How NMN Helps Support Energy, Metabolism, and Cellular Vitality as You Age

We all know what it feels like when our energy isn’t what it used to be. The mornings feel slower. Workdays feel heavier. Exercise feels like it requires more effort than it once did. Many people put this down to ‘getting older’, but emerging research tells us there’s often something much more specific happening deep inside our cells.

As we age, our cells become less efficient at producing energy. This is largely due to a gradual decline in a molecule called NAD⁺, one of the most important cofactors in human biology. And by middle age, NAD⁺ levels can fall by up to 50%. When that happens, our mitochondria, the tiny power plants within our cells, struggle to keep up with the body’s energy demands.^{1, 2}

That’s where NMN comes in.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) has quickly become one of the most talked-about nutrients in the field of healthy ageing and metabolic resilience. Its popularity isn’t based on hype, it’s based on its unique ability to support the very processes that decline with age, particularly energy production, metabolic efficiency, and cellular repair.³

 

Why energy declines with age

To understand why NMN is so exciting, it helps to look at how energy is actually made.

Every cell in the body relies on mitochondria to convert the food we eat into ATP, the energy currency that keeps our muscles moving, our brains thinking and our organs functioning. However, mitochondria can’t do this alone. They depend on NAD⁺, a molecule required for countless reactions involved in metabolism, DNA repair, inflammation regulation, and healthy cellular communication.

The problem? NAD⁺ declines steadily as we age, and this decline is linked to:

• Fatigue and reduced stamina
• Slower metabolism
• Increased inflammation
• Reduced resilience to stress
• Age-related mitochondrial dysfunction

With less NAD⁺ available, cells simply can’t perform at their best. They become sluggish, less efficient, and more vulnerable to damage. This is one of the core biological drivers of ageing.^{2, 3, 8, 12}

 

 

How NMN supports healthy NAD⁺ levels

NMN is one of the direct building blocks the body uses to make NAD⁺. By supplying the body with NMN, we can help replenish declining NAD⁺ levels and support a more youthful state of cellular function.

Think of it like refuelling a generator. When mitochondria receive enough NAD⁺, they can power up again, producing energy more efficiently and supporting the health of every organ system.

Research in both animals and humans has shown that NMN supplementation can:

• Raise NAD⁺ levels
• Improve mitochondrial function
• Enhance metabolic health
• Support endurance and physical performance
• Help regulate glucose and insulin sensitivity

These findings suggest that NMN may be one of the most valuable tools we have for supporting energy and metabolic wellbeing as we age. ^{3, 4, 5, 7}

 

More efficient energy production

For many people, the most noticeable effect of declining NAD⁺ is reduced energy. Not just the familiar “afternoon slump”, but a deeper sense of fatigue that creeps into daily life.

By restoring NAD⁺, NMN helps improve the efficiency of mitochondrial energy production. This can translate into:

• Better physical endurance
• Improved exercise performance
• Greater mental clarity
• More stable day-to-day energy

While NMN isn’t a stimulant and won’t give you a sudden jolt of energy like caffeine, it addresses the root cause of low vitality at the cellular level. For people who feel ‘not quite themselves’ as they get older, this can be a profound shift.

 

Metabolic support and insulin sensitivity

Beyond energy production, NAD⁺ plays a significant role in how our bodies regulate glucose, burn fat, and manage metabolic stress. Animal studies and early human trials indicate that NMN may help:

• Improve insulin sensitivity
• Support healthy blood glucose metabolism
• Reduce age-related metabolic slowdown
• Enhance muscle glucose uptake

These benefits are particularly relevant today, with metabolic conditions rising sharply worldwide. Even for people without metabolic disease, maintaining metabolic flexibility, the ability to efficiently switch between burning carbohydrates and fats, is crucial for long-term vitality and healthy ageing.

NMN appears to offer meaningful support in this area.^{8, 9, 10, 11}

 

 

Cellular repair and resilience

Ageing isn’t just about reduced energy or slower metabolism. It’s also about the body’s declining capacity to repair itself.

NAD⁺ is required for enzymes involved in:

• DNA repair
• Inflammation modulation
• Healthy cellular communication
• Stress response
• Mitochondrial renewal

By supporting NAD⁺ synthesis, NMN indirectly enhances these critical processes. The result is greater resilience at the cellular level, something that, over time, may influence how we age, recover, and maintain vitality. ^4,5,6

 

Who may benefit from NMN?

While NMN isn’t a cure-all, it may be particularly helpful for people who:

• Feel their energy levels have declined with age
• Want support for metabolic health and healthy weight management
• Experience fatigue despite good sleep
• Are interested in longevity and cellular wellbeing
• Exercise regularly and want improved endurance and recovery
• Want to support healthy ageing from the inside out

Anyone past their mid-30s is likely experiencing NAD⁺ decline, so NMN can be a proactive addition to a well-rounded wellness routine.^{3, 9, 11}

 

NMN works best as part of a healthy ageing lifestyle

While NMN offers powerful support, it’s most effective when paired with the foundations of good health. Research shows that several lifestyle factors help maintain healthy NAD⁺ levels:

• Regular exercise, especially resistance and aerobic training
• Quality sleep, which restores mitochondrial function
• A nutrient-dense diet rich in polyphenols and antioxidants
• Stress management, as chronic stress accelerates NAD⁺ loss
• Healthy metabolic habits, such as not overeating and maintaining stable blood sugar ^{13, 14, 15}

 

 

The bottom line

As we age, maintaining energy, metabolic health, and cellular vitality becomes increasingly important, not just for longevity, but for quality of life. NMN represents a promising, research-backed way to support the body’s natural NAD⁺ production, helping cells function more efficiently and resiliently.

By targeting one of the root causes of age-related decline, falling NAD⁺ levels, NMN offers a meaningful path toward feeling more energised, more metabolically balanced, and more vibrant at any age. 

If fatigue, slower metabolism, or reduced vitality have become part of daily life, NMN may be one of the most valuable additions to a healthy ageing routine.

 

References:

1.       Verdin E. NAD⁺ in aging, metabolism, and neurodegeneration. Science. 2015 Dec 4;350(6265):1208-13. doi: 10.1126/science.aac4854. PMID: 26785480.

2.       Yoshino J, Baur JA, Imai SI. NAD⁺ Intermediates: The Biology and Therapeutic Potential of NMN and NR. Cell Metab. 2018 Mar 6;27(3):513-528. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.11.002. Epub 2017 Dec 14. PMID: 29249689; PMCID: PMC5842119.

3.       Mills, K. F. et al. (2016). Long-term NMN administration mitigates age-associated physiological decline in mice. Cell Metabolism, 24(6):795–806.

4.       Igarashi, M. et al. (2022). Human clinical trial on oral NMN supplementation. Frontiers in Aging, 3:940667.

5.       Liao B, Zhao Y, Wang D, Zhang X, Hao X, Hu M. Nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation enhances aerobic capacity in amateur runners: a randomized, double-blind study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Jul 8;18(1):54. doi: 10.1186/s12970-021-00442-4. PMID: 34238308; PMCID: PMC8265078.

6.       Cantó C, Auwerx J. Targeting sirtuin 1 to improve metabolism: all you need is NAD(+)? Pharmacol Rev. 2012 Jan;64(1):166-87. doi: 10.1124/pr.110.003905. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22106091; PMCID: PMC3616312.

7.       Camacho-Pereira, J. et al. (2016). NAD⁺ depletion and mitochondrial dysfunction in aging. Nature Communications, 7:14012.

8.       Yoshino M, Yoshino J, Kayser BD, Patti GJ, Franczyk MP, Mills KF, Sindelar M, Pietka T, Patterson BW, Imai SI, Klein S. Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women. Science. 2021 Jun 11;372(6547):1224-1229. doi: 10.1126/science.abe9985. Epub 2021 Apr 22. PMID: 33888596; PMCID: PMC8550608.

9.       Belenky P, Bogan KL, Brenner C. NAD+ metabolism in health and disease. Trends Biochem Sci. 2007 Jan;32(1):12-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2006.11.006. Epub 2006 Dec 11. Erratum in: Trends Biochem Sci. 2008 Jan;33(1):1. PMID: 17161604.

10.  Yoshino, J. et al. (2021). NMN improves insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women. Science, 372(6547):1224–1229.

11.  Li, J. et al. (2020). NMN ameliorates age-associated insulin resistance. GeroScience, 42(1):107–122.

12.  Covarrubias AJ, Perrone R, Grozio A, Verdin E. NAD⁺ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2021 Feb;22(2):119-141.

13.  Stein, L. R. & Imai, S. (2012). The dynamic regulation of NAD metabolism in mitochondria. Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 37(4):178–188.

14.  Daniel C. Levine, Kathryn M. Ramsey, Joseph Bass, Circadian NAD(P)(H) cycles in cell metabolism, Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, Volume 126, 2022, Pages 15-26, ISSN 1084-952.

15.  Gabriela Fabiana Soares Alegre, Glaucia Maria Pastore, The emerging importance of NAD+ metabolome for nutrition and food sciences: A bibliometric analysis, Food Bioscience, Volume 56, 2023, 103126, ISSN 2212-4292.