Only Time Will Tell (part 3 of 4)
This is the third article in a four-part series. Part one gives general information about Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) and can be found here. Part two gives background information on NAD+ and the initial results of a first-hand experiment. The article can be found here.
Based on publicly available articles and interviews with the Chief Science Officer and CEO of Chromadex, the maker of TRU Niagen, the benefits appear too good to be true. Levels of NAD+ decrease as we age, so companies have begun marketing Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) supplements, to raise the level of NAD+ in our bloodstream. Cells can then use this molecule in the metabolism of energy or the regulation of other body functions. Testing in lab rats has shown promising results and human trials have proven that NAD+ levels in the blood can be raised without any known side effects. However, will humans then derive the promised benefits of the supplement?
To test the benefits, I devised a scoring system to assess the effectiveness of this supplement by comparing key factors prior to taking TRU Niagen and then 30 days after taking it. However, this scoring system still has subjectivity built in, so it is for this reason that I will compare the results of a pre-season track meet in March of this year to a post-season track meet that took place this past weekend, October 19th. Basically, time (or more accurately performance) will tell us about the effectiveness of NAD+ on an aging athlete.
To recap the scoring, a scale of 1 to 10 was used, where 5 is my baseline expectation or daily experience and anything lower than 5 means that performance in that area was below expectations or worse than a typical day. By scoring on six key factors, I will attempt to quantify the effects of using this supplement. The baseline consists of 12 days prior to taking the supplement and the “30 Days” score is based on 30 continuous days of taking the supplement.
My ability to concentrate experienced the biggest improvement, but workout quality and energy levels both experienced an uptick of more than 1.5 from the baseline. While quality of sleep showed the smallest improvement, the benefits for this factor were experienced 14 days after taking the supplement. Based on Dr. Matthew Robert’s comments that circadian rhythm should be improved through the use of a supplement that boosts NAD+ levels, I began wearing my running watch while I slept. For the first two weeks of taking the TRU Niagen supplement, less than 50% of my sleep was “deep.” After the first two weeks, almost 60% of my sleep was “deep.”
Even without a scoring system, I could feel a marked improvement in my energy level, workout quality and ability to recover from the workout. My starting mobility when I would stretch before a workout was greatly improved. Even my volume of work increased as my concentration level improved. The percent of days that I was sleepy in the afternoon decreased from 50% to 14%. But these benefits didn’t become noticeable until after two weeks of taking the supplement.
The objective test came on the 30th day of using the TRU Niagen supplement and was a measure of performance based on results from two track meets. By comparing performances from a track meet in March of this year to a track meet from October 19th, I was able to objectively measure any improvements.
What was most similar about these two meets is that the one in March was well before the track season got underway. As a result, I didn’t complete focused, in-season workouts consisting of interval and repetition work and I was five pounds heavier than my competition weight. Similarly, the October meet was three months after the season ended, so I didn’t complete quality in-season workouts. Because of my sweet tooth, I was again five pounds over my competition weight. However, that’s where the similarities stopped. In each of the three events, I outperformed the March results.
On a sunny fall morning in Covington, Louisiana, I took part in the Louisiana Senior Games. In addition to the three events listed, I also competed in the high jump and shot put. At 8:45 am I reported to the long jump pit. With my first two jumps, I was a half meter shorter than my March results. After adjusting my steps, I launched off the board beyond 4 meters. With my final jump, I realized a new PR and bettered my March results by 0.18 meters.
An hour and a half later and after clearing my first three heights in the long jump, I lined up for the 800-meter run. The pace was comfortable and my stride was fluid. By pressing the last lap, I was able to cross the line in 2:43.3, comfortably under my March result. After most shorter races, my hamstrings begin to tighten, but this wasn’t the case on this particular Saturday morning. The race felt no different than doing repetition work on the track.
In the hour and twenty minutes that I had to recover, I threw the shot put for a new PR. In all fairness, I have only last week in which to compare that performance. This event is so new to me that I’m still working out my form. However, a PR is a PR and I’ll take it. After my fourth attempt at the shot put, I jogged to the 1500 meter starting line, slipped on my track spikes and lined up for the final event of the day. Five minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, I crossed the line well ahead of my March performance. Again, the pace was comfortable, smooth and fluid.
Before high noon, I had proven to myself what I started to suspect after day 14 of taking TRU Niagen. With these track results, we have moved beyond the subjective and into the objective. While there are still many variables that cannot be accounted for, there were other intangible benefits that were realized.
From the start of this series, the value proposition of an NR supplement was very intriguing. The science behind the claims appeared to be logical. Based on my first-hand experience, the results have been beyond my expectations. At this point, TRU Niagen has joined the arsenal of vitamins and antioxidants in my battle to hold back the effects of aging!
