AKG supplementation improved my biological age in these three ways
IS AKG ANTI-AGING? AKG Supplement improves bio age
AKG supplementation improved three measures of biological age, and has now been permanently added to my longevity hacking stack.
AKG supplementation (also called “Alpha Keto Glutarate") caused a notable stir in the longevity community after a 2021 study in the journal Aging found it improved the biological age of 40 of 42 participants in a small study.
We recently discussed the outcomes of this study with TruMe Labs Co-Founder Yelena Budovskaya, who have now made the biological age measurement from this study available to the general public (via their “TruMe Age Explorer” test).
Naturally, this peaked my own curiosity - could I replicate these results in my own biological age?
After a bit of investigation, it became quite clear that I could. In fact, any one of you reading this could do the same. This post will show you how.
This type of self-experiment is quite straightforward. All you need is a before and after biological age test, a supply of AKG supplement (read our review here) and a scientific approach.
This is, after all, what we love to do here at Longevity Blog - guide our readers to develop their own longevity strategy through self-experimentation.
We have already posted on the reported benefits, basic science, best choice of supply for AKG supplementation in a previous post, so we will get straight into the self-experiment framework and results.
Alpha Keto Glutarate: Experimental framework
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Dosing of Ca-AKG commenced in November 2022 at 4x capsules of DoNotAge Ca-AKG at 400mg each, for a total of 1.2 grams of Ca-AKG. This was taken with my morning supplement stack, after breakfast.
This dose amount continued for the first 3 months, before increasing the dose to 6x capsules to bring the dose to 2 grams per day.
Dosing remained at 2g/day for the remainder of the experimental period for a total 9 months.
In the 2021 Ca-AKG study from the Journal Aging, dosing was 1g/day for 7 months.
Biological Age Measurements
I measured my before and after biological age with Longevity Blog’s 3x favourite biological age tests (we tested nearly a dozen of them!):
TruDiagnostic’s TruAge (save 15% with code ‘longevityblog’)
TruMe’s TruAge Explorer (save 12% with code ‘longevityblog’)
GlycanAge (save 15% with the code ‘longevityblog’)
Biological age measurements were taken in July 2022 and July 2023, which is my regular annual biological age testing window.
This did mean that 12 months passed between biological age measurements, with only 9 months of AKG supplementation. As you’ll soon see, results were still quite clear.
Blood Measurements
Self-ordered blood tests were ordered through Australian supplier i-screen, who allow you to order and review your own bloods without visiting a doctor.
Blood tests were selected to be very comprehensive. Allowing for the review of immune, liver, kidney function, hormone balance, lipids and more. I carefully chose these tests to have all of the required parameters for the “Phenotypic Age” biological age estimate, providing a fourth type of biological age to test.
Blood tests were closely aligned with AKG supplementation start and ending dates.
A note for your own self-experimenting, you don’t need exact matching between supplement start/end and blood testing. Focus on what’s doable for you - the main thing is that you don’t change any other lifestyle or supplement factors until you’ve completed your follow-up testing.
AKG Self-experiment results
There was a clear improvement in biological age by multiple measures, we’ll work through them sequentially, and then come back for a discussion about interpreting the results.
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The TruAge Explorer test kit. From only $90USD using the discount code ‘longevityblog’.
RESULT: TruMe Age
In July 2022, my TruMe biological age was 38.9 years, or 2.3 years older than my chronological age.
After 9 months of Ca-AKG supplementation, my TruMe biological age dropped to 37.9 years (-1.0 years), however during this period I aged +1 year. This result is 0.4 years older than my chronological age.
Overall, my biological age result improved by 1 year as compared to my chronological age, with an overall improvement of 2 years.
RESULT: Trudiagnostic extrinsic age
TruDiagnostic’s TruAge Complete biological age test kits provide significantly more comprehensive results than any other biological age test.
This includes estimates of both extrinsic and intrinsic biological age, and an estimate of your telomere length biological age.
You can learn more about the differences between extrinsic and intrinsic age in our interview series with Co-Founder of TruDiagnostic Ryan Smith - part 1 and part 2.
AKG supplementation did not have a significant impact on my intrinsic age, however, there was a notable change in extrinsic biological age. Which dropped from 27.56 years (-9 years from chronological age) to 25.10 years (-12 years from chronological age).
I’ve also supplemented with Nicotinamide Mononucleotide and measured biological age before and after using the Phenotypic Age method. Curious? So were we… read the post!
Again, while one year passed, my biological age actually became younger. This time, 3 years of total improvement.
This result is particularly interesting, given AKG’s known role in improving immune system health, but we’ll save that for the discussion.
RESULT: GLYCANAGE
Unfortunately our GlycanAge biological age test was lost in transit and we do not have the after results from this test.
RESULT: Phenotypic Age
In one of our first posts on biological age, we introduced three free ways to estimate your biological age.
Tabulated results across the three tests. Don’t forget that I aged one chronological year over the course of the experiment!
One of these estimates is called Phenotypic Age", and I have now been tracking mine for the past three years, and have been able to find blood tests reaching back all the way back to 2015 to re-calculate (age 30).
After 9 months of AKG supplementation, my Phenotypic Age improved from 30 years old to 27 years old (-3 years). Given that I also aged +1 year chronologically, this is a net result of -4 years.
This biological age estimate is much more sensitive to changes in diet, lifestyle and day to day ups and downs, so we need to consider this result conservatively.
Only once before have I seen a similar improvement (-3.5 years) in my biological age, which was after I self-experimented with NAD boosting supplement Nicotinamide Mononucleotide.
Selected blood results
In the following, I share all blood results that had a significant change over the experimental period, did not have other confounding factors and for which there was scientific research on AKG supplementation that supports a causal link.
All test data presented here is through self-ordered blood test provider i-screen (Australia).
Liver Function
Nov 2022 to Aug 2023 liver markers showed statistically significant improvement. Note that my liver markers are at time elevated because I am an endurance athlete.
Inflammation
Nov 2022 to Aug 2023 high sensitivity CRP, a key marker of inflammation, reached the lowest levels of all time. Even below the levels had 10+ years ago.
LDL-C
Nov 2022 to Aug 2023 saw a 10%+ drop in LDL-C, which, which is significant as it is now at the lowest level I have ever measured. Noteworthy after the March 2021 test, I eliminated dairy from my diet and LDL-C plummeted!
DHEA
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA) levels are closely linked with cellular energy production, and many important bodily systems are downstream. My levels appeared to climb by 25% post AGK supplementation.
akg supplementation: DISCUSSION
You don’t have to use supplements to improve your biological age. Nick did it by adding more plants to his diet, read about it here.
Interpreting the results of a self-experiment is a very important step. It is very tempting to see rdata in results form and try to form a conclusion straight away. To bring in tools from science, we must discuss the results first!
If you’ve ready any of my previous self-experiments, you’ll know that how the self-experiment was controlled is pivotal. In essence, this means limiting as much as possible, any external factors which could ‘confuse’ the results.
When you come to complete you own self-experiments, you need to balance several factors.
First, you need to try the intervention long enough for it to have effect on the variables you are measuring.
In this example, we are looking at biological age changes, which in the case of epigenetic tests like TruMe Labs or TruDiagnostic, take around 3-6 months for effects to be observable.
AKG supplementation has an immediate on cellular energy production, but the flow on effects to the epigenome need significant time (months). In the case of the research study on Ca-AKG and biological age, the results were measured at 7 months of supplementation on average.
My selected period of 9 months allows for enough time for the AKG supplement to imprint on my epigenome and brought it into alignment with my annual biological age testing regimine.
Second, to effectively determine how long the self-experiment will run for, you need also consider controlling other variables which might effect the result.
You’ll want to run the self-experiment for long enough to impact the measurement variables you’re after, but not so long that you cannot control other variables that might impact the result.
Hear from our Founder Nick on biological age testing and how you can change diet, sleep, exercise and stress to improve yours! Read more
In the case of biological age tests, the most influential factors to control are:
diet
sleep
stress
exercise
pollution/smoking
supplements
COVID-19
Well Controlled
In my own case, I have a very regimented lifestyle. I keep to my triathlon and strength training with daily walks (exercise). I sleep a solid 7-8 hours a night, with a consistent bedtime. I live in a rural area with very low levels of air pollution and have not moved in the experimentation window.
No major changes to my exercise, sleep or environmental pollutants were observed.
My diet is a dairy-free, mediterranean-esque diet focused on plant diversity and high protein intake (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, whey protein isolate). I know that this diet works well for me based on my blood tests and biological age data, and I’ve not made any significiant changes to it.
These factors therefore can be considered to be well-controlled, for the purposes of impacting the epigenome.
Not Well Controlled
Stress however, was an unavoidable confounder.
I went through several major life changes over the self-experimentation period, and stress was at times at very high levels, often for weeks at a time. I do believe this negatively impacted by biological age results.
I also contracted COVID-19 in May 2023, which likely also negatively impacted my biological age result, with both experts - Ryan at Tru Diagnostic and Yelena at TruMe Labs suggesting I leave at least two months after my recovery before re-testing. I followed these instructions.
Conclusion: Ca-AKG positively impacted by biological age
Given that the not well controlled self-experiment results would raise by biological age, but that I measured improvements to biological age across three different tests, as well as in several important longevity blood measurements (LDL-C, DHEA, ALT/AST, hsCRP) - I believe there is a solid and clear conclusion.
Ca-AKG supplementation at 1-2g/day positively impacted by biological age.
Note that I do not say ‘reversed’ my biological age, as I do not believe that these tests are able to substantiate that claim.
However, given there was a 3.1 year mean improvement in biological age between these three tests, I can conclude that Ca-AKG will become a permanent addition to my longevity supplement stack.
And through this example, you are now empowered to run the same experiment. This is incredibly important, as if you run the math - taking 1-2g of Ca-AKG per day (using your 10% discount code ‘longevityblog’ at DoNotAge), it will cost you $630 to $1200 USD per year.
This is not a small investment - you want to know the supplement is working for you.
The method and example laid out here can help you answer that question! It did for me!
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FDA & TGA DISCLAIMER
This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for medical care or to prescribe treatment for any specific health condition. These blog posts are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and only may become actionable through consultation with a medical professional.
