A randomized placebo-controlled trial of nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene supplementation in experimental muscle injury in elderly individuals

Jensen JB, Dollerup OL, Møller AB, Billeskov TB, Dalbram E, Chubanava S · JCI Insight

Null on the primary endpoint and on every secondary one. The protocol induced a real injury — myoglobin and creatine kinase release, soreness, tissue oedema, lost strength — and a large regenerative response: muscle stem cell content rose 107 per cent and haematopoietic cell content 236 per cent by day 8. Neither moved with the supplement (stem cell content p=0.58), and muscle fibre area, central nuclei and embryonic myosin heavy chain showed no effect either.

Population

Adults aged 55-80

Intervention

Nicotinamide riboside 1,000 mg plus pterostilbene 200 mg daily, starting two weeks before an experimentally induced muscle injury

Comparator

Matched placebo

Limitations

One injury model in one muscle, 32 enrolled and 31 completing; pterostilbene, a stilbene relative of resveratrol, is confounded with NR here. Muscle fibre area was smaller in the supplement arm at every timepoint including before the injury, which the paper states. Funded by an independent research foundation rather than by a manufacturer, though one author is employed by, and holds stock options in, a company selling this exact nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene combination.