In this article it states that Glucosamine extends lifespan of ageing mice and nematodes by increasing ROS and inhibiting glycolysis, they conclude that it is therefore mimicking a low carb diet.
They further say
This is debatable since BHA is a known carcinogen and can in fact under certain conditions be a pro-oxidant. Cystein is, correct me if I'm wrong, an inhibitor of autophagy?Mitochondrial ROS signalling in nematodes and, in particular, mitohormesis suggests that a low-dose, transient increase in ROS formation promotes metabolic health and life span, thereby questioning the free radical theory of ageing. To test whether the increase in ROS is essential for a GlcN-mediated extension of life span, we repeated the initial life span experiment in the presence of the antioxidants butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA) and N-acetyl-cystein (NAC), respectively. Although neither BHA nor NAC had a detectable effect on C. elegans life span in the absence of GlcN, the life span-extending capabilities of GlcN were nullified in the presence of BHA or NAC. This indicates that the transient increase in ROS is required for the extension of life span caused by GlcN, thus providing additional support for adaptive ROS signalling or mitohormesis or both.
My reasoning would be that ageing rodents have a buildup of toxins and mutations in their body and inhibiting glycolysis might emphasize the autophagy cycle and extent lifespan for this reason. But I'm not quite sure yet. Can anybody see some other mechanisms at play with the perspective of autophagy or ROS reduction extending lifespan? RRM?