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Effects of nicotinamide mononucleotide and paprika xanthophyll on endurance performance: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group study

Kana Nishimura, Eiji Tanaka, Kazuya Yamamoto, Hiroshi Kawabata
The Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine 2026 15(2):51-64

Bibliography

DOI
10.7600/jpfsm.2024.049
Funding
The authors stated that the study received funding from Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd.
Competing interests
All four authors were employees of Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. and reported a patent application (JP2024-087242) based on the results, with the stated purpose of commercializing the research techniques/findings.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group four-arm trial.
ModelMale collegiate track-and-field athletes aged 18 years or older.
Sample139 participants analyzed: placebo n=35, NMN n=34, paprika xanthophyll n=35, NMN+paprika xanthophyll n=35.
InterventionPlacebo; NMN 500 mg/day; paprika xanthophyll 9 mg/day; or NMN 500 mg/day + paprika xanthophyll 9 mg/day for 8 weeks.
Duration8 weeks
EndpointsRunning velocity at lactate threshold; Running velocity at onset of blood lactate accumulation; Heart rate; Blood NAD+; Endurance performance; Sleep-related exploratory outcomes

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2026 athlete trial randomized 139 analyzed participants across placebo, 500 mg/day NMN, paprika xanthophyll or the combination for eight weeks.

The NMN-only group increased blood NAD+ but did not improve the study's primary endurance-performance endpoint versus placebo after eight weeks.

Some four-week and baseline-NAD subgroup signals favored the combination of NMN plus paprika xanthophyll, not NMN alone. All authors worked for the funding company and filed a commercialization patent based on the results.

Key findings

  • NMN 500 mg/day did not effectively improve endurance performance after eight weeks, the study's primary endpoint.
  • Blood NAD+ rose in the NMN and NMN+paprika groups.
  • Exploratory/subgroup findings suggested possible endurance benefits from the NMN+paprika combination in some analyses.
  • The NMN-only group showed no endurance improvement versus placebo in the reported primary analysis.
  • The study was funded by Ezaki Glico; all authors were employees and patent applicants based on the results.

What this study can and cannot tell us

The population was young male collegiate track-and-field athletes, so results may not generalize to recreational exercisers, women or older adults.

Positive findings were concentrated in four-week, combination and stratified analyses rather than the eight-week NMN-only primary endpoint.

The strong commercial relationship—company funding, employee authorship and patent filing—does not invalidate the trial but increases the importance of independent replication.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology