NAD+ Loading Protocols Explained

When NAD+ therapy first became available outside research settings, it was almost always sold as one-and-done. A single infusion, see how you feel. For some people, that's enough — the lift is real, the brain fog clears.

For most clients with sustained energy, cognitive, or longevity goals, single infusions undersell what the molecule can actually do. The cellular machinery that benefits from NAD+ — sirtuins, PARP enzymes, mitochondrial NAD+/NADH ratios — responds better to a saturated state held for days than a single peak followed by rapid drop-off.

NAD+ once is a top-up. NAD+ loaded over a week or two is a reset.

A loading protocol typically looks like one of these:

**Brief loading** — 3 sessions over 5–7 days, each session 500–750 mg over 2–4 hours. Total NAD+ exposure: 1.5–2.25 grams. Most clients describe the brain-fog clearing happening between sessions 2 and 3.

**Standard loading** — 5 sessions over 10–14 days, same dose per session. Total: 2.5–3.75 grams. This is the protocol we recommend for most clients in middle age starting from a deficit.

**Extended loading** — 7–10 sessions over 3–4 weeks. For clients dealing with significant cognitive demands, post-illness recovery, or aggressive longevity goals.

After loading, most clients maintain with a single drip every 4–8 weeks. The half-life of intracellular NAD+ recovery is long; once you've loaded, holding is easier than rebuilding.

NAD+ loading isn't cheap and isn't fast — each session is 2–4 hours in the clinic. The trade-off is that the cellular gains compound in ways single sessions struggle to produce.