recovery and function can return to normal in an average of one to two days, according to Sinatra. Any time the energy reserves of the muscle are depleted, whether through exercise or a heart condition, ribose supplementation can help. “An adequate dose of ribose will usually result in symptom improvement very quickly,” says Sinatra. “Remember that ribose therapy directly supports the heart’s ability to preserve and rebuild its energy pool,” he says.
The Perfect Quartet Vegetarians often lack L-carnitine in their diets (and most certainly lack D-ribose, which is primarily found in red meat and veal). Carnitine (carnis means “meat” or “flesh”) is found in mutton, lamb, beef, red meat, and pork and in only tiny amounts in plant foods. Though certain vegetables, meats, and fish contain CoQ10, we only consume a tiny amount in our diet, not nearly enough to have a clinically important benefit. Many people feel a lot better on an “energy” cocktail of L-carnitine and CoQ10. Rounding out the quartet with D-ribose and magnesium, as suggested by Sinatra, is a great idea, especially for heart patients. (Magnesium helps because it is critical for the making of ATP, has an important effect on cellular metabolism, has been found helpful in a wide range of cardiac conditions, and because approximately three-fourths of the population are deficient in it!) When you consume magnesium in optimal amounts it improves myriad heart conditions, including angina, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, mitral valve prolapse, intermittent claudication, and low HDL (the “good” cholesterol). It
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