NMN can increase cardiorespiratory endurance and improve the performance of sports training?
This is a randomized, double-blind study published by the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is involved in many physiological metabolic processes. Low NAD+ levels have been found to be related to physical disabilities and diseases that occur with old age, such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Supplementation of NMN (NAD+ precursor molecule) can increase cellular NAD+ levels in various tissues of rodents and humans.
Recent studies in rodents indicate that a combination of exercise training and supplementation with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) precursors has synergistic effects. However, there are currently no human clinical trials analyzing this. This study investigates the effects of a combination of exercise training and supplementation with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), the immediate precursor of NAD+, on cardiovascular fitness in healthy amateur runners.
Participants
- 48 healthy people
- 40 males and 8 females
- Age 27-50 years
- Receive regular amateur eerunning training for 1-5 years
- Non-smokers
- No habit of drinking caffeine or alcohol before
- Maintain previous eating habits during the study eeperiod
- Not to take drugs or nutritional supplements during eethe study period
Study design and Supplementation
This is a 6-week, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind (participants and data collectors are blind to the treatment), four-arm clinical trial. 48 amateur members of the Guangzhou Zhuhai running team (40 males and 8 females) aged 27-50 were randomly divided into 4 groups (10 males and 2 females in each group):
- Low-dose group (300 mg/day) (n=12)
- Medium dose group (600 mg/day) (n=12)
- High dose group (1200 mg/day) (n=12)
- Control group (placebo) (n=12)
During the six weeks, participants will train 5-6 times a week, 40-60 minutes of aerobic exercise (including running and cycling training) each time, plus 3-4 running training per week and 2 per week Cycling training. Participants underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test at the beginning (baseline) and at the end (6 weeks later) of the study to assess the participants' aerobic capacity.
Research findings and results
In middle-aged amateur runners, supplementing 600 to 1200 mg/day of NMN supplements for six consecutive weeks can promote muscle absorption and use of oxygen. During endurance exercise, as the dose of NMN supplements increases, the muscle's utilization of oxygen also increases.
All participants were assessed by cardiopulmonary motor function tests at baseline and at the end of the six-week study. On the day of the test, the participants came to the laboratory, and the room temperature in the laboratory was set between 20°C and 25°C. The test started at least 2.5 hours after a normal meal, and participants were not allowed to consume caffeine or alcohol for at least 12 hours before the measurement. Participants will exercise on a fixed bicycle and measure their oxygen consumption.
The covariance analysis of the change from baseline to after the 6-week treatment period showed that compared with the control group, in the high-dose group (1200 mg NMN) and the middle-dose group (600 mg NMN) participants, oxygen uptake (VO2), The percentage of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), the power at the first ventilation threshold (the highest exercise intensity at which the body can maintain a breathless conversation) and the power at the second ventilation threshold (the exercise intensity at which the body cannot speak) have been increased. However, in any group, there was no difference in the percentage of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) after 6 weeks of treatment, oxygen pulse O2 (oxygen uptake divided by heart rate), VO2 related to work rate, and maximum exercise power. Because the observed maximum oxygen uptake percentage (VO2max), oxygen pulse O2 (oxygen uptake divided by heart rate), and work rate-related VO2 did not change, it is inferred that the increased cardiorespiratory endurance is due to the increased ability of skeletal muscles to use oxygen.
Studies have also found that NMN is better tolerated than other NAD+-related metabolites. The pharmacological doses of NA and niacinamide (NAM) may cause painful flushing, liver damage, and NAM exhibits the effect of inhibiting sirtuin, while NMN and NR exhibit better pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties. In rodents, long-term administration of 100-300 mg/kg/d of NMN supplements will not cause any significant side effects. In humans, a single oral dose of 100-500 mg of NMN is safe and has no significant harmful effects on healthy individuals. In this study, 300-1200 mg of NMN supplements per day for 6 weeks did not have any obvious adverse symptoms and abnormal ECG.
Summary of research findings
NMN supplements combined with exercise training can further increase the ventilation threshold in healthy young and middle-aged people. The aerobic capacity increases with the increase of the dose of NMN, that is, the higher dose of NMN is more effective with exercise. NMN is an adjuvant therapy that may help improve performance during exercise training. The combination of exercise training and NMN supplementation may be a novel and practical strategy to improve athletes' endurance performance. Taking NMN in conjunction with exercise training can enhance cardiorespiratory and exercise endurance, reduce muscle degeneration, and improve exercise training effectiveness.