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Human randomized trial

Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) in human skeletal muscle after BFR-exercise

Dai-Lin Yang, Kuo-Ching Chao, Hui-Tai Yang, Kuei-Hung Chen, Luthfia Dewi, Giancarlo Condello, Mengxin Ye, Andrew Nicholls, Yu-Chieh Liao, Chih-Yang Huang, Chia-Hua Kuo

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2026 · 23(1):2632284

Original publication PubMed Full text on PMC

Study at a glance

Design
Randomized, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced crossover trial with muscle biopsies
Population or model
11 untrained young men, mean age approximately 23 years
Sample size
11 participants
Intervention
NMN 1,200 mg/day or placebo for 7 days, with a 3-week washout, combined with blood-flow-restriction resistance exercise
Publication type
Randomized crossover mechanistic trial
Evidence class
human-study
Research area
Exercise-induced muscle inflammation and adaptation
Trial registration
Not reported in the publication.

Study endpoints

  • Muscle necrosis and inflammatory signaling
  • TNF-alpha and IL-10 mRNA
  • p21 and myogenic differentiation signals
  • Immune-cell infiltration
  • Mitochondrial content and mitochondrial-transfer-related measures

Plain-language summary

This crossover study examined whether seven days of 1,200 mg/day NMN altered the muscle response to blood-flow-restriction resistance exercise in 11 young untrained men.

NMN suppressed some exercise-induced inflammatory signaling, including TNF-alpha and IL-10 mRNA responses. However, it also delayed p21-related myogenic signaling and modestly delayed clearance of infiltrating cells.

A notable mixed result was that the post-exercise increase in mitochondrial content seen in the placebo condition was abolished with NMN. The paper therefore does not support a simple 'less inflammation is better' interpretation.

Key findings

  • NMN attenuated several exercise-induced inflammatory-signaling responses.
  • p21-related myogenic differentiation signaling was delayed.
  • Resolution of infiltrating cells from damaged regions was moderately delayed.
  • The 24-hour post-exercise increase in mitochondrial content observed under placebo was abolished with NMN.
  • Muscle necrosis resolved within 24 hours in both conditions.

Limitations

  • Only 11 young untrained men.
  • Very short seven-day supplementation period.
  • Highly specific blood-flow-restriction exercise model.
  • Mechanistic muscle-biopsy outcomes are not equivalent to long-term performance or health outcomes.
  • Several findings point in opposite biological directions, so net benefit cannot be assumed.

Funding and transparency

Funding

Sponsored by the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (grant 108-2410-H-845-022-MY3).

Competing interests

The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.

HealthspanX observation

The study reports biologically mixed effects, including suppression of a potentially beneficial post-exercise mitochondrial adaptation.

Interpretive weight

Limited

Randomized crossover muscle-biopsy study provides mechanistic human data, but only 11 young men and seven days of exposure; findings include potentially adverse adaptation signals.

This record summarizes a publication; it is not medical advice or a claim that a HealthspanX product reproduces the study's results. Report a correction.

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