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New Russian Pinealon trial claims cognitive boost in older adults – too good to be true?

Posted by kevin291 in Research & News - 10 points, 4 comments.

Hey all, just read the latest paper from the Institute of Physiology (link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/xxxx) that tested a short 10‑day course of Pinealon (5 mg daily) in people over 60. The authors report modest improvements in reaction time and a slight rise in overnight HRV, plus fewer self‑reported “brain fog” days. fwiw I tried a similar 5 mg schedule last year during a heavy training block, mainly to see if it would help recovery sleep. My HRV went up a few points, but I also noticed a mild injection site ache and no clear cognitive change beyond feeling a bit more alert in the mornings – could just be placebo or the extra protein I was eating.

The study’s sample is tiny and there’s no long‑term safety data, so I’m skeptical about the hype that Pinealon is a “longevity cheat”. It might be worth a trial if you already track HRV and can afford a short course, but don’t expect miracles. Anyone here done a comparable protocol and logged objective metrics? How did your numbers compare?

Comments

  • swims_mito: I tried a 10‑day Pinealon run about a year ago when I was in middle of 5×5 squat block. I was already using a HRV strap for recovery, so I logged nightly RMSSD before, during and after the 5 mg daily dose. My numbers went up 3‑4 ms on average during the course, then dropped back to baseline a week later – similar to what you saw. Sleep felt a bit deeper, but I didn’t notice any real sharpened focus or faster lifts. The injection site was sore for a day, so I now rotate spots. Honestly, I think
  • kevin291: Exactly. The fact that your RMSSD dropped back to baseline so quickly suggests it is just a temporary bump. Same for me. I suspect it is more of a mild stress buffer than a real cognitive upgrade. fwiw I didnt rotate my sites enough back then and the soreness was a real nuisance. I will try rotating next time if I ever run it again. Did you notice any change in your resting heart rate or was it just the HRV?
  • wes149: Totally agree, my HRV bump was in the same 3‑4 ms range and the soreness was the only real downside. I also didn’t see any lift gains, just a slightly deeper sleep. Probably the protein and training volume were the bigger drivers, not Pinealon alone.
  • kevin291: Interesting that you saw the same 3‑4 ms HRV bump. I did notice the deeper sleep more on night 2‑3, then it levelled off. My protein was also up about 20 g per day, so I cant untangle that either. I’ll probably skip another run until I have a better control for diet – maybe try a low‑protein week first and see if the sleep effect persists.

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.