By 
NAD+ has moved from obscure biochemistry into mainstream wellness conversations over the past few years. You’ll see it mentioned alongside longevity research, addiction recovery, cognitive performance, and anti-ageing. Understanding what it actually is and what IV delivery does differently from oral supplements helps make sense of why interest has grown.
If you’re considering NAD+ infusions in Sydney, here’s what the science says and what to expect from the process.
What NAD+ Actually Is
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a coenzyme present in every living cell. It plays a central role in how cells convert nutrients into energy. Without it, the mitochondrial processes that produce ATP, the molecule cells use for fuel, can’t function properly.
Beyond energy production, NAD+ is involved in DNA repair mechanisms. When cells sustain damage, NAD+ is part of the repair response. It also activates sirtuins, a family of proteins associated with longevity research that regulate cellular health and stress responses.
The problem is that NAD+ levels decline with age. By middle age, most people have significantly lower NAD+ than they did in their twenties. This decline has been linked in research to reduced cellular repair capacity, lower energy metabolism, and changes in cognitive function.
Why IV Delivery Is Different From Oral Supplements
NAD+ supplements taken orally face a significant absorption problem. The molecule doesn’t survive intact through the digestive system particularly well. A large proportion of what you swallow is broken down before it reaches the bloodstream, which limits how much actually gets to cells.
IV administration bypasses this entirely. The NAD+ goes directly into the bloodstream and reaches cells without passing through the digestive system first. This is why IV delivery causes very different reactions than oral supplementation at the same doses.
Researchers looking into NAD+ and doctors using it to treat patients usually think that IV delivery is the best way to go when they want to load a lot of cells. This is because the difference in bioavailability between IV and oral is so big.
What the Study Says
There is a lot of ongoing and growing research on NAD+. Preclinical studies, mainly using animal models, have yielded intriguing results concerning cognitive function, metabolic health, and longevity indicators. Human trials are fewer, but they are growing.
The most studied areas are age-related cellular decline, neurological health, metabolic function, and recovery from addiction. The addiction recovery application is particularly interesting. NAD+ has been studied as a supportive treatment in withdrawal protocols, with some clinical programmes incorporating IV NAD+ as part of detoxification support.
What a Session Involves
NAD+ IV infusions are administered by nurses and typically take around 90 minutes. The session is slower than a standard vitamin drip because NAD+ infused too quickly causes discomfort, most commonly a feeling of chest tightness, nausea, or muscle cramping that resolves when the infusion rate is reduced.
A consultation precedes treatment to establish whether NAD+ IV therapy is appropriate and to discuss what you’re hoping to address. This is standard practice for any IV therapy and particularly important for NAD+ given the longer session time and the importance of appropriate dosing.
Some providers offer subcutaneous NAD+ shots as an alternative to IV delivery. These are quicker but deliver a lower dose and don’t achieve the same plasma levels as a full infusion.
Who Considers NAD+ IV Therapy
People using NAD+ infusions include those looking to support cognitive function and mental clarity, those dealing with fatigue that hasn’t responded to other interventions, people in or recently out of addiction recovery programmes, and those interested in longevity-oriented health practices.
It’s also used as a recovery support after significant physical exertion or illness. The cellular energy and repair mechanisms that NAD+ supports are relevant to recovery from a range of stressors.
A session takes roughly 90 minutes and most people resume normal activity immediately afterwards.
Comments