It goes without saying that working out harder and longer leads to bigger muscles and a better overall physique, provided proper recovery time is involved. But there's just one major thing standing in the way of incredible muscle-building workouts: oxygen delivery to the muscles.

One's ability to work out at max capacity is largely determined by how much oxygen their muscles get. A simple way to improve oxygen delivery is by working out on a regular basis. This is why a top-level fitness model can exercise hard for 1-2 hours a day, while the overweight guy who thinks Little Caesars is a food group will be sucking wind after 10 minutes.

But at some point, even the fitness model will hit a peak workout capacity. So there's a fascination in the research community with finding a way to increase optimal workout capacity. And by far, one of the most intriguing ways to do this is through the use of a drug called myo-Inositol TrisPyroPhosphate (ITPP).

Anybody who's interested in research chemicals that can improve workout performance should definitely keep reading as we cover what this drug is, incredible ITPP study findings and its use in sports.

What is ITPP?

ITPP is an allosteric effector of hemoglobin that increases oxygen availability to tissues. In other words, ITPP doesn't increase oxygen to tissues itself, but rather enhances the ability of red blood cells to do so. As mentioned in the introduction, one fantastic byproduct of this process is increased workout capacity. Another potential benefit that's being studied is ITPP's ability to help reinvigorate damaged hearts through an increased supply of oxygen to the ailing cardiac muscle.

Study shows ITPP can boost Exercise Levels up to 60%

Jean-Marie Lehn, a Professor of Supramolecular Chemistry at the University of Strasbourg in France, conducted one of the best-known studies of ITPP. Lehn's team dissolved the drug in water and had mice with damaged hearts drink it. The mice then increased their exercise capacity by 35% after drinking the mix. Even more impressive is that the mice increased workout capacity by 60% when ITPP was injected directly into their abdomen.

Lehn explained that hemoglobin normally only releases 25% of its oxygen during one circuit of the body. However, when ITPP binds to hemoglobin, there's at least a 35% boost without the mice having to take in any extra air. The study's findings not only provide encouraging implications for exercise, but also for improving quality of life in those who've suffered heart attacks.

ITPP Use in Bodybuilding and Sports

At this time, ITPP is only approved for non-human research. Furthermore, it's banned in sports because it gives athletes an unfair advantage. But that hasn't stopped many bodybuilders and athletes from trying ITPP to get a performance boost. Some cyclists and other endurance athletes have used this drug as an alternative to Erythropoietin (EPO). Many popular bodybuilding forums also contain threads where posters discuss their use of ITPP and its benefits.

One thing that athletes love about this drug is that it doesn't need to be taken every day. As the University of Strasbourg study showed, a single dose of ITPP can provide performance-enhancing benefits for almost a week. Contrary to artificial blood substitutes, ITPP enhances native blood's ability to supply tissues with oxygen. Moreover, the drug is quite similar to myo-inositol, a naturally occurring chemical in the body.

But any athlete who's thinking of using ITPP in organized sports should heed the words of Professor Lehn: "It could be very easily detected."

ITPP Dosage

A good dosage guideline for rats is 0.03mg - 0.06mg per day during studies. Regarding humans, I again must stress that ITPP is only intended for non-human research. But anybody who does take the drug should know that those on bodybuilding forums discuss taking between 1g - 2g per week.