Short answer: NAD+ is a cofactor cells need for many metabolic reactions, and brain levels are thought to fall with age. Clinics now sell it as injections and IV drips. The human evidence for injected NAD+ is very thin: the main published study is a pilot that infused NAD+ for 6 hours and found it disappeared from the blood so fast that plasma levels did not rise for the first 2 hours. The better-studied route is oral precursors such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), which raise blood NAD+ in randomized trials, though clear health benefits are still unproven. As of May 2026, FDA lists NAD and NADH in category 1 for compounding, meaning they are still under evaluation.
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) drips and shots are marketed for energy, focus, recovery and "cellular aging." The pitch rests on a real piece of biology. The question is whether putting NAD+ directly into a vein or under the skin does what the pitch says. This article separates what has been measured in people from what is assumed.
NAD+ is a vitamin B3-derived cofactor that a 2026 study describes as "essential for numerous metabolic reactions and protein modifications" (Christen 2026). The body makes it from precursors such as nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). The pilot study discussed below describes "accumulating evidence" that keeping NAD+ levels up may help in conditions of high NAD+ turnover or poor synthesis, including aging and neurodegenerative disease. Much of that evidence comes from animal studies.
The study most often cited for IV NAD+ is a pilot that measured what happens in blood and urine during and after a 6-hour IV infusion of NAD+ at 3 µmol/min (Grant 2019). It was a small pilot. Its findings:
What the study did not do: compare against placebo, measure NAD+ inside cells or tissues, or test any symptom or health outcome. It shows that infused NAD+ is cleared and broken down quickly. It does not show that an IV drip raises NAD+ where it matters, or that people feel or function better because of it.
We did not find a published randomized controlled trial of NAD+ injections or infusions for energy, recovery or aging. Claims about side effects during drips (such as flushing or chest tightness at fast rates) are common online, but we could not find a controlled study that measured them, so we do not quote rates.
Most human NAD+ research uses precursors, molecules the body turns into NAD+:
The 2026 head-to-head study also suggested how oral precursors work. In lab tests with human gut bacteria, NR and NMN were turned into nicotinic acid, and in whole blood nicotinic acid was a strong NAD+ booster while NMN, NR and nicotinamide were not. The authors proposed that NR and NMN raise circulating NAD+ largely through the gut (Christen 2026). If that holds up, it is another reason not to assume that putting NAD+ or its precursors straight into the blood does the same thing as taking them by mouth.
Two points stand out. First, oral precursors do raise blood NAD+ in people, which is more than has been shown for IV NAD+ in controlled trials. Second, raising a blood level is not the same as a proven health benefit. Most of these trials are short, small, and measure lab markers.
FDA's list of bulk substances nominated for 503A compounding, updated May 14, 2026, places nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and NADH in category 1: nominated with enough information to evaluate, and covered by FDA's interim policy while it decides. The same document lists "Beta-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide" in category 3 (nominated without adequate support), apparently a separate nomination. Category 1 is not approval; it means FDA has not yet decided. No NAD+ injection is FDA-approved. Our compounding explainer covers what the categories mean.
NAD+ is not a peptide, but it is sold through the same clinics and online channels, often alongside peptides, which is why it shows up in our compound library.
Ask what form and dose you are getting, how fast it is infused, and whether the clinic uses a compounded product (and from where). Record how you feel before and for a few days after each session, including any reactions during the drip, because the published studies cannot tell you what to expect. A simple before-and-after rating for energy and sleep, kept for several weeks, is the closest you will get to a personal test. Dose Track can log injections, infusions and oral supplements together, with notes and daily check-ins, so you can see whether anything actually changed.
Questions about the app? See the help center or join the Dose Track community.
Every number in this article comes from one of these sources, checked on October 22, 2026. This article is for education. It is not medical or legal advice, and nothing here is a dose recommendation.