As an affordable addition to any supplement regime, with remarkable “bang for your buck” and very little downside in the way of safety risk, 5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1methylquinolinium) packs a powerful punch for athletes looking for a competitive edge.
Although 5-Amino-1MQ is perhaps best-known for its ability to promote healthy weight loss in obese individuals, its performance-enhancing benefits extend beyond that limited scope.
Here, we’ll focus on 5-Amino-1MQ’s potential to optimize performance, output, and endurance in athletes who add it to their supplementation routine.
Let’s get into the science backing 5-Amino-1MQ as an athletic supplement.
What Is 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ is a simple peptide (a short amino acid sequence or amino acid “chain”). It is an analog of methylquinolinium.
Peptides — which are generally significantly more affordable than other popular supplements due to their generic nature and relatively simple production methods – have a long and storied use in athletics.
5-Amino-1MQ is among the better-studied peptide supplements, with a large compendium of clinical literature to back up its applications for enhancing athletic performance.
Let’s get into it.
How Does Boost 5-Amino-1MQ Athletic Performance and Endurance?
5-Amino-IMQ’s primary mechanism of action is countering the activity of an enzyme called nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), which is closely involved in the metabolic process of humans (i.e., the processing, storage, and utilization of energy).
Given 5-Amino-IMQ’s role in reducing NNMT levels, this peptide is often termed an NNMT inhibitor (NNMTi).
Via this inhibiting (blocking) activity, 5-Amino-1MQ stimulates the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), which renders multiple benefits:
“NNMT inhibitors reduced intracellular 1-MNA, increased intracellular NAD+ and S-(5′-adenosyl)-L-methionine (SAM), and suppressed lipogenesis in adipocytes…. These results support development of small molecule NNMT inhibitors as therapeutics.”
Performance Benefit #1: 5-Amino-1MQ Improves Muscle Regeneration
Maintaining healthy muscle tissue is imperative for optimal athletic performance — particularly across the lifespan moving into older age brackets, as well as during the recovery process following an injury.
This is where 5-Amino-1MQ comes in handy as a supplement, as the 2019 clinical evidence (published in the peer-reviewed Biochemical Pharmacology Journal) indicates:
“Muscle stem cell proliferation and subsequent fusion were elevated in [NNMT inhibitor] NNMTi-treated mice, supporting nearly 2-fold greater [cross-sectional area] CSA and shifts in fiber size distribution to greater proportions of larger sized myofibers and fewer smaller sized fibers in NNMTi-treated mice compared to controls. Prolonged NNMTi treatment post-injury further augmented myofiber regeneration evinced by increasingly larger fiber CSA.”
As multiple studies bear out, muscle CSA is directly correlated to muscle strength in athletes. From the European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology
“Muscle strength was found to be positively correlated… with muscle CSA as determined by computed tomography scanning of the leg at mid-thigh level.”
In their conclusion, the researchers in the previously cited 2019 study published in the Biochemical Pharmacology Journal write:
“These results provide the first clear evidence that NNMT inhibitors constitute a viable pharmacological approach to enhance aged muscle regeneration by rescuing muSC function, supporting the development of NNMTi as novel mechanism-of-action therapeutic to improve skeletal muscle regenerative capacity and functional recovery after musculoskeletal injury in older adults.“
Besides spurring muscle development, the NNMTi 5-Amino-1MQ may optimize muscular function by increasing GLUT4 receptor sites, which are responsible for glucose (blood sugar) uptake into the muscles during athletic performance.
Performance Benefit #2: 5-Amino-1MQ May Improve Endurance Via Greater Metabolic Output
Athletes are always on the lookout for effective means to improve their endurance and, in turn, their output on the field or in the gym.
Higher NAD+ levels — which, as we discussed previously, 5-Amino-1MQ facilitates – support sustainable energy expenditure (metabolism) at the cellular level:
“Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential pyridine nucleotide that is present in all living cells. NAD+ acts as an important cofactor and substrate for a multitude of biological processes including energy production.”
Other noteworthy health benefits you can leverage with 5-Amino-1MQ supplementation that may directly or indirectly promote athletic performance include:
- Improved cardiovascular function
- Higher energy levels (by revving up energy output and dialing down energy storage via the metabolic effects illustrated above)
- Reduced levels of harmful LDL cholesterol that can clog arteries and impair cardiovascular function
- Lowered levels of chronic, systemic inflammation (a frequent contributor to injuries in athletes)
- Facilitated activation of a gene known as sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) – often dubbed the “longevity gene” for its proven capacity to ward off chronic age-related illness
- Reduces risk of hypertension (high blood pressure)
*To maximize the benefits of 5-Amino-1MQ supplementation, you should consider adding (“stacking”) it with another powerful and affordable supplement called niacin (which also facilitates NAD+ biosynthesis).
What Is the Optimal Dosage of 5-Amino-1MQ?
As a notably safe supplement with minimal risk of side effects (see next section), nearly everyone can safely tolerate oral doses of 50mg 1-3 times per day every day with no need for cycling or breaks in supplementation.
As with many supplements, consider starting at a lower-tier dosage and working your way up to higher levels to a.) give your physiology time to adjust to the new substance and b.) monitor how you react to escalating dosages.
Does 5-Amino-1MQ Use Have Any Potential Side Effects?
5-Amino-1MQ is one of the most basic staple supplements that an athlete can add to his or her arsenal. Accordingly, as multiple clinical reports bear out, there is very little risk of adverse side effects from 5-Amino-1MQ supplementation in moderation:
“Notably, administration of NNMT inhibitors did not produce any observable adverse effects.”
The only significant risk of detrimental health impacts resulting from 5-Amino-1MQ come from adulterated products that contain harmful added ingredients or fake products marketed as 5-Amino-1MQ – an unfortunate risk that results from the unregulated nature of the athletics supplements market.
You can avoid any issues with sub-standard 5-Amino-1MQ by turning to a trusted brand like Beyond Health; we verify the purity and quality of all the supplements we provide to our clients.
Sourcing High-Grade 5-Amino-1MQ
Beyond Health offers our clients the purest, highest-grade supplements you will find on the US market. We stand by the safety and efficacy of all of our hormones and supplements used in therapy, including 5-Amino-1MQ.
Seeking professional guidance when starting a 5-Amino-1MQ regimen is always a good idea, so don’t be afraid to reach out to Beyond Health for help with developing your dosing regimen. Hormone optimization and supplementation for athletes is our specialty.
This article has been reviewed and approved by our medical team.
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