I think these ATP boosting things are to be cycled. I have cut them out for a bit as combined with some heavy activity in the gym my RHR had gone up a bit with an associated BP increase. However, it seems that my average arterial pressure is now back down although the stroke volume seems to have increased
(which IMO is a good thing).
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Nice. It always seems to come back to cycles. The question for me is the length of the cycle(s).
I am doing 48 hour cycles of muscle training and recovery with a 2 week cycle overlay with a Rapa / metformin dosing with a fasting and low protein period of 48 hours (weight training on Friday AM with a Saturday recovery, Rapa dose on Sunday AM with fasting then low protein until Tuesday AM). I also take a week off after 2 Rapa cycles (4 weeks, then 3 weeks before the next Rapa dose). I do aerobic training all the time at low intensities with 1 hard effort a week. I don’t do enough to need “recovery” from aerobic work.
@John_Hemming , you use Rapa in much longer cycles. What lengths of cycle are you using.
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For Rapa over Christmas it was 28 days, but I am now aiming for next Tuesday on a 21 day cycle.
As far as metabolic boost, however, I am not working to predefined cycles, but instead I am tracking when I feel I have got back to a reasonable position. Which may be now, but I need to go through a few days.
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Got it. Thanks. I haven’t tried to layer in MB to my cycles either. I find I don’t like to use it before a workout. I do use it for a non-caffeine “pick me up” (afternoons) so I don’t use it on a schedule. I’m still playing with it but MB seems to have a lot of upside.
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A little weekend blog on methylene blue.
As you know from my posts I am a big fan of methylene blue and photomodulation therapy.
I have been using both for many months.
As much as I have liked the results, this video tells me that I have probably underdosed the MB,
To take the doses suggested for therapeutic value starting ~40 mg daily presents a minor challenge, both as to cost and the practical aspects of taking that big of a dose:
“A study showed that low doses (0.5–4 mg/kg) of MB are effective to stimulate mitochondrial
respiration in vivo and safe in animals and humans”
“Surprisingly, a French study involving 2500 patients treated with MB and standard chemotherapy showed no cases of COVID-19 infection”
I took the remaining liquid doses that I had on hand. I put 20 mg MB blue in 8 oz of water.
Not only did it turn my tongue very blue, but had an unpleasant bitter peppery taste going down.
This is not a practical approach for me.
But I noticed a big improvement in energy. I was able to accomplish more in a day than I have for quite some time
I ordered U.S.P grade MB powder from Amazon. I have a small scale again from Amazon that measures down to micrograms. I will use this to measure out 50 mg (Just above the low end of the suggested dose) and will put it in empty capsules.
I believe the YouTube video posted by DeStrider used the first two references below for most of the information. Many of the pictures are pretty much identical
“As reported, both MB and PBM are known to enhance energy production and decrease oxidative stress”
“low dose of MB (1.5 mg/kg) on the first day of TBI”
“depressive illness were significantly improved after receiving 15 mg/day MB”
Table 2
Summary of effects of MB or PBM on neurodegenerative disorders and brain injury
Disease:
Effect of a treatment with MB Effect of a treatment with PBM AD
• Increases functional MRI activity and improves memory retrieval [200]
• Reduces hyperphosphorylated tau, neurofibrillary tangles, and oxidative stress [234, 235]
• Decreases Aβ levels and Aβ-ABAD binding [226]
• Increases the ability of Aβ phagocytosis [236]
• Attenuates the activity and expression of β-secretase, inhibits the formation of neurotoxic oligomeric Aβ, and improves behavioral results [19, 20, 198]
• Improves spatial learning and memory by significantly reducing Aβ burden [236]
• Exerts neuroprotection by activating the
• Inhibits p-tau aggregation and tau-tau interactions [229, 230] ERK/CREB pathway and upregulating the expression of BDNF [237]
• Reduces excessive ROS production [17, 22]
• Upregulates Complex IV activates, heme synthesis and mitochondrial function [226, 231–233] • Restores mitochondrial dynamics [8]
TBI
• Decreases edema and lesion volume and improves behavioral scores [163]
• Neurological improvement [246]
• Increases autophagy [242]. • Increases mitochondrial function, improves blood flow, and reduces swelling [244, 247]
• Inhibits excessive ROS production and attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction, cytochrome c release, and neuronal apoptosis [243]
• Decreases oxidative stress, inhibits inflammation, and attenuates apoptosis [244, 247]
Stroke
• Improves behavioral results after focal cerebral ischemia [16]
• Improves neurological rating scores [4, 255, 256]
• Decreases lesion volume, cerebral edema, and gray and white- matter damage [16, 18]
• Stimulates neurogenesis and improves mitochondrial function [4, 262]
• Increases cerebral global glucose uptake and blood flow [251, 252]
• Preserves mitochondrial integrity [263]
• Increases mitochondrial function [9, 252]
• Attenuates mitochondrial fragmentation and restores mitochondrial dynamics [254]
• Preserves mitochondrial structure and function [253]
• Increases mitophagy and preserves mitochondrial membrane potential [253]
• Decreases protein carbonylation, DNA oxidative damage, and lipid peroxidation [254]
Depression
• Improves the symptoms of patients with severe depression [265]
• Improves depressive symptoms [274–277]
• Selectively inhibits nitric oxide synthase (NOS) [264, 265, 270, 271]
• Improves ATP production and increases activity and expression of mitochondrial Complex IV [208]
PD
• Attenuates dopamine loss and reduces the disruption of mitochondrial function and excessive production of ROS [280–284]
• Reduces cell loss and inhibits inflammatory amoeboid microglia [287–290]
• Improves Complexes I, II, and III activities, reduces free radical production, and improves behavioral results [252, 285]
• Improves speech, cognition, gait, and freezing episodes in PD patients [291, 292]
• Upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression [286]
• Improves mitochondrial function and reduces oxidative stress [293]
:Mitochondria as a target for neuroprotection: role of methylene blue and photobiomodulation - PMC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5826781/
Alternative Mitochondrial Electron Transfer for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Cancers: Methylene Blue Connects the Dots - PMC
The Potentials of Methylene Blue as an Anti-Aging Drug - PMC)
“Google Scholar?
journal=Substantia&title=A+cohort+of+cancer+patients+with+no+reported+cases+of+SARS-CoV-2+infection:+The+possible+preventive+role+of+Methylene+Blue&author=M.+Henry&author=M.+Summa&author=L.+Patrick&author=L.+Schwartz&volume=4&publication_year=2020&pages=888&doi=10.13128/Substantia-888&”
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I have really enjoy the energy and mental clarity. Feels like a sustained coffee buzz. The synergistic effects with red light are noticeable too. More here:
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FWIW: I got my USP grade MB powder today. I wasn’t exactly like I expected. It is very fine, almost dust, and is so dark it looks black to me. I bought 5, 1 gram bottles which was a mistake as 1 gram MB takes up so little space. I used my scale and a small spatula to measure out ~ 45 mg.
I was going for 50mg, but 2 scoops from my spatula ended up weighing ~ 45 mg so I didn’t bother trying to get 50 mg. You must wear gloves when handling this as it is messy because of the fineness of the powder. Any little bit on your skin will produce a stain.
This is the way I will be taking my MB because it is much cheaper than the liquid and doesn’t stain your tongue.
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I take a gram and dissolve it in 250ml of water then store that. 1ml of that is 4mg. I take 10ml as a rule which is 40mg. (when I take MB which is only when I wish to prop up my mitochondria).
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Here are my notes from memory of my talk with Dr Scott Sherr, Internal Medicine MD about methylene blue. Podcast episode to be published in a few weeks.
MB is a mitochondria booster. It helps mitochondria all over body to make more energy and reduce ROS. You will feel it where you need it: brain fog, muscle fatigue resistance, thyroid caused low metabolism.
Avoid vit c with MB. Dr scott Sherr thinks it lowers the effectiveness of the MB. My thought: Maybe use as little bit c as possible if cannot avoid.
Titrate dose upward until you feel it. Watch pee color…until you get a bright blue color you haven’t maxed the dose…keep going, or until you feel it.
Don’t take forever if you can fix the underlying reason for the mitochondria disfunction. MB is a good bridge until you can solve the underlying root cause.
Low doses are best especially for long term usage. 50mg+ is best for infection, recovery from injury etc. 8-16mg works for most people and is low enough for long term use.
Can use pee color to assess whether dose is having an effect: low color means you are taking too much. A bright blue means you are taking too much …should feel any effect my now.
Added from later post: MB & Gut Health
MB is an antimicrobial. Maybe you like the microbes living in your gut. Dr Sherr says low doses aren’t a problem. Big doses might be of taken too often.
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Yes but how would one go about diagnosing and fixing that? Since getting off rapamycin I’ve been pretty foggy in the brain although that could also be mom brain, which sadly seems to be a real thing during pregnancy and beyond. In any case I’d like to hear more by way of self diagnosis and charting a course.
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Here’s a bit more that I recall from the interview. How to boost your mitochondria. 3 types of aids (per dr Sherr):
-
Health optimization nootropics — support the system but don’t make it run higher (“don’t clock it”). L tyrosine (neurotransmitter production). CBD (help one particular neurotransmitter stick around longer to make more bliss or relieve stress).
-
Performance optimization nootropics - up clocking the system but no antioxidant support. Nicotine. Caffeine. Adderall. Racitams.
-
Combined — methylene blue. Make more energy and provide antioxidants support.
What is “Brain fog”? — brain is short of oxygen or the mitochondria in brain are not producing energy well. My add: Get the blood flowing with zone 1/2 exercise, nitric oxide boosters, red light therapy, MB. Build defense against ROS by building glutathione (glycine, NAC) and MB, and by making more mitochondria (zone 1/2 exercise).
Podcast to be published soon.
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Never had adderall but isn’t calling that clocking a bit of an understatement?
p.s. I’ve been working on NO, switched to Boka toothpaste, eating more arugula etc but I’m still low first thing in the AM according to the strips. I won’t do anything crazy until after the baby is born. Unfortunately I hate the taste of celery but I can tolerate it blended in a smoothie. Not sure it’s as effective that way though as it passes through the mouth faster and the idea I think is that these nitrate rich foods need to be chewed slowly to be in contact with the mouth biome.
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Interesting on the vitamin C. Was listening to Mercola podcast with Francisco Gonzalez-Lima, Ph.D. who is one of the leading researchers on MB and he advocated FOR taking vitamin C (Asorbic acid actually) with MB. Allegedly, aids absorption and body’s ability to break it down.
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I’ve been using vit c myself and always have blue pee so the vit c can’t completely negate the MB. Today I took mb without vit c. My pee has not turned blue at all. Very strange.
for me it would take at least 24 hours after taking MB for the urine to turn blue. Basically, it is not instantaneous.
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I’m describing a change in my experience. I’ll keep experimenting with it and report back here.
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[quote=“Joseph_Lavelle, post:96, topic:1485”]
if you can fix the underlying reason for the mitochondria dysfunction
As we age, somatic mutations accumulate in mitochondrial DNA, leading to impaired mitochondrial function over time.
I don’t think that I am going eliminate old age. 
So, in the meantime, I will be taking MB.
I expect that younger people might not feel the effect of MB unless they have been exposed to heigh levels of environmental toxins.
But, MB is one of the very few supplements that has improved my energy levels and stamina.
Just a thought: I would expect that the dose to recover mitochondrial dysfunction would be age-dependent. If I were young, I would only be taking small doses.
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When I try a new protocol I try to keep the variables as low as possible.
Since I started daily doses of ~45 mg Mb, after only three days it seems to have greatly stimulated my appetite. Before, I was seldom hungry but for the last two days, I have significantly increased my food intake.
Have you noticed an increased appetite from taking larger doses of MB?
I can find zero papers indicating that MB increases appetite. Still, I find it odd that after taking rapamycin for over two years which decreased my appetite suddenly my appetite has increased after just taking a few high doses of MB.
Maybe just a coincidence. If something doesn’t change in a few weeks I will go back to lower doses of MB
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Actually, I felt it made me hungrier also when i was taking MB (and for me that is a bad thing. Food and sex is all I live for, and don’t need outside help for neither lol)
As a side note though, I don’t think that MB is something that needs to be taken daily for long periods of time. It is rather one of those things that it is good to take maybe for 10 days every couple month or so. I don’t know how to explain but I felt some weird effect after doing it for 10 or so, and i think I stopped at two weeks mark. I plan on trying again but not for longer than 7 days and then rest for month or so. Plus, while I also felt it made me stronger (i guess can be called more energy) I did not feel it is something that is going to be a net positive for longevity (I know it is subjective and sounds weird to say it this way, but I literally get an internal feeling that certain things are real good for longevity, while others either hurt or do nothing. I.E I wouldn’t even care if there were studies saying that RAPA is bad, because I know it for a fact it is helpful-just the way It makes me feel. By same talking i rarely drink, but i can definitely tell/see that drinking is relatively bad for longevity. Same with some food, when I eat my favorite organic steak, or wild salmon i can literally feel that something amazing is happening with my body. I have zero such feeling when i eat pork, or chicken as an example even though I enjoy them both. Organ meat btw gives me that feeling also)
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@desertshores Yes, Dr Sherr said MB boosts metabolism. This makes sense as MB causes the mitochondria to make more ATP.
If being extra hungry wasn’t happening before, the higher dose was probably the right move. Watch the pee color. If it starts being darker blue back off a bit.
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