The use of riboxin in modern bodybuilding is a remnant inherited from our ancestors from the 1970s. Athletes of the Soviet Union widely experimented with this drug in their time, while their Western colleagues, peeking at them, speculated, “Is this the secret of their success?” and imitated them, but with the more common inosine there.
Nevertheless, even today, the use of riboxin in sports is a widely practiced phenomenon.
Let’s figure out what riboxin is needed for in bodybuilding and… whether it is needed at all.
What is riboxin?
Riboxin (or inosine) is a chemical substance belonging to the class of purines, which acts as a precursor to adenosine – an important molecule for energy production.
It is found in large quantities in yeast and the internal organs of animals (liver, kidneys), and in purified form as tablets, it is sold in pharmacies.
In the 1970s, riboxin was actively used by Soviet athletes as a doping agent to enhance sports performance. However, subsequent clinical tests showed its absolute ineffectiveness for this purpose, including for increasing muscle strength.
The reality is that it seems the driving force behind the spread of riboxin in sports today is exclusively the “reviews” of athletes, especially from Russia and Eastern Europe, about its benefits and effectiveness (the effect of a peculiar sports “word of mouth”), as well as marketing claims from manufacturers and sellers.
Riboxin in the world of bodybuilding is promoted almost exclusively through the work of sports “word of mouth.”
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What is Riboxin used for in bodybuilding
In bodybuilding and sports in general, riboxin is promoted as a sports supplement that:
- increases energy levels and physical endurance;
- is beneficial for the heart;
- prevents the accumulation of lactic acid in muscles during intense training.
It indeed performs several important functions in the body that could, theoretically, improve certain sports performance indicators:
- Riboxin (inosine) restores the connection between damaged nerve cells and healthy ones in the brain and spinal cord 1;
- Riboxin penetrates into muscle and heart cells, where it stimulates the creation of energy molecules ATP, which are needed for muscle contraction 2,3. Increased ATP production should improve respiration and oxygen transport to cells, thereby positively affecting performance in all types of sports (both aerobic and anaerobic, including bodybuilding).
- Riboxin improves the function of red blood cells in transporting oxygen from the lungs to the cells. This occurs due to an increase in the concentration of a certain compound (2,3-diphosphoglycerate) in red blood cells, which facilitates the release of oxygen from them into the tissue, which should increase energy levels, prevent the accumulation of lactic acid in muscles, and overall improve athletic performance.
- Riboxin acts as a vasodilator agent; its intake increases blood flow to the heart and muscles, which also improves their oxygen and nutrient supply 4,5.
But this is theory. What about reality?
There is NO indisputable and convincing scientific evidence of the positive impact of riboxin on sports performance.
The situation is very similar to that observed when closely examining some other popular sports supplements, particularly the fat burner L-carnitine: the theoretical basis for its effectiveness in weight loss is very strong, but in practice, its intake as a supplement is absolutely useless for weight loss.
Riboxin performs many important functions in the body that, theoretically, should positively influence sports performance when taken additionally.
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Scientific evidence of the uselessness of riboxin in bodybuilding and sports
The effectiveness of riboxin (inosine) has been studied in several experiments, but none have shown any advantages.
In one notable study, 9 highly trained runners participated; the researchers examined how riboxin affects the time to complete a 3 km distance and oxygen consumption (VO2). Some runners took 6 g of riboxin throughout the day (3 doses of 2 g), while others took a placebo. The result: no significant differences in the time to complete the distance or in the maximum oxygen consumption VO2max 6.
A similar result was obtained in another experiment involving cyclists, where the daily dose of riboxin was 10 g. The researchers concluded: no ergogenic effect, riboxin does not influence performance, but more importantly – it may pose health risks if taken for a long time 7.
The same applies here 8: long-term use of riboxin does not affect sports performance and short-term power during cycling.
And again here 9: the intake of riboxin (along with some other substances) by 11 highly trained triathletes had no effect on the time to exhaustion cycling after 90 minutes of running on a treadmill.
Moreover, some scientific studies indicate that riboxin (inosine) may even worsen athletic performance 8,10.
One possible reason for this is the accumulation of inosine monophosphate in the muscles, a high concentration of which is a sign of fatigue. Another possible reason is the increase in uric acid concentration – one of the byproducts of riboxin metabolism.
The overall conclusion is this: the claims made by sports nutrition manufacturers and some athletes and bodybuilders (apparently for self-persuasion) to prove the advantages of riboxin in bodybuilding and sports have little to do with reality.
Scientific research unequivocally disproves the effectiveness of riboxin in sports
But that’s not all.
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The benefits of riboxin for the heart
Japanese scientists showed back in 1981 that riboxin is beneficial for heart health.
They studied its effect on the functioning of the heart muscle with certain diseases in 102 patients and found that riboxin, both in injection and tablet form, improves the condition of the heart muscle after a heart attack 11.
Moreover, heart attacks are not the only concern; riboxin (inosine) is beneficial for treating a considerable number of other heart diseases 4.
Most likely, it is this positive and scientifically proven effect of riboxin on the heart that underlies its use by athletes in bodybuilding during a course of steroids (see below).
Scientific studies indicate the benefits of riboxin for treating certain heart muscle diseases, which may be the basis for its use in bodybuilding during a course of anabolic steroids.
Amateur Athletes’ Reviews on Riboxin
Now let’s take a look at the internet buzz surrounding this pharmaceutical product, which is quite widely used in bodybuilding.
Below are reviews from amateur athletes about riboxin. We took them from one of the sports nutrition store forums to demonstrate the controversy. Grammatical and punctuation errors are intentionally preserved to enhance the effect of distrust towards the authors’ claims.
“I take riboxin 2 tablets 3 times a day. It’s a really effective product.”
“I also take 2 round tablets 3 times a day, after meals.
P.S. From my experience, I can say that it really increases strength in skinny guys. For more powerful guys, it’s either not noticeable or less so, but in any case, it energizes the heart.”
“Without riboxin, I feel pain in the heart area after strength training. It’s not a fact that it’s the heart, but the fact is that it hurts regularly. After a week of taking riboxin, the pain stops. That’s how it is for me.”
“I spoke with a sports doctor (cardiologist). I was told that during a course (AS – anabolic steroids), it is undesirable to take riboxin, but to start taking it after the course ends.
*The daily dose for oral intake in bodybuilding is 1.5 – 2.5 g, which is 8-10 tablets.”
“Riboxin is a good product. Besides its positive effects on the heart, it also has a detoxifying effect on the liver, which is quite important when using oral steroids.”
“It’s all placebo, guys! At one time, I was taking all these riboxins and asparcums by the bucket and felt nothing. The best riboxin is methandrostenolone))”
“I take 5 tabs of riboxin before training. It noticeably increases endurance. You can work out significantly longer and feel less tired. The effect is tangible. You especially feel it during a natural training period.”
“Riboxin has no evidence base; there is such a thing as evidence-based medicine, which, unfortunately, is not officially accepted in the CIS countries (such as Ukraine and Russia). This is because it would harm pharmaceutical companies producing holy water like Riboxin, Mildronate, Essentiale, Mexidol, and other nonsense. As our doctors say, where riboxin helps, it will pass on its own, and what doesn’t pass, riboxin won’t help either))) Conduct an experiment with acquaintances who take this nonsense. Give them some glucose tablets or sodium chloride instead of Riboxin and observe the effect. Nothing works stronger than a placebo. In our veterinary medicine, many doctors have refused these pseudo-drugs, as placebo does not work with animals, only real acting drugs. There is nothing better for the heart and the whole body than Omega 3 acids. And the heart is well supported by sufficient carbohydrate and fluid intake during and after training.”
Explanations are unnecessary. There is a contradiction in the conclusions of scientists.
The “brotherhood” claims that with riboxin, the “heart hurts less” during a steroid cycle; some say there is no effect or it is purely individual.
The last statement from the “expert” of the community undermines all the arguments of colleagues but does not stop attempts to prove their correctness.
Reviews from amateur athletes about riboxin contradict each other as well as the opinions of scientists about the drug
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Side effects of riboxin (inosine)
In some people (primarily those with increased sensitivity to riboxin), its intake may lead to an increase in uric acid levels.
Uric acid is a byproduct of riboxin metabolism; its increase may be accompanied by unpleasant pain symptoms, such as gout, arthritis of the joints and fingers, caused by the formation of uric acid crystals.
Prolonged use of riboxin may lead to side effects in the form of joint arthritis due to the formation of uric acid crystals in them
How to take riboxin: instructions for NOT using
Given that there is no evidence of riboxin’s effectiveness in sports, and moreover, there is a possibility of its negative impact on sports performance when taken for a long time and the emergence of some negative side effects, scientists do not recommend riboxin for athletes.
If you still really want to, a dose of 5-6 g per day for several weeks is considered safe.
Riboxin is not recommended for use in sports and bodybuilding; a dose of 5-6 grams per day is considered safe; it is not recommended to take it for an extended period of time.
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