Anyone taking calcium alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG)?

Supplements
#126

Metabolic and Immunomodulatory Effects of α-Ketoglutarate in Burn Injuries: A Systematic Review

https://academic.oup.com/jbcr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jbcr/irag002/8417200

Authors are from the University of Heidelberg, part of the medical faculty.

Fifteen studies published between 1984 and 2024 met inclusion criteria, including clinical, animal, and mechanistic work, most conducted in France. Across studies, OKG supplementation replenished glutamine and arginine pools, improved nitrogen balance, preserved muscle mass, and promoted wound healing through enhanced collagen synthesis and immune modulation. Clinical data confirmed improved nitrogen retention, reduced muscle breakdown, and faster wound closure. Preclinical studies further showed that α-KG preconditioning enhances stem cell–driven regeneration and vascularization. Additional effects, such as improved glucose tolerance and hepatic enzyme preservation, suggest some benefits occur independently of glutamine pathways.

This review highlights α-KG and OKG as promising adjuncts to enhance metabolic recovery, wound repair, and immune competence after burns. Evidence supports improved nitrogen balance and healing, but findings remain limited by heterogeneity and small cohorts, warranting renewed and well-powered studies.

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#127

I take it and I do think it helps me feel better - I did some functional genomics and NAD blood tests with Bob Miller at Tree of life and from those results it came up as beneficial for me. It theoretically replenishes α-ketoglutarate that gets drained during ammonia buffering, keeping my TCA cycle/mitochondria running so I can clear nitrogen better and “use” NADH for energy instead of feeling backed up and inflamed. I have abnormally high levels of NAD so NAD/NADH supplements make me feel awful.

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#128

Ericross2, I believe you are correct. From my reading the ITP results do not show lifespan extension. Here is a link to ITP Testing for anyone who is interested. Items are listed alphabetically on this report. When you find a-Ketoglutarate (AKG) click on View Survival Analysis to see results. The graphs don’t show a-Ketoglutarate (AKG) being better than placebo, but maybe slightly worse.

MPD: ITP data portal?

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#129

That was the most surprising result from the ITP in my opinion. It looked so promising until that. I still take it but I have less confidence in it that I used to.

#130

I take it every morning as part of our MAX-5 Super Mix

The Max 5 daily dose includes;

Spermidine 98% 25.0 mg
Ergothionene 99% 20.0 mg
Urolithin A 97% 500.0 mg
Ca-AKG 100% 800.0 mg
NMN 99.5% 800.0 mg

Also take 300mg of NR

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#131

@Steve_Combi thanks for sharing!

I’m assuming you take everything in powder form, right? If so, I’m just here to ask how bad does that mix taste (I’m a baby)

And more so, do you believe the $$Rejuvant slow release CA AKG is just marketing, or is there something to it? I don’t take theirs due to the cost, but I keep wondering about this.

I’m seriously considering ditching my Blueprint multi and taking things individually to get ideal dosing… but I keep hesitating because doing so would add many more pills.

#132

At the risk of going off topic, I see your formulation has a strong NAD+ precursor element. Could you please share what’s behind that thinking? This recent paper doesn’t really provide me with a convincing case with phrases like: A clear trend emerges from this Review: a consistent age-related
decline in NAD+ levels is observed in muscle but not in whole blood.However, NAD+ boosting does not seem to change muscle NAD+ levels while easily increasing whole-blood NAD+ concentration.

#133

Not tasty at all LoL!

I consume things for 1 of 2 reasons and in some cases for both,

  1. pleasure
  2. nutritional value

I can do the second one without the pleasure part but I do disguise the real nasty stuff with a shake :slight_smile:

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#134

Using TruDiagnostice epigenetic testing, 5 tests over 4 years, my telos increased in length with every test. The only thing I’m aware of taking that would have done that is NMN and NR.

My main interest in having NAD precursors present in my formula is multi-fold and speculative based on the mechanistic of those compounds. It’s still early days with respect to studies and as these are commonly available and now at commodity level pricing, I’d guess there will be fewer studies going forward. But who knows.

NMN and NR what are the mechanistic and benefits o (1).pdf (754.5 KB)

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#135

I may be the last one in the parade but I’m finally bailing on TR Ca-AKG. I’m embarrassed to acknowledge it but the evidence is just not there and this has been the case for some time. A few studies in the pipeline could end up suggesting utility for sarcopenia and/or bone health but, to date, the evidence is too weak, too circular in places, and too inbred.

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#136

Right. Many biohackers fail to understand that a drug/supplement/intervention is context dependent. They see “benefits found” and stop reading, immediately start taking. Some only work in sick/impaired people helping with the damage, but doing absolutely nothing for healthy people or people without that particular vulnerability, and even making things worse for them.

The research in Ca-AKG has never even been properly trialed in healthy humans. At least with rapamycin there are some human trials in off label health promoting use, though mostly for safety. Note that exactly the same limitations apply to rapamycin. For example, the study showing hippocampal volume restoration in humans that got everybody so excited - well, apart from being a tiny # of subjects - it only worked for ApoE4 people, and did nothing in ApoE3/3 carriers. ApoE4 carriers have various brain neurological vulnerabilities, and apparently rapamycin might help them in certain contexts (and even here it remains to be shown more conclusively - so far we have hints at best!), but we must be extremely clear about the exact contexts where sirolimus/everolimus might be useful (everolimus - certain brain cancers).

For me, Ca-AKG never made much sense, though I fully admit, I too fell for the hype around 2020 when it first started getting human studies, and I took it for about a month before I came to my senses and looked at the literature more carefully, realizing “what was I thinking?!”. Since then I have become much more resolute in demanding solid evidence and sound gambling strategies (I am a devotee of game theory, lol) before I take anything. So that Ca-AKG experience taught me a lot, it showed me that I too am vulnerable to biases and undue excitement and wishful thinking - I now actively correct against this as much as I can, and remain vigilant… again, Feynman’s trenchant observation about self deception "you are the one who is easiest to fool’.

So, @RobTuck , I don’t blame you for falling for the hype, instead I commend you for self correcting - too many biohackers fail to acknowledge that they were wrong, and get stuck taking useless or harmful stuff, or even doubling down driven by ego.

As to Ca-AKG, I’m not saying “never”, I’m saying “show me”, until then, I’m staying far away. YMMV.

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#137

Examining the weights of my decision to discontinue Ca-AKG, the ruling reason derived primarily from three criterial standards: circularity in metrics, a largely inbred research program, and the broad directionality of findings to date. I am taking other gero supplements for which the prima facie evidentiary strength is similarly weak, but which enjoy a broader base, positive directionality, and an acceptable reward/risk ratio. As you mention @CronosTempi, rapamycin is close to this go/no-go line but via a very different profile.

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#138

This is a great discussion.

I have three unopened bottles of Codeage Ca-AKG… ARGH… that will teach me to stock up on sales!!

I stopped taking it a few months ago after there was talk about the trials that showed it was a no go.

I hate waste and it hurts me every time I see my bottles… would you just take them, or is it better to just trash them or put them on eBay and see what happens?

#139

AKG is a a substrate for the TET demethylation enzymes so it probably has some effect in the right circumstances

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#140

I’d just use them. There is really not much downside. That being said, if you can get money on eBay, you could do that instead.

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