These results will likely lead to new baseline standards in energy product formulations

Most people don’t reach for energy drinks unless they are drowsy and have exhausted their energy reserves. Others depend on a candy bar to get them past their mid-afternoon energy slumps. While we know that caffeine, ribose and glucose provide energy benefits, Bioenergy Life Science researchers recently became the first team to test these ingredients using a fatigue model. The goal was to assist product formulators by determining the best possible ingredient synergies.

The exciting results may lead to changes in the ingredient ratios used in energy products. “In previous studies, the effects of these ingredients were evaluated on people under normal conditions,” explained Alex Xue, Ph.D., executive VP & chief technology officer, Bioenergy Life Science. “What made this fatigue model experiment different was that it showed us what happens when you give caffeine and/or ribose to subjects who are already fatigued and have used up their energy reserves. That’s relevant because it is a more real-world example of how these products are used.”

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