Athletes who supplemented with Peak ATP, a patented form of Adenosine 5’-Triphosphate (ATP), had better scores in a battery of cognitive assessments after working out than did a placebo group, in a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
 
Peak ATP is a clinically-studied and patented form of ATP Disodium which is identical in structure to the organic compound as it is produced in the human body. ATP provides energy and supports an array of processes in all living cells. Previous clinical research has established the ingredient as beneficial in sports nutrition, noted TSI Group, the supplier of Peak ATP.
 
Bouts of high-intensity sprint exercise are linked to lapses in concentration, decision-making, and skill performance due to fatigue.
 
“We’ve always understood how PEAK ATP works as a pre workout supplement. But we’ve also heard from athletes and previous study participants that they feel better and have less brain fog, post exercise with this ingredient,” said TSI Group President Larry Kolb. “That’s why this study came to life. We wanted to see if there was something measurable going on.
 
“Professional athletes understand the importance of not having their reaction time decline at crucial times. Improved cognitive benefits and reaction times, after participating in a high-intensity activity for a while, are good for team athletes as well as golfers, tennis players and anyone else who needs to maintain their focus throughout a match or game.”
 
Study Design and Details
 
In the study, 20 men and women in their twenties were familiarized with the cognitive testing equipment, and were then randomized to receive either a placebo or 400 mg of Peak ATP daily for 14 days.
 
They returned to the lab for testing, and took response time tests and a cognitive questionnaire, after which they completed an exercise warmup and three minutes of high-intensity cycling. The tests and questionnaires were repeated immediately post-exercise and again in 60 minutes.
 
After a 14-day washout period, the groups crossed over.
 
According to the authors, there were significant differences between supplement and placebo groups in both proactive and reactive visuomotor reaction time, as well as the number of misses during the reactive visuomotor assessment.
 
“When compared with the placebo, Peak ATP prevented the decline in proactive reaction times both immediately post exercise and at 60 minutes post exercise,” according to John A. Rathmacher, PhD, director of clinical research at TSI Group. “Peak ATP supplementation decreased the number of errors made during a reactive visuomotor task before and after high-intensity exercise. These data suggest that Peak ATP may mitigate exercise-induced cognitive dysfunction following high-intensity exercise. Preventing cognitive dysfunction after exercise would be very important for athletes.
 
“These results add an extra layer of benefits to taking Peak ATP before exercise,” he continued. “Now that we have science-backed data confirming its post-exercise benefits regarding reaction time and improved accuracy, Peak ATP is entering the nootropic space within sports nutrition, offering both physical and cognitive benefits.”