Tissue-specific effects of exercise as NAD⁺ -boosting strategy: Current knowledge and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Cellular Biology
• Metabolic Science
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a crucial coenzyme involved in energy metabolism, signaling, epigenetics, and DNA repair.
• Declining NAD+ levels are linked to aging and various diseases, prompting research into NAD+-boosting strategies.
• Exercise is a potential lifestyle intervention to restore NAD+ homeostasis via metabolic adaptations to energy demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the impact of acute exercise and exercise training on tissue-specific NAD+ metabolism in rodents and humans.
• To highlight exercise as a potential NAD+-boosting strategy.
• To explore the implications of tissue-specific NAD+ alterations for whole-body NAD+ homeostasis.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature on exercise and NAD+ metabolism.
• Analysis of studies investigating acute exercise effects on NAD+ metabolism.
• Examination of research on the effects of exercise training on NAD+ levels and enzyme activity.

Main Results:

• Acute exercise induces significant, modality-dependent changes in intracellular NAD+ metabolism.
• Exercise training generally increases NAD+ levels and related enzyme activity across various tissues.
• Findings emphasize tissue-specific responses to exercise interventions.

Conclusions:

• Exercise, both acute and chronic, significantly modulates NAD+ metabolism.
• Understanding the molecular mechanisms linking acute exercise to chronic adaptations is crucial.
• Further research into exercise as an NAD+-modifying intervention could reveal therapeutic potential for NAD+-related pathologies.