When we set out to build Protocol 01, the brief was simple: one formula, taken every morning, that covers the full landscape of cellular health without requiring a handful of separate supplements. What made it difficult is that the mechanisms of ageing are not linear. They interact. A formula built around a single pathway will always leave the others unaddressed.
The result is 31 active ingredients in a 12.6g powder serving. This piece explains why each major category is there, and how they reinforce each other.
The Longevity Core: NR and Resveratrol
Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) at 200mg provides the primary NAD+ precursor. NAD+ is required for sirtuin activation, mitochondrial function and DNA repair. It declines sharply with age.
Resveratrol (100mg, from Japanese Knotweed Root Extract) is a polyphenol sirtuin activator. Sirtuins are the proteins that NAD+ powers. NR raises the fuel supply. Resveratrol helps ensure the engine runs. Together they create a more complete intervention than either compound alone.
Quercetin (180.5mg, from Sophora Japonica Extract) adds a third layer. It has been studied for senolytic activity: the clearing of senescent cells that accumulate with age and release inflammatory signals. This addresses a hallmark of ageing that NR and resveratrol do not directly target.
The Cognitive Layer: Lion's Mane and Ginkgo Biloba
Cognitive decline is one of the earliest and most quality-of-life-affecting aspects of ageing. Protocol 01 includes Lion's Mane Extract 5:1 at 250mg, a concentrated form that stimulates nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis. NGF supports the maintenance and formation of neurons.
Ginkgo Biloba Extract 10:1 at 200mg supports cerebral blood flow and has been studied for its effects on memory and processing speed. These two ingredients work through different mechanisms on the same outcome: preserving cognitive function as the years pass.
The Performance Layer: Creatine
Creatine Monohydrate at 3000mg is the most studied performance compound in existence. Most people associate it with gym performance, and the evidence for strength and power output is unambiguous. What is less widely known is the emerging evidence for creatine's cognitive effects.
Creatine is used by the brain as well as by muscles. Studies have shown that creatine supplementation can improve working memory and processing speed, particularly under conditions of fatigue or stress. For a formula centred on longevity and cognitive function, including creatine was a straightforward decision.
We included it at 3000mg rather than the commonly cited 5000mg because Protocol 01 is a daily supplement, not a loading protocol. At 3000mg, the research shows consistent benefit without the gastrointestinal discomfort some people experience at higher doses.
The Electrolyte Layer: Why It Belongs in a Longevity Formula
Electrolytes appear in Protocol 01 not as a sports drink add-on, but because cellular function depends on them. Sodium (from Trisodium Citrate at 1850mg), Potassium (from Potassium Chloride at 380mg) and Calcium (from Calcium Carbonate at 660mg and Aquamin Calcium Citrate Malate at 385mg) are required for the electrochemical gradients that power nerve signalling, muscle contraction and cellular transport.
Most people are chronically under-consuming electrolytes, particularly potassium. The average UK adult consumes roughly 60 percent of the recommended daily intake. This is not a minor deficit. Potassium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions. Including it at a meaningful dose in a daily supplement is one of the more practically impactful decisions in the formula.
The Mitochondrial Layer: CoQ10 and Alpha Lipoic Acid
Coenzyme Q10 at 100mg and Alpha Lipoic Acid at 200mg both support mitochondrial efficiency. CoQ10 is a cofactor in the electron transport chain, the process by which mitochondria generate ATP. Alpha Lipoic Acid is a universal antioxidant that also regenerates other antioxidants including vitamins C and E.
Mitochondrial decline is one of the hallmarks of ageing. These ingredients do not reverse it. They slow it by ensuring the mitochondria you have are running as efficiently as possible.
The Foundation: Vitamins, Minerals and Structural Support
The final layer covers the compounds that underpin everything else. Magnesium (from both Malate and Taurate forms for complementary absorption profiles), Zinc, Vitamins D3, K2, B3, B6, B7, B12, B1, C, Selenium, Chromium and Folate. These are not headline ingredients. They are the conditions under which the headline ingredients work.
Vitamin D3 at 200 percent NRV, paired with K2 at 69 percent NRV, ensures calcium is directed to bones rather than arteries. Methylcobalamin (the active form of B12) supports neurological function. L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate provides active folate that bypasses common MTHFR gene variants affecting a significant portion of the population.
Why One Serving
The case for Protocol 01 is not that it is the only supplement you will ever need. It is that it removes the daily decision-making from a part of your routine that should be automatic. One serving covers the longevity, cognitive, performance, electrolyte, mitochondrial and micronutrient layers simultaneously. It takes ten seconds to prepare.
The combination matters because the mechanisms of ageing interact. Targeting them individually, with separate supplements at separate times, is both less convenient and less effective than addressing them together, at consistent daily doses, in a single ritual.