The study, which was the work of authors based in the US and Brazil, was presented as a poster at a recent meeting of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. The manuscript is under review for formal publication.
PEAK ATP has been researched for years in various settings. According to Dr Ralf Jaeger, PhD, MBA, one of the study’s coauthors, this is the only the second study to validate the ingredient’s acute effects, which were significant.
Three arm study tests effective dose
The study was set up as a three arm, randomized, placebo-controlled trial designed to test 400 mg, 200 mg and 100 mg dosages of the ingredient. The researchers recruited 20 active young men for the study, who lifted weights after each of the acute PEAK ATP administrations. There was a one week washout period between arms.
The results found a significant effect of acute administration at the 400 mg dose. Participants lifted about 13% more weight in the single repetitions meant to test peak power and completed about 7% more repetitions in the portion of the test designed to test the ingredient’s effects on muscular endurance.
Dr Jaeger said that while the 400 mg acute dose results are significant, the study also has implications for chronic use of the ingredient. At the lower doses the subjects felt better during the peak strength and muscular endurance tests, which could translate into a long term benefit.
“When it comes to athletic performance, the acute dose needed is 400 mg. However, even as little as 100 mg showed an effect on how exerted athletes feel during workouts. This could translate into meaningful benefits on strength, power and muscle mass during a chronic training program, as it indicates that athletes can work out harder and more frequently, and consequently could see faster training adaptations,” Dr Jaeger told NutraIngredients-USA.