Carl read the papersWhat it actually is
5-Amino-1MQ is a research compound that inhibits NNMT (nicotinamide N-methyltransferase), an enzyme that, when overactive, uses up nicotinamide (a building block of NAD+) and is linked to fat accumulation and slow metabolism in mice.
By dialling NNMT down, the theory is you preserve NAD+ and improve metabolic efficiency — better fuel mileage, less wasted energy.
How it’s thought to work
- NNMT inhibition — blocks the enzyme that uses up nicotinamide, an NAD+ building block, and is linked to fat storage in mice.
- NAD+ preservation — keeps more NAD+ available for energy and sirtuins.
- Fat-cell effects — studied for shrinking fat cells and improving insulin sensitivity in models.
- Metabolic efficiency — aims to reduce wasted energy, not just add fuel.
What the research says
Mostly pre-clinical / animal, with promising metabolism and body-composition signals. We found no published human trials and nothing registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- NAD+ preservation and metabolic efficiency.
- Fat-loss and insulin-sensitivity research.
- Often paired conceptually with NAD+/NMN.
Watch: 5-Amino-1MQ explained
Video by Dr. Greg Jones on YouTube. Not affiliated with Peptide Carl and not an endorsement — included because a second explanation of the same mechanism is often what makes it click.
Reported protocols
These are the doses the peptide community actually reports running (Reddit & forums), alongside published research — logged for education, not as a recommendation to use.
| Parameter | Commonly reported range |
|---|---|
| Community dose | 50–150 mg/day (most ~100; start 50) |
| Frequency | Once daily, AM — often fasted |
| Route | Oral (capsule/liquid) — no injection |
| Cycle | ~8 weeks on / 4 off |
| Community tip | Oral works; effects reported mild; often stacked with MOTS-c |
Common use cases
| Goal | Community protocol notes |
|---|---|
| Metabolic / NAD+ support | 50–150 mg/day oral |
| Fat / recomp (mild) | often stacked with MOTS-c |
| (Reality) | effects reported subtle |
Mixing it (reconstitution)
Freeze-dried peptides must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before they can be measured. Carl’s calculator turns “mg in the vial + ml of water + target dose” into “units on the syringe” — and tells you how long the vial lasts.
→ Open the Reconstitution Calculator
Injection & handling
ORAL — a capsule or reconstituted liquid taken by mouth, 50–150 mg/day (start 50), often AM/fasted. No injection needed. ~8 wks on / 4 off.
Stacks it appears in
- Mitochondrial Tune-Up — 5-Amino-1MQ + NAD+/NMN — preserve the fuel and top it up together.
Sources
- Kraus et al., NNMT knockdown protects mice from diet-induced obesity, Nature 2014 (PMID 24717514)
- Neelakantan et al., NNMT inhibitors reverse diet-induced obesity in mice, Biochem Pharmacol 2018 (PMID 29155147)
- NNMT inhibitor plus lean diet in obese mice, Sci Rep 2021 (PMID 33707534)
- NNMT inhibitor and aged muscle stem cells, Biochem Pharmacol 2019 (PMID 30753815)
- 5-amino-1MQ oral bioavailability in rats, J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021 (PMID 34304009)
- ClinicalTrials.gov search: no registered trials for 5-amino-1MQ (16 Oct 2026)
