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NMN and Exercise: What Human Studies Have Measured

NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is a precursor of NAD+, a molecule involved in cellular energy metabolism. Human trials have looked at whether taking it alongside training changes endurance, strength, recovery or inflammation. The clearest signals so far come from a six-week trial in recreational runners, which reported gains in ventilatory-threshold measures. Pooled results across all trials are more mixed. This article sets out what was tested, at which doses, and how to fit NMN into a training routine.

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TL;DR

  • A six-week trial in 48 recreational runners found better ventilatory-threshold results at 600 and 1200 mg/day than placebo. VO2max and peak power did not differ significantly.
  • A 2024 review of 10 randomised trials (437 participants) found no significant overall change in physical performance and no serious adverse effects.
  • A 2026 study in 11 untrained men showed NMN lowered some exercise-induced inflammatory signals. It does not show faster recovery.
  • Tested doses range from 250 mg to 1200 mg/day. The best time of day relative to training has not been established.

Table of Contents

What NMN does in the body

NMN is a building block the body uses to make NAD+. NAD+ takes part in energy production in mitochondria, the structures inside cells that turn food into usable energy. Levels of NAD+ are reported to fall with age, which is why NMN is of interest to adults over 40 who want to stay active.

In a 2022 randomised multicentre trial, 80 healthy middle-aged adults took placebo or 300, 600 or 900 mg of NMN per day for 60 days. Blood NAD increased in every NMN group, with the largest concentrations at 600 and 900 mg. That is the first step the exercise research builds on: NMN raises the raw material, and researchers then ask whether muscles, lungs and the circulation make use of it during training.

Endurance and aerobic capacity

The most cited exercise trial is the 2021 study by Liao and colleagues. It enrolled 48 recreational runners for six weeks. Participants took 300, 600 or 1200 mg/day of NMN while training five to six times per week. Oxygen uptake at the ventilatory threshold and power at that threshold improved more at 600 and 1200 mg than with placebo. VO2max, peak power, O2-pulse and work-rate efficiency did not differ significantly.

The ventilatory threshold is the intensity at which breathing starts to rise faster than effort. It matters for steady, sustained exercise such as running, cycling or brisk walking. The pattern of results suggests NMN may relate to how the body uses oxygen at submaximal effort rather than to maximal capacity. That reading is the trial’s own perspective, and it is one trial in recreationally trained adults.

Walking distance in middle-aged adults

The 2022 trial mentioned above also measured a simple functional test. At days 30 and 60, six-minute walk distance increased more with 300, 600 and 900 mg/day than with placebo. HOMA-IR, a marker of insulin resistance, did not differ significantly from placebo. For readers who walk, hike or cycle at an easy pace, this walking test is the closer match to everyday activity than a runner’s laboratory test.

Strength and muscle

Strength results are less consistent. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis by Prokopidis and colleagues covered predominantly older adults. It found no significant NMN effects on skeletal-muscle index, grip strength, gait speed, chair-stand performance, knee-extension strength or thigh muscle mass.

This matters for how NMN is used. Muscle is built by resistance training, protein intake and sleep. NMN is better described as one part of a longevity routine that sits next to those habits, not a replacement for them. Readers lifting weights should keep progressive loading and adequate protein as the foundation.

Recovery and inflammation

Search results for this topic often promise faster recovery. The human data are narrower than that.

A 2026 randomised crossover study in 11 untrained men used 1200 mg/day for seven days around blood-flow-restriction resistance exercise. NMN reduced the exercise-induced TNF-alpha and IL-10 mRNA responses. It also delayed the resolution of inflammatory cells and abolished a 171% post-exercise rise in mitochondrial content seen with placebo. The authors write that the biological significance of the missing mitochondrial increase is uncertain.

What this shows: NMN can change inflammatory signalling after a hard session. What it does not show: that people recover faster or feel less sore. The study measured molecular and biopsy outcomes, not how participants felt or performed the next day.

A registered French trial (NCT04664361) was designed to look at the questions readers actually ask. It tested 250 or 500 mg/day for 38 days in moderately active volunteers. Its outcomes include muscle recovery, endurance time, post-exercise muscle pain and blood NAD+. The registry entry on its own does not establish completed efficacy findings, so it signals where research is heading rather than offering an answer.

What the pooled evidence says

A 2024 systematic review by Wen and colleagues combined 10 randomised trials with 437 participants. NMN doses were 150 to 1200 mg/day and follow-up lasted 4 to 12 weeks. Pooled improvements in physical performance were non-significant, and no serious adverse effects were reported. The authors add that the evidence base consists of small samples, short follow-up and varied endpoints, so results cannot be confidently extrapolated to athletes or the general population.

Pooled NMN exercise trial findings and study ranges

Read together, the studies describe a young research field. Some trials report gains in specific measures, such as threshold performance or walking distance. Others, measured in older or selected groups, report no clear change. Longer trials in larger and more varied groups are what will settle the question. For a reader planning a routine, the practical point is to treat NMN as a long-term, consistent addition and to judge it over months alongside training logs, not days.

A related comparison is covered in our article on NMN versus NR in a 2026 meta-analysis.

Doses and duration tested

The table lists the dose ranges that appear in the studies above.

Study Participants Dose per day Duration
Liao et al., 2021 48 recreational runners 300, 600 or 1200 mg 6 weeks
Yi et al., 2022 80 healthy middle-aged adults 300, 600 or 900 mg 60 days
Wen et al., 2024 (review) 437 participants, 10 trials 150 to 1200 mg 4 to 12 weeks
2026 muscle study 11 untrained men 1200 mg 7 days
NCT04664361 (registered) Moderately active volunteers 250 or 500 mg 38 days

The runner trial used a split schedule: NMN twice daily, at 150, 300 or 600 mg per dose, at breakfast and lunch or in the afternoon before training. The 2026 muscle study used four 300 mg capsules daily, after each of three meals and before bed, for six days before exercise and one day afterwards. Its authors state that the best separation of NMN from exercise remains untested.

Timing NMN around training

No trial has established an ideal minute-by-minute window. What the studies share is a simple pattern: NMN taken daily, with meals, over weeks. A practical approach follows from that.

  1. Choose a fixed time. Consistency across weeks matters more than the exact hour. Many people pair it with breakfast.
  2. Take it with food. The trials above placed doses with meals.
  3. On training days, keep the routine unchanged. The runner trial placed one dose in the afternoon before training, so a pre-session dose has precedent.
  4. Keep a log. Note walking pace, running times, heart rate at a set effort and how you feel. Review after eight to twelve weeks.

For a morning routine built on human-trial doses, see our guide to NMN timing in the morning. For adults in their fifties and beyond, the article on NMN for over-50s explains how to choose a dose.

Safety and tolerability

Across the trials above, tolerability has been reported as good. In the 2022 trial, nine adverse-event cases occurred in seven participants, all mild or moderate and none judged related to NMN. No events occurred in the 600 or 900 mg groups.

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of short-term trials included 15 trials, 10 of which contributed safety data, at 250 to 2000 mg/day over 14 days to 24 weeks. It found no significant increase in overall, serious, gastrointestinal, nervous-system or skin adverse events, and no significant ALT or AST elevation. Its authors note that rare, delayed, long-term and high-dose effects are not yet well tested.

Sensible use follows from that:

  • Start at the lower end of a studied dose and keep it steady.
  • Adults taking prescription medicines, or with a liver, kidney or metabolic condition, should talk to their GP or pharmacist before adding any supplement.
  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a doctor first.
  • Caregivers buying for an older relative should check the supplement against that person’s medication list with the GP.

More detail on tolerability in Dutch adults is in our article on NMN side effects.

Perspective

We read the exercise research as a map of what has been measured, not a promise. The runner trial shows a signal at threshold intensity. The walking trial shows a signal in a functional test. The pooled reviews remind us that the field is young and that results depend on who takes part and how long the trial runs.

That is why we formulate NMN around studied doses. Our capsules come in 250 mg and 500 mg, which sit inside the ranges human trials have used, and we offer a powder for people who prefer to set their own serving. Every Vivetus supplement is vegan, tested for purity and assembled in the Netherlands, with transparent formulations so you can see what each serving contains.

Our view is that NMN suits people who already train and want to support their cellular energy over the long term. Take it daily, keep your training and protein in order, and judge the result over months.

Jord

Choosing an NMN product for an active routine

Vivetus offers NMN as capsules and as powder, all made for adults who want a consistent daily routine. Vivetus® NMN 250 mg capsules (60 capsules) suit a gradual start. Vivetus® NMN 500 mg capsules (60 capsules) give a higher serving in one capsule. Vivetus® NMN powder allows flexible servings. The full range, including resveratrol, fisetin, quercetin and pterostilbene, is on the NMN collection page. Orders over €50 ship free, and subscription purchase is available.

Vivetus® NMN poeder

Capsules fit people who want a fixed serving with breakfast. Powder fits those who adjust serving size or mix it into a drink. Either way, the daily habit is what the studies describe.

FAQ

Does NMN improve running performance?

One six-week trial in 48 recreational runners reported better ventilatory-threshold results at 600 and 1200 mg/day than placebo, while VO2max and peak power did not differ significantly. Pooled reviews across many trials found no significant overall change in physical performance. NMN is therefore best seen as a possible support for sub-maximal endurance, to be judged over several months.

Should I take NMN before or after a workout?

No trial has established the best timing. The runner trial gave one of the daily doses in the afternoon before training, with other doses at breakfast. A fixed daily time with food is a sound approach, and a pre-session dose has precedent.

Can NMN help with muscle recovery?

A 2026 study found NMN reduced some exercise-induced inflammatory signals in 11 untrained men. It did not measure soreness or next-day performance, so faster recovery has not been shown. A larger registered trial was designed to examine muscle recovery, but its findings are not established in the registry entry.

Is NMN safe to take with exercise?

In the trials reviewed, no serious adverse effects were reported at doses of 150 to 2000 mg/day over 14 days to 24 weeks. Long-term, high-dose and population-specific effects are less studied. Adults on medication or with a health condition should speak to a GP or pharmacist first.

Sources

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