Recent scientific breakthroughs have sparked a surge in the popularity of TMG supplements.
In this post, we'll cover the latest studies showing how TMG can enhance three key aspects of our health, address an important safety concern, and discuss dosage considerations.
TMG, also known as Betaine, has been shown to play a role in muscle strength. We know that muscle strength is crucial not only for feeling strong today but also for our long-term health. Research suggests that higher muscle strength is associated with lower all-cause death rates.
In other words, people with better muscle strength tend to live longer and have fewer health problems, especially heart-related issues.
In my clinic, I see this all the time. Frail older patients are far more susceptible to losing their mobility and independence. They often struggle to recover from simple things like minor falls or infections. In contrast, older patients who prioritize muscle strength through regular exercise stay more active, recover faster from illness, and maintain their independence for much longer.
However, as we age, muscle strength naturally declines, and for men, testosterone levels start dropping by about 1% per year after the age of 35. This makes it even harder to maintain muscle mass and strength as we grow older. But this is where TMG may come in.
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TMG and Exercise Performance
TMG, which stands for trimethylglycine, is a compound found in foods like beets, spinach, and wheat bran. While the exact mechanisms aren't fully understood, there are several theories on how TMG works:
- It may help the body produce more creatine, which is crucial for short bursts of energy, like weight lifting.
- It might increase nitric oxide, which improves blood flow.
- It could enhance how the body recycles ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which provides energy to our cells during intense activities.
- It may also help with muscle protein synthesis, which is essential for building and maintaining muscle.
But what does the human evidence show?
The research on TMG and muscle performance has evolved over time. In 2017, a review of seven studies found that only two showed improvements in muscle performance, while the other five didn't see much difference. So, why the mixed results?
The studies that showed benefits involved participants doing more intense, high-powered resistance training. In those trials, TMG made a significant difference. This suggests that TMG works best when combined with intense exercise, especially in situations where muscles are under high demand.
Since 2017, more research has expanded our understanding of TMG. In 2021, a study gave TMG to professional soccer players for 14 weeks. The players showed improvements in their one-rep max (the most weight they could lift in one go), their VO2 max (which measures how much oxygen the body can use during exercise), and their sprinting performance compared to those who took a placebo.
TMG and Testosterone
In addition to improving exercise performance, TMG also seems to help with testosterone levels. In the same soccer player study, the group that took TMG saw an increase in their testosterone levels compared to the placebo group.
This effect was replicated in a 2022 study, where both the TMG and placebo groups did intense workouts. However, the TMG group saw significant gains in leg press and bench press performance, along with increased testosterone levels.
In 2023, another study tested TMG on people doing CrossFit training. After supplementing with TMG, their CrossFit performance improved by about 8%, and testosterone levels went up by 7% compared to the placebo group.
Overall, there's strong evidence that TMG supplements can improve both muscle performance and testosterone levels.
TMG and Brain Health
But there's another intriguing potential benefit of TMG: improving cognitive performance and possibly reducing the risk of dementia.
In 2020, a large review of the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease found that high levels of homocysteine—an amino acid—were strongly linked to Alzheimer's disease. What's interesting is that TMG has been shown to lower homocysteine levels by donating methyl groups, which help convert homocysteine into another compound called methionine.
In other words, TMG may reduce a risk factor for Alzheimer's by lowering homocysteine levels. While this isn't a guaranteed way to prevent Alzheimer's, it's a promising area of research, especially when combined with Omega-3 and B-vitamins.
In a 2019 study on Omega-3, data showed that people with low homocysteine levels who took Omega-3 supplements experienced a 7.1% improvement in brain performance and a 22.3% reduction in dementia symptoms.
However, for people with high homocysteine, Omega-3 didn't help at all. This suggests that homocysteine may play a critical role in brain health.
I want to emphasize that more research is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions, but the potential of using TMG supplements to lower homocysteine levels and reduce dementia risk is an exciting prospect.
Why B-Vitamins Matter
Let's also consider another way to lower homocysteine: B-vitamins. In the large COSMOS trials, researchers found that after two years, people who took multivitamin and mineral supplements—including B-vitamins—showed improvements in cognition and memory.
This adds another piece to the puzzle, suggesting that healthy micronutrient levels are crucial for brain health. Of course, a healthy diet is always the foundation, with leafy greens, beans, lentils, and chickpeas being excellent natural sources of B-vitamins. However, to ensure I'm getting the right amount of nutrients daily, I decided to use a low-dose supplement.
When choosing between a B-vitamin complex or a multivitamin, I opted for a multivitamin because of the positive results from the COSMOS studies. However, I found that most multivitamin supplements had doses that were too high or contained forms of vitamins that weren't ideal.
That's why I created MicroVitamin, which includes 75% of the recommended daily intake of B-vitamins and a higher dose of B12 to account for its lower absorption rate. I also included TMG, not just for its benefits to exercise and testosterone, but because it helps further lower homocysteine, which, as we've discussed, may be important for cognitive health.
Safety Concerns with TMG
While TMG has many benefits, there's one safety concern to be aware of: higher doses of TMG (around 4 grams or more) can increase total cholesterol levels.
That's why I included a lower dose of 500 mg in MicroVitamin—to get the benefits of TMG without the potential downsides.
TMG and NMN: Is NMN Worth It?
And now, the money-saving message for NMN users. Some NMN supplement companies suggest taking TMG alongside NMN. However, a few months ago, I reviewed the human research on NMN, and the results were mixed. There wasn't a clear benefit from NMN supplements alone.
So, for people taking NMN and TMG together, I wonder if the improvements you're feeling are actually from TMG, not NMN.
After all, we've seen several studies showing how TMG can improve exercise performance and boost testosterone levels. Unfortunately, we can't say the same for NMN at this point.
Something to think about: Is it really worth spending your hard-earned money on NMN supplements when the real benefits may be coming from TMG?
And if you want to learn more about brain health, be sure to check out my detailed post on Omega-3 and cognitive performance. When used correctly, Omega-3 appears to play a key role in improving brain function and may even help reduce the risk of dementia.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5772850/
- https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/93/7/2737/2598963
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/#betaine
- https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2017/08000/effects_of_betaine_supplementation_on_muscle.35.aspx
- https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2017/08000/effects_of_betaine_supplementation_on_muscle.35.aspx
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-021-00464-y
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7934563/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9116406/
- https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/91/1/26
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7569385/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3610948/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30958356/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916523663427?via%3Dihub
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31809615/
