Nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation enhances aerobic capacity in amateur runners: a randomized, double-blind study

Liao B, Zhao Y, Wang D, Zhang X, Hao X, Hu M · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

VO2max did not differ between any NMN arm and placebo. What rose dose-dependently were ventilatory-threshold measures: the percentage of VO2max reached at the first ventilatory threshold improved 2.1% on placebo, 6.5% at 600 mg and 10.3% at 1,200 mg (interaction p<0.01), which the authors attributed to muscle oxygen utilisation rather than cardiac output.

Population

Young and middle-aged recreationally trained runners, 12 per arm

Intervention

NMN 300, 600 or 1,200 mg/day for 6 weeks alongside 5-6 supervised training sessions weekly

Comparator

Placebo powder, same training

Limitations

Twelve participants per arm, six weeks, ten of twelve male in each group. All study material including placebo was supplied by GeneHarbor Biotechnologies, an NMN manufacturer. The headline 'enhances aerobic capacity' rests on threshold measures, not on VO2max, which was unchanged.