Peak ATP: The Definitive Guide

Peak ATP Summary:

• Structure mimics that of the body’s natural ATP.
• Benefits include improved blood flow, enhanced strength and rate of muscle accrual, along with improved energy expenditure.
• Single daily dose of 400mg recommended for best effect.
• GRAS (generally recognized as safe) for inclusion in foods and supplements.
• Is not a stimulant and will not affect your sleep.
• PeakATP can be found in BrickHouse Nutrition's Foundation. 

 

If you have been into working out- any sort of activity really, there is a good chance you have encountered the abbreviation “ATP” mentioned here and there.

In fact, you should recall this from your high school biology class, as ATP is one of the molecules absolutely essential for our survival as a species.

Adenosine triphosphate is the energy currency our body uses, or pays with, when it needs a transaction done. Brushing your teeth? That’ll be two ATP bucks please! The money analogy aside, naturally you would probably be wondering if more ATP is better.

The answer to that, ladies and gentlemen, is a resounding yes.

However, this is easier said than done, as over the years many researchers and scientists have attempted to do just this- looking for a way to increase ATP reservoirs or availability. And for a long time, results have been hit or miss.

That is, until the creation of a patented form of an ATP supplement known succinctly as Peak ATP.

What Is Peak ATP?

Peak ATP, in case the name hasn’t given it away as yet, is a supplemental form of ATP that strives to help one achieve their peak levels of ATP. ATP supplements are not that new of a development. However, to say that they have failed miserably up until this point would be an understatement.

See, ATP supplements have struggled with poor absorption[i] over the years.

This mediocre bioavailability has caused much of the formed hypotheses to be disbanded over the years, as administered doses was simply not doing enough.

Peak ATP, otherwise known as Adenosine 5’-Triphosphate (ATP) Disodium, however, is said to be different as it is the only supplement that bears an identical structure to ATP produced by the body.

ATP’s Mechanism Of Action

To appreciate why Peak ATP is so promising, we need to understand how ATP works in the body.

On a daily basis, our body produces enough ATP to fulfill all of our metabolic requirements. This total amount of ATP produced is, as a rough estimate, equivalent to your body weight. You can quickly see the immense amount of ATP we require just for sustenance.

ATP possesses three phosphate groups, which upon cleavage of one group yields an immense amount of energy.

Think of this as how nuclear energy is made via the process of nuclear fission.

The now remaining ADP (adenosine diphosphate) needs to re-combine with a phosphate group to make more ATP. This process is fast, but not instantaneous.

When we exercise, demands are increased exponentially; sometimes as much as 1000 times more.

How do we get this amount of ATP? It depends a lot on nutrition.

For years, creatine has been one of the major contributors to this. If you’ve ever read the label of a creatine supplement, you might have seen “creatine phosphate” mentioned somewhere on it, even if it was of the monohydrate variety or otherwise.

In the body, one of the most efficient ways of ATP production is thanks to phosphocreatine stores, which donate a phosphate group to ADP and enable more ATP synthesis.

Supplemental creatine helps to saturate the stores of natural phosphocreatine, and in turn optimize the production of endogenous ATP.

The combined total of all your muscles ATP stores is capable of sustaining physical activity for a massive period of 2 seconds. Let that sink in. if there was no way for your body to make more ATP, you would only be able to get 2 seconds in your workout before sheer exhaustion sets in.

This is how creatine contributes to exercise performance. It makes the process of ATP synthesis more efficient, helping to support activity for another 2-7 seconds.

Creatine And ATP

This is why you might have heard that creatine supplementation is more beneficial for high-intensity short duration exercise, as it lends itself to rapid production of more ATP.

Following usage of creatine, is the slower glycolysis of glucose to produce ATP. complete oxidation of one glucose molecule will yield between 30-32 molecules of ATP, which is why many nutritionists and other experts alike tend to recommend consumption of carbohydrate at the pre-workout interval.

Understanding the mechanism of ATP’s action and synthesis is important to grasp the full picture of Peak ATP. Logically, researchers believed that the use of exogenous ATP would be the best way to increase ATP levels, as you bypass all the processes involved in endogenous synthesis.

And until Peak ATP, this didn't work out very well.

Who makes Peak ATP?

Peak ATP is manufactured exclusively by the holder of patent #7,629,329 TSI Group Ltd. Because they own the patent on the supplement, other companies are not permitted to attempt and use the proprietary manufacturing process.

Peak ATP Benefits

You may first believe that Peak ATP contributes to an increased capacity to exercise and not anything else, but surprisingly, it may actually do much more for you. Most notably:

Improves Rate Of Lean Mass Gain

Lean mass gain is desirable in many sports disciplines, especially strength-based ones. Researchers performed an investigational study to determine if the administration of Peak ATP would result in greater strength gain and lean mass accrual than a placebo group.

The study included 21 men who were resistance trained, with the supplement group receiving 400mg Peak ATP daily over the course of 12 weeks.

Dietary and training programs were identical over the course of the 12 weeks, with the training program divided into 3 distinct phases.

These included 8 weeks of non-linear periodization training (3x weekly), followed by 2 weeks of overreaching (otherwise known as the brink of overtraining), and finally 2 weeks of deloading.

The group given Peak ATP increased average strength by over 12%, while the placebo group only saw an increase just shy of 6% after the completion of the 12-week study.

The supplemental group also saw mass gains on average of 4kg as opposed to just above 2kg for the placebo group.

Also noteworthy is the fact that the supplement group did not experience as drastic a reduction in strength levels during the overreaching phase as the placebo group, a sign that neuromuscular fatigue was being buffered.

May Improve Blood Flow

While ATP of itself is not considered a vasodilator, or a vasodilator supplement, there is a fair amount of evidence that shows it just might be.

In addition to its very promising effects on performance, Peak ATP might even help to improve blood flow to working muscles.

This was found to be true even under the influence of heavy vasoconstriction, which may show its potential in helping to manage high blood pressure states.

One study conducted investigated the use of Peak ATP on blood flow[ii] to the bicep following 3 working sets of 20 reps (bicep curls), performed at 50% of the subject’s 1RM.

Findings demonstrated a general increase over baseline, but which decreased as the week’s progressed.

One mechanism postulated that ATP can inhibit natural vasoconstrictors and simultaneously depolarize vascular smooth muscle- initiating significant vasodilation.

This, of course, means enhanced nutrient delivery during the post workout interval and also more efficient waste removal from cells.

May Improve Energy Expenditure

Having a big engine is great. If you’re a fan of autos, you’ll know that this means more power. However, this comes at a cost, usually in the form of fuel. These big rides are known as gas guzzlers for a reason, as power requires energy.

During intense lifting sessions, energy efficiency becomes very important. While high energy expenditure is great if you’re trying to lose weight, at other times it can become a crutch.

One study conducted investigated the effect of a single dose[iii] of ATP administration on lower body training.

Researchers found that it was sufficient to improve power output, oxygen consumption and energy expenditure, meaning that for the average athlete you will still have some gas in the tank towards the end of your workout.

May Boost Muscle Excitability

If you are wondering what an excited muscle is, you’re not alone. No, we’re not referring to muscle that spasms on its own, as that is actually not very good...but rather in the context of muscle recruitment.

See, muscle excitability[iv] can be thought of as the ability of a muscle fiber to become activated, or ready to perform motion.

Greater muscle cell activation translates to increased power generation, and sometimes, the hypertrophy that comes subsequently.

This effect may be most notable in athletes whose disciplines have a sprint aspect in them, as the power output is only short-lived. Think of football or hockey players who partake in practically, all-out sprints several times per match.

May Increase Rate Of Protein Synthesis

We separated this from the previously mentioned benefit of increasing lean mass to illustrate how it does this.

Skeletal muscle hypertrophy is mediated via several pathways, one of which involves mTOR, or mammalian target or rapamycin. This kinase encodes a gene that plays an important part on hypertrophy.

mTOR is sometimes regarded as the “master regulator” as it can flip the switch on muscle growth as long as other variables are in place such as diet, sleep and adequate training frequency.

ATP consumption can stimulate this pathway and lead to more dramatic gains in size and strength.

How Much Peak ATP Do You Need?

Most of the studies conducted on Peak ATP which demonstrates its beneficial action was done at a dose of 400mg daily, usually taken in one interval.

On training days, this is prior to your workout, but on non-workout days it is recommended to consume first thing in the morning upon rising.

Is Peak ATP Considered Safe?

Peak ATP is considered extremely safe. It does not have stimulating properties, in the sense that it will not elevate heart rate or blood pressure, and does not interact negatively with most common supplements/ medications.

In fact, you are likely to see synergistic action by combining Peak ATP with something such as creatine to enable rapid re-phosphorylation of ADP to ATP.

What Peak ATP Can Do For Athletes

ATP is primarily regarded as a high-octane type of currency, one that may appear to be of greatest benefit for power athletes, such as sprinters or weightlifters. However, endurance athletes can also benefit from its supplementation.

Even though the overall intensity of a distance athlete may be a bit lower, make no mistake that the demand for ATP is still there.

The body merely becomes more efficient at using fat stores for the production of ATP, which while considered the inefficient “third system”, boasts quantity.

Exogenous ATP can help introduce ready to use currency to take running speed to the next level.

That wraps up Peak ATP. While its popularity hasn’t exploded like creatine has, if you are trying to take your performance to the next level do yourself justice and give it a try.

 

References:

[i] Arts IC, Coolen EJ, Bours MJ, et al. Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) supplements are not orally bioavailable: a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over trial in healthy humans. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012;9(1):16. Published 2012 Apr 17. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-9-16

[ii] Jäger R, Roberts MD, Lowery RP, et al. Oral adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) administration increases blood flow following exercise in animals and humans. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11:28. Published 2014 Jun 13. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-11-28

[iii] Freitas MC, Cholewa JM, Gerosa-Neto J, et al. A Single Dose of Oral ATP Supplementation Improves Performance and Physiological Response During Lower Body Resistance Exercise in Recreational Resistance-Trained Males. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(12):3345-3352. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002198

[iv] Purpura M, Rathmacher JA, Sharp MH, et al. Oral Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) Administration Increases Postexercise ATP Levels, Muscle Excitability, and Athletic Performance Following a Repeated Sprint Bout. J Am Coll Nutr. 2017;36(3):177-183. doi:10.1080/07315724.2016.1246989