Longevity · Dosing referenceNAD+ dosage
What the human evidence does and does not show, how long studies ran, and the arithmetic for working with vials.
- Regulatory status
- Not approved — research use only
- Human amounts
- None established in humans
- Route studied
- Intravenous infusion in the one published human study of NAD+ itself
- Frequency
- Not established
- Half-life
- Not established
- Evidence grade
- Grade B · Limited human data
- Vial sizes on the market
- 100 mg · 500 mg · 750 mg · 900 mg · 1000 mg · 1500 mg
- Other forms seen
- Liquid spray 10 mL (500 mg, 50 mg/mL) · Dissolving strips (30 per pack) · Pre-mixed liquid 100 or 200 mg/mL (pharmacy compounded)
What NAD+ is
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is an essential coenzyme, not a peptide, studied in cellular energy metabolism and aging biology.
NAD+ has been reframed over time from a simple metabolic cofactor to a co-substrate for proteins that regulate metabolism and longevity, including the sirtuin family of protein deacylases 4. Levels have been reported to decline with ageing, and altered NAD+ homeostasis has been described in a wide range of age-related diseases 4. Precursor routing Nicotinamide mononucleotide availability has been described as a… How it works →
Key evidence
- Gallagher and Emmanuel, Ageing Research Reviews · 2026 · Humans and rodents (113 eligible studies: 33 human intervention studies, 28 randomized, plus 80 rodent studies)Oral nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide consistently showed biochemical target engagement in humans and, in the review's own wording, “were generally well tolerated over weeks to months”, but effects on functional, metabolic, vascular and other healthspan-relevant outcomes were heterogeneous and often null or endpoint-specific. No eligible outcomes trials evaluated intravenous or intramuscular NAD+ itself for anti-ageing or wellness indications. 5
- Yi et al., GeroScience · 2023 · Humans (80 healthy middle-aged adults)Blood NAD concentrations increased significantly in all treated groups at day 30 and day 60 versus placebo and baseline (all p ≤ 0.001); six-minute walk distance increased more than placebo (all p < 0.01) and SF-36 score changes favoured treatment, while HOMA-IR showed no statistically significant difference versus placebo at day 60. 1
- Yoshino et al., Science · 2021 · Humans (postmenopausal women with prediabetes who were overweight or obese)Insulin-stimulated glucose disposal and skeletal muscle insulin signalling (AKT and mTOR phosphorylation) increased after nicotinamide mononucleotide but did not change after placebo; muscle remodelling gene expression was upregulated. 2
What the human evidence shows
No approved or established human dose
Human studies of NAD+ are listed below by design, population and duration. None was designed or powered to establish an amount, and Amiravo does not reproduce their amounts for a compound approved nowhere.
- A pilot study in eleven healthy men aged 30 to 55 with a body mass index below 30 (8 receiving NAD+, 3 controls) measured plasma and urine NAD+ and its metabolites during and after a 6-hour intravenous NAD+ infusion; no change in plasma NAD+, nicotinamide, methylnicotinamide, ADP-ribose or nicotinamide mononucleotide was observed until after 2 hours, and increased urinary excretion of methylnicotinamide and NAD+ was detected at 6 hours while urinary nicotinamide did not rise 10.
- A 2026 narrative review of intravenous NAD+ states that the evidence remains preliminary, that reports of symptom improvement come from small uncontrolled series with heterogeneous methods and short follow-up, that reported adverse effects include nausea, cramping, flushing and chest discomfort, and that long-term safety data are lacking 11.
How long did human studies run?
- The published human study of NAD+ itself used a single 6-hour infusion, with plasma and urine sampling during the infusion and afterwards 10.
Who was excluded from the studies
- The pilot study enrolled healthy men aged 30 to 55 with a body mass index below 30 who were not diabetic, smoked less than one cigarette and drank less than two standard alcoholic drinks per day, and excluded people taking lipid-lowering or anti-inflammatory drugs 10.
NAD+ draw calculator
Pick the vial strength and the water added, enter an amount, and see the concentration, the units to draw and how many draws the vial holds. Arithmetic only.
1 · Vial strength
sizes on the market2 · Water added
3 · Amount per draw
4 · Syringe
Your mix
500 mg + 2 mL water = 250 mg/mL
10 units holds 25 mg
Draw toEnter an amount in step 3
U-100 syringe · 100 units = 1 mL
Computed from your inputs. Not a dose or a recommendation.
Compare water volumes for this vialShow
More water = lower concentration = a larger, easier-to-measure draw. Tap a row to use it.
| Water | mg/mL | Draw |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mL | 1,000 | — |
| 1 mL | 500 | — |
| 1.5 mL | 333.3 | — |
| 2 mL | 250 | — |
| 2.5 mL | 200 | — |
| 3 mL | 166.7 | — |
| 5 mL | 100 | — |
Supplies and handling
- Lyophilized vialSealed vial with the freeze-dried cake. Check the label, lot and the certificate of analysis before opening.
- Sterile diluentThe diluent named on the product documentation. Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol; sterile water does not.
- Graduated syringesSized to the volume being measured. U-100 insulin syringes are graduated in units where 100 units = 1 mL.
- Alcohol prep padsFor wiping vial stoppers before each puncture.
- Nitrile glovesClean gloves for aseptic handling.
- Sharps containerPuncture-resistant container for used needles.
Storage
General research-context handling only. NAD+ and especially NADH are reported in the chemical literature to be sensitive to moisture, heat and pH, and the reduced form is the less stable of the two; solutions are generally less stable than solid material. Defer to the supplier's own documentation for the specific lot and form. Nothing here is a preparation, infusion or administration instruction.
- Lyophilized (unmixed) vials: typically stored cold and dry, away from light, as the documentation directs. Many are stable longer frozen.
- Reconstituted vials: typically refrigerated (about 2–8 °C), protected from light and not frozen.
- Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth in multi-use vials; sterile water has no preservative.
Handling mistakes and troubleshooting
- Added the wrong volume of diluent
- The concentration changes, not the amount of compound in the vial. Recalculate with the volume actually added and relabel the vial.
- Shook the vial and it foamed
- Let it settle in the refrigerator. Foam is a sign of agitation; some peptides aggregate when shaken. Note it on the label.
- The solution is cloudy or has particles
- Do not use it. Cloudiness can indicate incomplete dissolution, contamination or degradation. Record the lot and contact the supplier with the certificate of analysis.
- The powder cake looks melted or shrunken before reconstitution
- This can indicate the vial was exposed to heat or moisture. Record the lot and condition on arrival.
- Liquid sprayed back when the needle was removed
- Pressure built up in the vial. Withdraw a small volume of air while adding diluent to keep pressure neutral.
Regulatory status
- Status
- Not approved by the FDA as a drug for any use. A Drugs@FDA query for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as an active ingredient returned no match, and no openFDA drug label was found 6. FDA's May 14, 2026 503A list places “Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD)” and “Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Disodium Reduced (NADH)” in category 1, bulk drug substances under evaluation, and places “Beta-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Disodium Salt Trihydrate” in category 3, nominated without adequate support 7.
- United States (FDA)
- No approved FDA drug application for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as an active ingredient was found in Drugs@FDA, and no openFDA drug label matched it 6. On FDA's May 14, 2026 list of bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A, “Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD)” and “Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Disodium Reduced (NADH)” appear in category 1, Bulk Drug Substances Under Evaluation, while “Beta-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Disodium Salt Trihydrate” appears in category 3, Bulk Drug Substances Nominated Without Adequate Support 7. Neither appears in category 2, the category for substances that raise significant safety risks 7.
- Sport (WADA)
- NAD, NAD+ and nicotinamide are not named anywhere in the WADA 2026 Prohibited List 9. That absence is hedged negative evidence and not a clearance, and for NAD+ there is a specific and practical reason to read further than the substance sections. Section M2, Chemical and Physical Manipulation, subsection M2.2 prohibits “Intravenous infusions and/or injections of more than a total of 100 mL per 12-hour period except for those legitimately received in the course of hospital treatments, surgical procedures or clinical diagnostic investigations” 9. Because NAD+ is widely administered as an intravenous infusion, that volume rule is the provision most likely to be engaged in practice, independently of whether the substance itself is named. Readers should also note that class S0 prohibits any pharmacological substance not addressed elsewhere on the List and with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use 9.
Status varies by country and changes over time. How we describe regulatory status.
NAD+ compared with related compounds
| Compound | Status | Evidence | Human amounts | Half-life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAD+ | Not approved — research use only | B | None established | — |
| 5-Amino-1MQ | Not approved — research use only | C | None established | — |
| Methylene Blue | FDA-approved | A | FDA label | Approximately 24 hours |
| L-Glutathione | Not approved — research use only | B | None established | — |
| Epithalon | Not approved — research use only | C | None established | — |
| N-Acetyl Epithalon Amidate | Not approved — research use only | — | None established | — |
Frequently asked questions
What doses of NAD+ have been studied in humans?
None that establish an amount. NAD+ is not approved anywhere and the human studies that exist are small and were not designed to find a dose. Amiravo does not publish community or vendor figures.
Is there an established NAD+ cycle length?
No cycle length or break has been established. Human studies administered NAD+ for the periods listed on this page; those are study durations, not a recommended course.
How much bacteriostatic water should be added to a NAD+ vial?
There is no compound-specific volume. The diluent volume only sets the concentration: concentration = mass in the vial ÷ volume added (for example, 10 mg in 2 mL gives 5 mg/mL). The calculator on this page shows the arithmetic for any combination.
How many units is a given amount on an insulin syringe?
On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL. Units for an amount = amount ÷ (concentration per unit). The calculator converts any amount you enter at the concentration you choose; a unit is a volume mark, not an amount of compound.
Is NAD+ FDA-approved?
Not approved — research use only. Not approved by the FDA as a drug for any use. A Drugs@FDA query for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as an active ingredient returned no match, and no openFDA drug label was found 6. FDA's May 14, 2026 503A list places “Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD)” and “Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Disodium Reduced (NADH)” in category 1, bulk drug substances under evaluation, and places “Beta-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Disodium Salt Trihydrate” in category 3, nominated without adequate support 7.
References
- The efficacy and safety of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation in healthy middle-aged adults: a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-dependent clinical trial GeroScience. 2023
- Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women Science. 2021
- Nicotinamide Riboside Augments the Aged Human Skeletal Muscle NAD(+) Metabolome and Induces Transcriptomic and Anti-inflammatory Signatures Cell Reports. 2019
- NAD(+) homeostasis in health and disease Nature Metabolism. 2020
- NAD⁺ supplementation for anti-aging and wellness: A PRISMA-guided systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence Ageing Research Reviews. 2026
- NAD (CID 5892) computed properties; Drugs@FDA and openFDA label queries for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (no match) PubChem / openFDA. 2026
- Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act (updated May 14, 2026) FDA. 2026
- Effect of nicotinamide riboside on airway inflammation in COPD: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial Nature Aging. 2024
- World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026 WADA. 2026
- A Pilot Study Investigating Changes in the Human Plasma and Urine NAD+ Metabolome During a 6 Hour Intravenous Infusion of NAD+ Front Aging Neurosci. 2019
- Narrative review of intravenous NAD+ and NAD+ precursors in wellness and translational medicine Front Aging. 2026
Last reviewed October 23, 2026 by the Amiravo editorial team. Editorial policy · Report an error