Malic Acid Supplements Improves Energy Production:

What is
Malic acid?
Malic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid that plays
a role in the complex process of deriving ATP, the energy
currency that runs the body, from food It is synthesized in the
body through the citric acid cycle
Malic acid importance to the production of energy in the
body during both aerobic and anaerobic conditions is well
established

Malic acid, an alpha-hydroxy organic acid, is sometimes
referred to as a fruit acid This is because
Malic acid is found in apples and other fruits
Malic acid is also found in plants and animals, including
humans In fact,
Malic acid, in the form of its anion malate, is a key
intermediate in the major biochemical energy-producing cycle in
cells known as the citric acid or Krebs cycle located in the
cells’ mitochondria

Malic acid, also known as apple acid, hydroxybutanedioic
acid and hydroxysuccinic acid, is a chiral molecule The
naturally occurring stereoisomer is the L-form The L-form is
also the biologically active one There is some preliminary
evidence that
Malic acid, in combination with magnesium, may be helpful
for some with fibromyalgia
Malic acid sold as a supplement is mainly derived from
apples and, therefore, is the L-form L-
Malic acid has the following chemical structure

Mechanism of
Malic acid

Malic acid is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract from
whence
Malic acid is transported via the portal circulation to the
liver There are a few enzymes that metabolize
Malic acid Malic enzyme catalyzes the oxidative
decarboxylation of L-malate to pyruvate with concomitant
reduction of the cofactor NAD+ (oxidized form of nicotinamide
adenine dinucleotide) or NADP+ (oxidized form of nicotinamide
adenine dinucleotide phosphate) These reactions require the
divalent cations magnesium or manganese Three isoforms of malic
enzyme have been identified in mammals: a cytosolic
NADP+-dependent malic enzyme, a mitochondrial NADP+-dependent
malic enzyme and a mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme
The latter can use either NAD+ or NADP+ as the cofactor but
prefers NAD+ Pyruvate formed from malate can itself be
metabolized in a number of ways, including metabolism via a
number of metabolic steps to glucose Malate can also be
metabolized to oxaloacetate via the citric acid cycle The
mitochondrial malic enzyme, particularly in brain cells, may
play a key role in the pyruvate recycling pathway, which
utilizes dicarboxylic acids and substrates, such as glutamine,
to provide pyruvate to maintain the citric acid cycle activity
when glucose and lactate are low

Clearly, the metabolism of
Malic acid is complex and what any of the above has to do,
if anything, with
Malic acids’ putative activity in those with fibromyalgia is
entirely unclear

Malic acid is both derived from food sources and synthesized
in the body through the citric acid cycle
Malic acid importance to the production of energy in the
body during both aerobic and anaerobic conditions is well
established Under aerobic conditions, the oxidation of malate
to oxaloacetate provides reducing equivalents to the
mitochondria through the malate-aspartate redox shuttle During
anaerobic conditions, where a buildup of excess of reducing
equivalents inhibits glycolysis,
Malic acid’s simultaneous reduction to succinate and
oxidation to oxaloacetate is capable of removing the
accumulating reducing equivalents This allows
Malic acid to reverse hypoxia’s inhibition of glycolysis and
energy production This may allow
Malic acid to improve energy production in Primary
fibromyalgia (FM), reversing the negative effect of the relative
hypoxia that has been found in these patients

Important benefits of
Malic acid supplementation can include:

Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Hypoxia-related conditions (respiratory and circulatory
insufficiency)
Many in the medical industry believe that
Malic acid may be beneficial when used in connection with
fibromyalgia However, results have been mixed in studies of
Malic acid’s possible effects in those with fibromyalgia In
one study, fibromyalgia patients were randomized to receive a
combination of 200 milligrams of
Malic acid and 50 milligrams of magnesium per tablet (three
tablets twice a day) or placebo for four weeks This was
followed by a six-month, open-label trial with dose escalating
up to six tablets twice a day Outcome variables were measures
of pain and tenderness, as well as functional and psychological
measures

More Detail About Malic acid

Tags | anaerobic, animals, chiral, citric, concomitant, decarboxylation, dinucleotide, molecule, organic, oxidative, reduction, result