NMN and Exercise Performance: What the Research Says

NAD+ and exercise performance intersect at the level of cellular energy metabolism — muscle contraction is fundamentally an energy-demanding process, and NAD+ is central to how cells generate that energy. Here’s what the research has explored on NMN, NAD+, and exercise-related outcomes. Informational only — not medical advice.*

The Metabolic Connection

Skeletal muscle is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body, and NAD+ plays a central role in the mitochondrial energy production that powers sustained muscle contraction.* NAD+ is required for glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation — the two primary pathways cells use to generate ATP.* As NAD+ levels decline with age, so does the efficiency of these energy-producing pathways, which has driven research interest in whether restoring NAD+ levels through precursor supplementation affects exercise capacity.*

What the Research Has Examined

Imai et al.’s 2022 clinical trial (Science) in older men found that NMN supplementation improved muscle insulin sensitivity — a metabolic outcome directly relevant to how muscle tissue utilizes energy substrates during activity.* Animal research has examined NMN’s effects on mitochondrial biogenesis and muscle endurance capacity, generally finding favorable effects on markers of mitochondrial function.* Human exercise-performance-specific trials are still limited compared to the broader NAD+ metabolic research base, and results in this specific domain should be considered preliminary.*

Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Sirtuin Activity

NAD+ is a required cofactor for sirtuins — a class of enzymes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis (the creation of new mitochondria within cells).* Exercise itself is one of the most potent known stimulators of mitochondrial biogenesis, and researchers have explored whether adequate NAD+ availability affects how efficiently this adaptive process occurs in response to training.* This remains an active area of research rather than an established finding.*

What This Means Practically

The research connecting NMN supplementation directly to measurable exercise performance improvements in healthy, younger populations is still developing.* Most of the strongest human data comes from older adult populations and focuses on metabolic markers (like insulin sensitivity) rather than direct performance metrics (like VO2 max or strength output).* This is an area worth watching as more targeted trials are published.*

Our NMN Cellular Performance is manufactured at our cGMP facility in Santa Rosa, California. Related: NMN and NAD+: What the Research Explores.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Informational only — research citations are for educational purposes. Not medical advice.