D-Ribose

    Written by:
    Thomas Solomon

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Giulia Guerrini, Conni Covington
    Last Updated: May 9, 2025

    Ribose is a five‑carbon sugar that forms the backbone of RNA and key energy molecules like ATP, NADH, and some B vitamins. Supplementing with ribose might improve symptoms of heart failure and some aspects of exercise recovery, but more research is needed to understand its efficacy fully.

    What is D-ribose?

    D-ribose (referred to as ribose in this article) is a type of sugar made with five carbon atoms known as a pentose.[10][11] Ribose forms the backbone of RNA, the genetic material involved in translating genes into protein.[10][11] Ribose is also a component of molecules involved in energy metabolism, including ATP, coenzymes such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride (NADH), and vitamins such as niacin (vitamin B3) and riboflavin (vitamin B2).[10][12][11]

    Ribose is naturally produced in the body via the pentose phosphate pathway,[10][12][13] but small amounts can also be obtained from the diet, because it is found in meats, vegetables, and soy-containing products.[14][15][16] Ribose is also sold as a dietary supplement, marketed to enhance energy levels and recovery in athletes.[15]

    What are D-ribose’s main benefits?

    Potential benefits for heart health

    Several review papers claim that ribose can treat heart failure in people with coronary artery disease;[17][18][19][20] however, much of the evidence comes from preclinical studies in rodents.[21][22][23][24] That said, some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have found that supplementation with ribose (in addition to heart failure medications) can improve the symptoms of heart failure,[1][2][3] including increased left ventricular ejection fraction and exercise capacity, both of which are impaired in people with this condition.

    Despite these possible benefits in heart failure, there are few clinical studies, outcomes are variable between studies, and potential risks need to be examined in more detail (see What are ribose’s main drawbacks?). Therefore, well-designed large-scale RCTs are needed to understand ribose’s efficacy in people with heart failure before it can be considered for widespread clinical practice.

    Potential benefit for exercise recovery

    Some RCTs show that supplementation with D-ribose can reduce feelings of muscle soreness and markers of muscle damage and oxidative stress following exercise,[5][6] while increasing the resynthesis of ATP in skeletal muscle.[7] However, the recovery of muscle strength is not improved,[5] and other studies find mixed outcomes or that ribose has no benefit on recovery.[8][9][25] Furthermore, RCTs have found that ribose has no benefit on exercise performance during either aerobic[26] or anaerobic[27][7][28][29][9] exercise tests. Therefore, ribose might assist with recovery, but it does not improve exercise performance. That said, studies in this field include fewer than 10 participants and only include men, which highlights the need for higher-quality research.

    What are D-ribose’s main drawbacks?

    Although some studies report minor side effects following ribose ingestion, such as nausea and diarrhea,[30][31][15][4] regulatory bodies like the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) state that ribose is generally considered safe for consumption at a daily intake level of up to 36 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.[31][15][4] This is equivalent to approximately 2.5 grams per day in a person weighing 70 kg (154 pounds).

    One drawback emerges from research showing that ribose can react with proteins in the body via process called glycation, leading to the formation of endogenous advanced glycation end products (AGEs),[32][33][34] molecules that can damage cells and cause health complications. Furthermore, evidence from preclinical studies in rodents shows that high doses of ribose can cause cognitive decline,[35] possibly via the accumulation of AGEs.[35][34] These findings raise an important question concerning the potential adverse effects of long-term ribose supplementation. This concern is further emphasized by the lack of thorough dose-response and pharmacokinetics studies in humans. A full understanding of ribose’s safety profile in humans is lacking.

    Another drawback is that the evidence underpinning the effects of ribose on heart failure and exercise performance and recovery (see What are ribose’s main benefits?) has a moderate to high risk of bias because there are few studies, small sample sizes, and a high level of between-study heterogeneity.

    How does D-ribose work?

    Ribose is used in the body to form RNA (the genetic material that helps translate genes into proteins)[10][11] and molecules involved in energy metabolism, including ATP, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride (NADH), niacin (vitamin B3) and riboflavin (vitamin B2).[10][12][11] These functional abilities to increase protein synthesis and energy metabolism might explain how some studies have found that supplementation with ribose can reduce symptoms of heart failure,[1][2][3] increase the resynthesis of ATP in skeletal muscle following exercise,[7] and reduce postexercise muscle soreness and muscle damage.[5][6] See What are ribose’s main benefits? for more details.

    What are other names for D-Ribose?

    Note that D-Ribose is also known as:

    • D-ribofuranose
    • D-ribo-pentose
    • D-ribopyranose
    • D-ribopyranoside

    D-Ribose should not be confused with:

    • L-ribose

    Dosage information

    Formulation:

    D-ribose is taken in tablets/capsules or loose powder dissolved in water.

    Range of dosages studied:

    3 to 60 grams per day, often divided into 3 to 4 doses throughout the day.

    Effective Dosages:

    Heart failure

    Adults: The effective dosage for improving symptoms of heart failure, e.g., increased left ventricular ejection fraction and exercise capacity, is 15 to 60 grams by mouth per day for 1 to 12 weeks.[1][2][3] Typically, the daily dose is divided into 3 to 4 × 5 to 15-gram doses spread evenly throughout the day.

    Special considerations: Some evidence shows that the rapid absorption of orally ingested ribose is blunted when co-ingested with a high-fat or high-carbohydrate meal.[4] However, this evidence comes from a single study of 6 people, so further research is needed to fully understand the effects of food intake on ribose absorption and efficacy. Although ribose was not typically taken with food in the studies that tested its effects on heart failure,[1][2][3] studies comparing the presence vs. absence of food (i.e., fed vs. fasted supplementation with ribose) are lacking.

    Exercise recovery

    Adults: The effective dosage for reducing feelings of muscle soreness, reducing markers of muscle damage and oxidative stress, and enhancing the resynthesis of ATP in skeletal muscle following exercise is either 15 grams taken orally immediately before exercise, 7 grams taken orally immediately before and after exercise, 10 to 16 grams per day taken orally for 2 to 6 days, or 200 milligrams per kilogram of body weight taken orally 3 times a day for 3 days (equivalent to 42 grams/day in a person weighing 70 kg, or 154 pounds).[5][6][7] However, not all studies confirm such effects,[8][9] and more research is needed.

    Special considerations: As mentioned above, some evidence shows that ribose absorption might be blunted when taken with a high-fat or high-carbohydrate meal.[4] However, this phenomenon requires thorough investigation to make firm conclusions. That said, most of the studies of ribose on exercise performance or recovery administered ribose in the fasted state without food.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is D-ribose?

    D-ribose (referred to as ribose in this article) is a type of sugar made with five carbon atoms known as a pentose.[10][11] Ribose forms the backbone of RNA, the genetic material involved in translating genes into protein.[10][11] Ribose is also a component of molecules involved in energy metabolism, including ATP, coenzymes such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride (NADH), and vitamins such as niacin (vitamin B3) and riboflavin (vitamin B2).[10][12][11]

    Ribose is naturally produced in the body via the pentose phosphate pathway,[10][12][13] but small amounts can also be obtained from the diet, because it is found in meats, vegetables, and soy-containing products.[14][15][16] Ribose is also sold as a dietary supplement, marketed to enhance energy levels and recovery in athletes.[15]

    What are D-ribose’s main benefits?

    Potential benefits for heart health

    Several review papers claim that ribose can treat heart failure in people with coronary artery disease;[17][18][19][20] however, much of the evidence comes from preclinical studies in rodents.[21][22][23][24] That said, some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have found that supplementation with ribose (in addition to heart failure medications) can improve the symptoms of heart failure,[1][2][3] including increased left ventricular ejection fraction and exercise capacity, both of which are impaired in people with this condition.

    Despite these possible benefits in heart failure, there are few clinical studies, outcomes are variable between studies, and potential risks need to be examined in more detail (see What are ribose’s main drawbacks?). Therefore, well-designed large-scale RCTs are needed to understand ribose’s efficacy in people with heart failure before it can be considered for widespread clinical practice.

    Potential benefit for exercise recovery

    Some RCTs show that supplementation with D-ribose can reduce feelings of muscle soreness and markers of muscle damage and oxidative stress following exercise,[5][6] while increasing the resynthesis of ATP in skeletal muscle.[7] However, the recovery of muscle strength is not improved,[5] and other studies find mixed outcomes or that ribose has no benefit on recovery.[8][9][25] Furthermore, RCTs have found that ribose has no benefit on exercise performance during either aerobic[26] or anaerobic[27][7][28][29][9] exercise tests. Therefore, ribose might assist with recovery, but it does not improve exercise performance. That said, studies in this field include fewer than 10 participants and only include men, which highlights the need for higher-quality research.

    What are D-ribose’s main drawbacks?

    Although some studies report minor side effects following ribose ingestion, such as nausea and diarrhea,[30][31][15][4] regulatory bodies like the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) state that ribose is generally considered safe for consumption at a daily intake level of up to 36 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.[31][15][4] This is equivalent to approximately 2.5 grams per day in a person weighing 70 kg (154 pounds).

    One drawback emerges from research showing that ribose can react with proteins in the body via process called glycation, leading to the formation of endogenous advanced glycation end products (AGEs),[32][33][34] molecules that can damage cells and cause health complications. Furthermore, evidence from preclinical studies in rodents shows that high doses of ribose can cause cognitive decline,[35] possibly via the accumulation of AGEs.[35][34] These findings raise an important question concerning the potential adverse effects of long-term ribose supplementation. This concern is further emphasized by the lack of thorough dose-response and pharmacokinetics studies in humans. A full understanding of ribose’s safety profile in humans is lacking.

    Another drawback is that the evidence underpinning the effects of ribose on heart failure and exercise performance and recovery (see What are ribose’s main benefits?) has a moderate to high risk of bias because there are few studies, small sample sizes, and a high level of between-study heterogeneity.

    How does D-ribose work?

    Ribose is used in the body to form RNA (the genetic material that helps translate genes into proteins)[10][11] and molecules involved in energy metabolism, including ATP, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride (NADH), niacin (vitamin B3) and riboflavin (vitamin B2).[10][12][11] These functional abilities to increase protein synthesis and energy metabolism might explain how some studies have found that supplementation with ribose can reduce symptoms of heart failure,[1][2][3] increase the resynthesis of ATP in skeletal muscle following exercise,[7] and reduce postexercise muscle soreness and muscle damage.[5][6] See What are ribose’s main benefits? for more details.

    Research Breakdown