Supplements I’m experimenting with (7/21/24)

A ‘panacea’ supplement comparable to PEDS for power output? Sounds too good to be true

5-amino-1MQ is a small, membrane permeable molecule (so not exactly a peptide although it’s often lumped into that category) that has gained a lot of attention for potential benefits in within the context of muscle growth, fat metabolism and (most importantly in my opinion) dramatically improving muscle strength and power output. Some have even claimed it helped them to shave .3 off their 40 yard dash

5-amino is an analog of the compound methylquinolinium. It is primarily studied for its role in inhibiting the activity of an enzyme called nicotinamide n-methyltransferase

NNMT is an enzyme that is involved in the methylation of nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3. By inhibiting NNMT, 5-amino can increase the levels of nicotinamide and NAD+ in cells

NAD+ is a critical cofactor in cellular metabolism and energy production. Higher NAD+ levels can enhance mitochondrial function and improve cellular energy output.

Inhibition of NNMT has been linked to improvements in metabolic processes, including increased fat metabolism and reduced fat accumulation, and may also have benefits for treating some neurological diseases, heart disease and even cancer

Now here’s the interesting part — one of the most noteable benefits of 5-amino is it’s profound impact on power and explosiveness. Strength to some extent. But primarily power. The mechanisms for this are slightly unclear. In a very speculative sense, if we consider the analogy of cellular energy production to the energy release in explosives, the enhanced energy production capabilities of cells with higher NAD+ levels could be loosely compared to more efficient energy release mechanisms. However, this is purely speculative and I don’t find this answer completely satisfactory

One animal model study treating mice with NNMT inhibitors increased muscle stem cell proliferation and fusion. This treatment resulted in nearly double the cross-sectional area and a shift in muscle fiber size distribution, with a higher proportion of larger myofibers and fewer smaller ones compared to the control group. Significantly, the enhanced activity of muscle stem cells not only produced larger myofibers following injury but also improved contractile function, with the peak torque of the tibialis anterior muscle being approximately 70% higher in treated mice than in controls.

(Also, In the context of muscle growth, I think there's a huge area of opportunity for competitors to focus on 'mild' compounds like this. Are they going to give you the huge gains you'd get from an anabolic steroid or something that forces it's action aggressively through an androgen receptor mediated pathway? Probably not. But that's the beauty in it - smaller, sustainable gains you can stack overtime without side effects. In fact, there's I actuallv a lot of health benefits associated with some of these and they could even be used as a ‘bridge' between more aggressive cycles during the off season (not endorsing, just saying if that's your thing or sport of choice lol)

On a person level, 5-amino is one of the few supplements I’ve tried that has produced extremely noticeable improvements in explosive performance metrics. There have been a few instances where I’ve used it and gained an extra 6 inches on my broad jump and up to 3 inches on my vertical pump after a single day of dosing.

I could see this being a really useful supplement for also helping elderly individuals retain reflexes and neuromuscular function that’s often quickly lost with age.

Many supplements that I’ve tried in the past for power output have been helpful (like alpha-GCP) but they’re typically what you’d expect out of a supplement — a noticeable but small performance increase. The benefits I’ve noticed with 5-amino were far from ‘small’. I haven’t noticed that it’s made a large difference in my performance as far as top-end strength is concerned, but it’s possible I may need to stay on it longer to notice those benefits.

‘Do you keep the gains’?

I haven't used it long enough yet to say but a lot of Reddit experiences say that it stops working after a month. where I see this being primarily useful is not just as a short term performance boost (although it definitely IS withou a doubt). You can think of it like a PED. If you use PED's properly, it'll be 3 steps foreword and one it'll be 3 steps foreword and one step back when you come off them. That's why people that juiced in their 20's still have a lot more muscle mass in their 40's than they probably would have if they didn't. I think some of those fiber shifts mentioned, as well as just the stimulus imposed BACK on the body from being able to achieve a significantly higher level of performance will create some lasting neurological adaptions. So you cycle off after it stops working and then back on later. 2 steps foreward and 1 back. And then doing that maybe a few times a vear. Theoretical but I could see that working. Maybe you gain a few inches on the vert. But then maybe when you come off, you have a slight net gain you maintain. You cycle off, and then use it again later on and get another big performance boost with another slight (or maybe a massive, I can’t say yet) boost you retain.

(Update since writing this — gained 3 inches on vert max, and maintained an extra inch after coming off)

We often think of performance and adaptation as unidirectional:

— adaptation —> subsequent improvement in performance.

But I think it could also work the opposite

Performance boost —> adaptation

If you jump 4 inches higher than usually, are you not stimulating muscle fibers and or creating demands on the body (like falling from an extra 4 inches) that also create adaptation? This is the idea behind overspeeed training. This also ties into my recent post on ‘root cause medicine where I wrote:

‘Causal pluralism posits that causation is not a singular type of relationship or link between entities. Rather, the seemingly straightforward and singular term ‘cause’ conceals a variety of underlying complexities. To evaluate that perspective, you have to navigate a challenging process of distinguishing and understanding these diverse connections. This is precisely why ‘root cause’ medicine can’t exist. There’s an infinite number of interrelated ‘causes’, all of which are superimposed and collectively give rise to new complexity. You are 1 of 1’

This doesn’t just apply to rehab. It’s a principle that’s equally relevant to performance.

Dosing and sourcing

5-amino-1MQ is unfortunately not cheap. A months supply will usually run you close to $200. But I could see this being very useful for athletes prior to a big competition, try out or combine. It will stop working after a month, so this is definitely a supplement to be used strategically.

The ideal dose seems to be somewhere around 100-150’g daily in divided doses of 50mg.

https://swisschems.is/product/5-amino-1mq-3000-mg-60-caps-50-mg-1-capsule/

Is it safe for sport?

As of now, it doesn’t seem to be band but this could change, especially if it gets more popular