Understanding NAD therapy

What NAD is

NAD stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. It is a coenzyme, a small helper molecule, that your cells need to do almost everything that requires energy. Mitochondria use NAD to convert food into ATP, your body's energy currency. DNA repair uses NAD. Several other cellular maintenance processes use it.

Your body makes NAD on its own. Levels naturally decline with age, particularly after 40. Stress, alcohol, and poor sleep accelerate the decline.

Why people pursue NAD therapy

The hypothesis behind NAD supplementation is that boosting cellular levels supports the systems that depend on it. Reported effects from patients on NAD protocols include better energy, sharper cognition, improved recovery from training, and a general sense of resilience.

The research is active. Some effects (DNA repair, mitochondrial efficiency) are well-supported in cellular biology; others (subjective energy, performance) rely more on patient-reported outcomes than on randomized trials. NAD therapy is a tool for adults who feel the age-related decline and want to address it, not a proven anti-aging treatment.

The forms NAD therapy takes

Three common formats:

1. Subcutaneous NAD injections. Self-administered at home, similar to insulin. The most popular format for ongoing use.
2. IV NAD infusions. Done in a clinic. Higher dose, longer session (often two to four hours), more cost. Used by some as an intensive starter protocol.
3. NAD precursors (NMN, NR). Oral supplements your body converts to NAD. Cheaper, less direct, longer-term.

Your clinician prescribes the format that fits the protocol they design with you.

Who does well on NAD

Adults over 35 who feel measurably less energetic than they did in their twenties and have already addressed sleep, nutrition, and movement. Members who train hard and want better recovery. Members coming back from a stretch of high stress.

Members under 30 with good baseline lifestyle inputs typically see less. NAD is most useful when there is something to recover from.

What to expect

Most patients notice subjective changes within two to four weeks: cleaner energy through the day, better sleep, easier recovery from harder workouts. Effects are gradual. Pairing NAD with the lifestyle basics multiplies what you get from each.