TIVORTIN ASPARTATE ORAL SOLUTION

Indications

• Supplemental support for exercise performance
• Potential aid in reducing fatigue during physical exertion

Dosage

Children: Refer to the BNF for Children for specific paediatric dosing information.

Adults: Refer to the BNF for specific dosing recommendations.

Mechanism of action

L-aspartate is hypothesized to enhance performance in prolonged and short intensive exercise by sparing muscle glycogen stores and promoting glycogen resynthesis. It serves as a substrate for energy production in the Krebs cycle and stimulates the purine nucleotide cycle, thus potentially influencing energy metabolism during physical activity.

Pharmacodynamics

As a non-essential amino acid, L-aspartate is produced in sufficient quantities under normal physiological conditions. It is a precursor for protein synthesis and plays a role in various metabolic pathways, including those related to energy production and nucleotide synthesis. It is classified as a glycogenic amino acid, contributing to gluconeogenesis and energy metabolism.

Pharmacokinetics

L-aspartate is readily absorbed and utilized by the body, participating in several metabolic pathways, including the Krebs cycle and amino acid metabolism. The exact pharmacokinetic parameters such as half-life, peak plasma concentration, and elimination route are not well characterized in the literature.

Mechanism of action

There are also claims that L-aspartate has ergogenic effects, that it enhances performance in both prolonged exercise and short intensive exercise. It is hypothesized that L-aspartate, especially the potassium magnesium aspartate salt, spares stores of muscle glycogen and/or promotes a faster rate of glycogen resynthesis during exercise. It has also been hypothesized that L-aspartate can enhance short intensive exercise by serving as a substrate for energy production in the Krebs cycle and for stimulating the purine nucleotide cycle.

Pharmacodynamics

L-aspartate is considered a non-essential amino acid, meaning that, under normal physiological conditions, sufficient amounts of the amino acid are synthesized in the body to meet the body's requirements. L-aspartate is formed by the transamination of the Krebs cycle intermediate oxaloacetate. The amino acid serves as a precursor for synthesis of proteins, oligopeptides, purines, pyrimidines, nucleic acids and L-arginine. L-aspartate is a glycogenic amino acid, and it can also promote energy production via its metabolism in the Krebs cycle. These latter activities were the rationale for the claim that supplemental aspartate has an anti-fatigue effect on skeletal muscle, a claim that was never confirmed.