside diphosphates, precursor molecules for DNA. D-ribose in RNA and D-deoxyribose in DNA may be considered genetic sugars.

Since D-ribose is ubiquitous in living matter, it is ingested in our diets. Such nutritional substances as brewers yeast are rich in RNA and are thus rich sources of D-ribose. Some recent research suggests that supraphysiological amounts of this sugar may have cardioprotective effects, particularly for the ischemic heart.

D-ribose is a sweet, solid, water-soluble substance that is also known as alpha-D-ribofuranoside. L-ribose does not have biological activity. D-ribose is sometimes referred to as just ribose. Supplemental D-ribose is produced from the fermentation of corn syrup.

Ribose is used to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate). In theory, supplementing your diet with additional ribose should increase the rate at which ATP is generated, leading to an improvement in exercise performance and faster muscle growth. ATP is constantly being broken down and “recreated”. In the process, it provides energy for every move you make and every chemical reaction that occurs in human body. The adenine portion of adenine triphosphate consists of one molecule of adenine and the five-carbon sugar, ribose. The triphosphate portion of ATP consists of three phosphate molecules.

Energy is released when one of those phosphates is broken off from ATP. The compound then becomes adenosine diphosphate (ADP), which consists of adenosine and two phosphate molecules. ADP becomes adenosine monophosphate (AMP) when another phosphate molecule is broken off. The ratio between ATP, ADP and AMP is critical in regulating the energy content of a cell. However, during high-intensity exercise, the cell is unable to “recreate” ATP fast enough. Under these conditions, the concentrations of ADP and AMP rise, leading to a reduction in the “energy charge” of the cell. If ATP use continues to exceed the rate at which it can be generated, nucleotides are lost from the cell in an attempt to restore the ratio between ATP, ADP and AMP. During anaerobic metabolism, in an attempt to keep up with cellular energy demands, 2 ADP’s combine to form 1 ATP and 1 AMP, by way of a metabolic process called the myokinase reaction. As a result, AMP builds up in the cell, and disturbs the ratio of ATP to ADP and AMP, which the cell works to keep in check. To do this, AMP concentrations must be lowered by degrading AMP to simpler end products, which are washed out of the cell and lost forever. The final result, is a dramatic decrease in the adenine nucleotide pool. In fact, the adenine nucleotide pool can decrease by as much as 50% in heart muscle following ischemia (diminished blood flow to tissues), and around 32% in skeletal muscle following high - intensity exercise. When the adenine nucleotide pool is reduced, performance and recovery are compromised very noticeably.

Ribose, when taken as a nutritional supplement, bypasses the slow conversion steps needed to recreate the adenosine nucleotide, and is readily available for the creation of more ATP. Replacing these lost adenine nucleotides can take several days, reducing the rate at which muscle fibers are repaired. Supplemental ribose can increase the speed at which these nucleotides are replaced, both at rest and during exercise. As such, there has been a great deal of interest in the potential of ribose supplements to boost muscular performance in sports.