Found My Fitness

#109 How To Boost NAD Levels To Fight Inflammation, Improve Recovery, and Slow Aging | Dr. Charles Brenner

• ✓**Anti-inflammatory effects:** Eight randomized controlled trials demonstrate nicotinamide riboside at 500-1000mg daily significantly lowers inflammatory markers including IL-6 and IL-10 in humans. The effect proves strong enough that participants receiving NR first in crossover trials maintained lower inflammation three weeks after switching to placebo. This anti-inflammatory action appears most beneficial for individuals with elevated baseline inflammation from conditions like obesity, COPD, or metabolic dysfunction.
• ✓**Blood versus tissue NAD:** Blood NAD levels remain relatively stable with age in healthy individuals at approximately 20 micromolar, but tissue NAD in organs like liver, brain, and muscle declines significantly. People with mitochondrial disease show measurably lower blood NAD, while inflammatory conditions tax NAD systems across multiple organs simultaneously. This explains why blood testing provides limited value for individuals—supplementation reliably increases NAD regardless of baseline measurements.

#106 How To Increase Your Testosterone Levels Naturally | Derek from MPMD

• ✓**Testosterone measurement protocol:** Test early morning when levels peak from diurnal rhythm, get fasted blood draw, avoid biotin-containing supplements for several days prior as they cross-detect with hormone assays, stay hydrated to avoid falsely elevated hematocrit readings, and obtain repeat measurements before making treatment decisions since single snapshots can vary significantly based on stress, sleep, and other transient factors affecting hormone production.
• ✓**Free versus total testosterone:** Total testosterone reflects overall production capacity including hormone bound to proteins, while free testosterone represents only two to three percent that actively binds androgen receptors. Sex hormone binding globulin binds approximately sixty percent of testosterone, albumin binds thirty-eight percent. High SHBG levels can cause symptoms despite adequate total testosterone because insufficient free hormone reaches target tissues to exert biological effects.

#105 Exogenous ketones, my coffee protocol, and supplements for blood sugar regulation (Premium Member Q&A July 2025)

• ✓**Exogenous Ketone Types:** Delta G and Ketone Aid use beta-hydroxybutyrate ester bonded to 1,3-butanediol, providing immediate effects plus sustained release over 90 minutes as the liver converts the ester. Ketone IQ contains only 1,3-butanediol at 5 grams, requiring one hour pre-consumption for conversion. Beta-hydroxybutyrate creates calm focus by shifting neurotransmitter balance toward GABA over glutamate, reducing anxiety while maintaining cognitive performance.
• ✓**Blood Sugar Supplement Protocol:** Berberine requires 600mg three times daily with meals for total 1,800mg to effectively impact glucose and lipid panels. Alpha lipoic acid dosing ranges 600-1,200mg daily. Ubiquinol at 100mg daily supports general mitochondrial health. This combination targets glucose regulation and lipid optimization when taken consistently at meal times for berberine's glucose-lowering effects to activate properly.

#102 Why Vitamin D Deficiency Accelerates Brain Aging

• ✓**Deficiency prevalence:** Seventy percent of Americans have deficient or insufficient vitamin D levels (below 30 ng/mL). Factors blocking production include sunscreen, melanin pigmentation, age (70-year-olds produce four times less than 20-year-olds), northern latitude residence, and body fat storage reducing bioavailability of this fat-soluble vitamin.
• ✓**Genetic risk mitigation:** Vitamin D supplementation reduces dementia incidence by 33% in APOE4 carriers, the biggest genetic risk factor affecting 25% of the population. One APOE4 allele doubles Alzheimer's risk, two alleles increase it tenfold. Supplementation helps but doesn't fully eliminate this elevated genetic risk.