Then it isn't long before horsemen are trying it on their racehorses. Chemically speaking, gamma oryzanol is a ferulic acid ester of triterpenyl alcohols. Gamma oryzanol is actually two molecules in one. The largest part is the triterpenyl alcohol part. This is simply another name for sterol.
Sterols are the group of compounds found throughout nature, with many vital biological functions.
Some wellknown sterols are cholesterol and beta sitosterol. Many hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and corticosteroids, are derived from cholesterol, and can be thought of as modified sterols. The second half of each gamma oryzanol molecule is ferulic acid, a widespread plant compound. The role of antioxidants in exercise physiology has only recently been explored and elucidated. Several reviews have illustrated the mechanism by which anaerobic exercise actually produces free radicals, which result in fatigue.