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Inosine

Inosine is a nucleoside, a nucleoside consists of a base and a simple sugar. Nucleosides are supplied with food and can be produced by the body itself. They are extremely important building blocks of the cell nucleus and are used to produce ATP, which is the cell's energy source. Uric acid is produced when nucleosides are broken down. There are publications that show that not enough nucleosides are supplied with food in the case of poor nutrition or stress. It is possible that the formation of nucleosides is reduced in MS, and there is evidence of impaired nucleoside formation in another neurodegenerative disease, neuritis pigmentosa (impaired guanosine synthesis). Nucleotides such as inosine are found in many foods, such as meat, vegetables, fruit and brewer's yeast, but also in milk and dairy products. In a clinic in Bern, inosine was tested on 10 MS patients with a chronic course, some improved, the rest remained the same, no one got worse. The effect was believed to be due to the antioxidant effect of the higher uric acid; there are indications that patients with higher uric acid have less MS. An inosine study is currently underway in the United States. Some MS patients in the U.S. and in Germany are already successfully taking inosine. The biomolecule inosine consists of two components, the amine "hypoxanthine" and the carbohydrate "ribose". Hypoxanthine plays a role in the nervous system as it binds to certain receptors (known as adenosine receptors). Inosine is also found in certain nucleic acids that are involved in the synthesis of protein.

Inosine accelerates the connection of still active nerve cells

Inosine, a naturally occurring substance in the brain, could help patients recover lost abilities such as speaking or walking after a stroke. Researchers led by Larry Benowitz from Harvard Medical School have shown that the substance supports the growth of nerve cells after a stroke in rats. Brain scans underpinned the success of inosine therapy. According to this, inosine promoted the interconnection of the still active nerve cells after a stroke and thus rehabilitation. Inosine is naturally produced in greater quantities after a brain injury. An additional dose accelerated the healing process in the test animals, as the researchers report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The animals regained control of their movements more quickly after the stroke than the untreated comparison animals. After 19 days, the animals regained full control of their clumsy paws, reports the BBC. The scientists hope that the positive effect of inosine can also be reproduced in humans after a stroke. "There have been a number of disappointing drugs that have tried to limit the damage after a stroke," says Patrick Anderson from University College London. Inosine is the first substance to actively support regeneration. Anderson sees a further advantage in the fact that the animals still responded to the substance even 24 hours after the stroke, as most strokes occur at night.

Need in sport

Inosine improves oxygen binding to the red blood cells and can therefore lead to significantly better endurance performance. In this context, inosine is also interesting for fat reduction because improved aerobic endurance can be directly translated into higher energy output during this training. Inosine is extremely important for athletes because more ATP and oxygen guarantee a longer load without oxygen debt - athletes can train longer in the aerobic energy phase that is most favorable for them. For strength athletes, in practice this means one, maybe two more repetitions per set. Athletes report a noticeable inosine kick, as well as increased endurance performance and greater strength during training. These effects of inosine only become fully apparent during high-intensity training and are advised at a dose of 1500-2000mg, one hour before training. There are two choices of inosine: hypoxanthine riboside and di-sodium inosinate. Because of its sodium content, disodium inosinate should not be taken shortly before bodybuilding competitions, as sodium promotes water retention. Otherwise it has virtually no side effects.

Safety and side effects

It is not known whether inosine is safe and harmless, or what possible side effects it may have.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the safety of Inosine during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid inosine to be on the safe side

Gout: Taking inosine could aggravate gout.

References

  1. Hatfield, FC (1985) Ergogenesis - Achieving Peag Athletic Performance Without Drugs, Fitness Systems, Canoga Park.
  2. Phillips, WN (1991) Anabolic Reference Guide - 6th Edition. Mile High Publishing, Golden.