NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Elysium Health, Inc.,™ a life sciences company developing clinically validated health products based on aging research, today announced the initiation of a clinical trial at University of Exeter, UK to explore the effects of Basis™ and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on muscle metabolism and exercise in 18 – 35 year-olds. Basis is a combination of Elysium Health's proprietary nicotinamide riboside (NR) and pterostilbene (PT), which is designed to increase NAD+ levels and activate sirtuins. As an essential metabolic coenzyme involved in cellular energy metabolism and energy creation, NAD+ plays a critical role in mitochondrial function. In an earlier clinical trial, Basis was shown to increase NAD+ levels on average by 40% from baseline.

The trial will enroll an estimated 20 participants and will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study to evaluate the effectiveness of Basis and HIIT on mitochondrial function, exercise capacity, and recovery in adults ages 18 – 35 over the course of three weeks. More on the study can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT04050358.

"Mitochondrial dysfunction is central to numerous areas of interest in health, ranging from exercise and performance to several muscle diseases. Unfortunately, treatments are currently very limited," said Dr. Timothy Etheridge, a researcher at University of Exeter, UK and principal investigator for the study. "Muscle mass adapts in response to the changing functional and metabolic demands of the body, and its maintenance is important for movement, health, and survival. Many questions remain, however, regarding the acute response of muscle to exercise, diet, and natural compounds that may reverse some of the deleterious effects of aging. This study will aim to start to answer some of these questions."

The content and function of skeletal muscle mitochondria – which produce energy and are vital to human survival – decline during aging and with inactivity. This occurs concurrently with the development of chronic conditions such as type II diabetes, which is partially due to a reduced capacity of mitochondria to break down fat for energy production. Maintenance of mitochondrial content and function is therefore of great importance for our health. Mitochondrial content and function can both be enhanced with HIIT, which itself represents an extremely time-efficient training strategy versus traditional endurance training.

One of the mechanisms by which mitochondrial content and function are increased following exercise is through NAD-dependent sirtuin signaling. NAD+ is one of the most important metabolites in the human body and requires ongoing replenishment due to its high rate of turnover through NAD-consuming activities. NR is a bioavailable NAD+ precursor that, in preclinical models, has been shown to elevate NAD+ concentration in skeletal muscle. The beneficial effects of elevating NAD+ levels are further supported by the activation of SIRT1 through a separate mechanism by PT.

"Over the last 20 years, the role of SIRT1 in the metabolism and function of skeletal muscle cells has been studied in preclinical models," said Elysium Health chief scientist and director of the Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at MIT Dr. Leonard Guarente. "Sirtuins present interesting potential targets to redress the aging-associated changes in the function of skeletal or cardiac muscle. We're excited to begin to translate the compelling research around NAD+ replenishment and sirtuin activation into human clinical trials." 

Following the completion of the study, Elysium Health intends to repeat the same protocol in an elderly population in collaboration with University of Exeter, UK under the direction of Dr. Timothy Etheridge.

About Elysium Health^™
Elysium Health's^™ mission is to solve the biggest challenges in health with science, to help people live healthier, longer. Working directly with the world's leading scientists and clinicians, Elysium Health^™ is dedicated to translating advances in aging research and technology into effective, clinically proven products that help people manage their health in an actionable way. Learn more at www.elysiumhealth.com.

SOURCE Elysium Health

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