NAD+ Dosage: IV and Injection Doses Studied in People (2026)

Not dosing advice. This page reports doses that studies and approved labels used, with their sources. It does not recommend a dose, and we do not give mixing, injection or unit-conversion instructions. Gray-market vials often do not contain what their label says. How we report doses.

Every dose studied in people

Study	Who	People	Dose and route	What happened
Yu 2026, randomized placebo-controlled trial	Adults in China with heart failure from ischemic cardiomyopathy (heart muscle damaged by poor blood supply), on standard treatment	180	10 mg once a day, in 100 mL of fluid IV drip, sped up in steps only when there were no side effects; about 40 to 60 minutes in all · 7 days	The analysis counted all 180 people, carrying missing values forward⁵. At 1 month, LVEF (the share of blood the heart pumps out with each beat) was 45.44% with NAD+ versus 42.44% with placebo⁵. At 6 months, major heart and stroke events (14.6% versus 24.7%) and first heart-failure hospital stays (13.5% versus 23.6%) were lower with NAD+, but neither difference was statistically significant⁵. One person had minor dizziness that passed in about an hour; the authors did not attribute it to NAD+ but stopped NAD+ as a precaution⁵.
Pei 2024, randomized double-blind trial with a saline control	Adults over 60 in hospital in China with heart failure	60	50 mg once a day, with 50 mL of saline Into a vein; how long each dose took is not stated · 7 days	Of 60 people, 58 were analyzed; NT-proBNP (a blood marker of heart strain) and LVEF improved more with NAD+ than with saline at all three follow-up visits, but the differences were not statistically significant¹. One test of the NT-proBNP trend over time did favor NAD+ (p=0.035)¹. Patients had ‘no obvious complaints’ after 7 days of NAD+, and the 4 deaths during follow-up (3 saline, 1 NAD+) were judged to be from the disease, not the medication¹.
Nkrumah-Elie 2026 (trial 1), randomized double-blind pilot; preprint, not peer reviewed	Adults aged 40 to 65 with a body mass index of 25 to 34.9 and mild fatigue; NAD+, NR or placebo, each by three routes	45	100 mg once a day One quick injection into a muscle (4 people), a vein (5) or under the skin (6) · 3 days, then a check on day 10	No one dropped out because of the injections, and the one adverse event in the NAD+ groups, a Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection caught from a sick contact at work, was judged unrelated⁴. In an exploratory analysis, NAD+ into a vein drew more reported side effects than NR, NAD+ into a muscle drew fewer complaints during the injection, and under the skin the two were similar⁴. ChromaDex, which makes the NR tested, funded the trial and employs five of the authors⁴.
Gao 2026, randomized trial; the comparison group got standard treatment alone	Adults in China with sudden hearing loss in one ear	45	5 mg once a day, on top of standard treatment that included a steroid Injection into a muscle · During the hospital stay: a median of 7 days (range 4 to 13)	38 people finished (18 NAD+, 20 standard treatment alone), and average hearing improved by 40.21 decibels with NAD+ versus 23.06 without it³. No adverse events were reported in the NAD+ group³.
Hawkins 2024 (study 1), randomized placebo-controlled pilot; preprint, not peer reviewed	Healthy adults; 10 given NAD+, the rest NR by vein or by mouth, or saline	37	500 mg once, in 500 mL of saline IV drip; after a set starting speed for 15 minutes, each person’s comfort guided the speed · One drip	NAD+ drips took 1 hour 47 minutes to 4 hours 32 minutes, 3 hours 3 minutes on average, versus 2 hours 7 minutes on average for NR². White blood cells and neutrophils rose after NAD+, which the authors read as a sign of an inflammatory response². ChromaDex, which makes the NR tested, hired the firm that ran the study and employs four of the authors².
Hawkins 2024 (study 2), randomized comparison; preprint, not peer reviewed	Men; 8 given NAD+, 8 NR	16	500 mg once, in 500 mL of saline IV drip, started fully open and slowed when people asked · One drip	NAD+ drips took 20 to 184 minutes, 98.88 minutes on average, versus 11 to 41 minutes for NR².
Reyna 2026, review of clinic records with no placebo group; the researchers worked for the clinic’s company	Clinic clients; 6 given NAD+, 8 NR	14	500 mg a day, in 500 mL of saline IV drip, with each client controlling the speed · 4 days in a row	All 6 NAD+ clients had moderate to severe cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, faster heart rate, throat pain, congestion and chest pressure during the drips, which stopped as soon as the drips ended⁶. NAD+ drips averaged 97 minutes, versus 37 for NR⁶.
Grant 2019, randomized pilot with a saline control	Healthy men aged 30 to 55; 8 given NAD+, 3 saline	11	750 mg once IV drip at about 2 mg per minute · One 6-hour drip	No adverse events were seen during the 6-hour drip, and plasma NAD+ did not rise for the first 2 hours, then was up 398% at the end⁷. The authors say the dose ‘was derived empirically’ and reflects a common regimen in clinics; no clinical outcomes were measured⁷.
Itani 2026, case report	One woman with rheumatoid arthritis, given NAD+ for aesthetic and anti-aging reasons	1	250 mg every 2 weeks, in 500 mL of saline IV drip over about 1 hour · 4 drips	Her joint pain and swelling improved, and an ultrasound 9 months later showed no joint inflammation; the authors say the uncontrolled design and other changes in her life rule out conclusions about cause¹⁰.

Studies, animals and users: kept apart

Doses below are what studies used or what a label says. They are not advice, and gray-market products may not contain what their label says.

In human studies

Most human data are for IV use. The largest trial gave 10 mg once daily for 7 days in 100 mL, run over about 40 to 60 minutes⁵, and a smaller trial gave 50 mg into a vein once daily for 7 days¹⁵. A healthy-volunteer pilot gave 750 mg over 6 hours, a regimen the authors said reflects common clinic practice⁷. A preprint pilot gave 500 mg once², a clinic series gave 500 mg on 4 days in a row⁶, and a case report describes 250 mg in 500 mL over about an hour every 2 weeks¹⁰. Two small 2026 reports gave shots instead: 5 mg into a muscle once a day for a median of 7 days alongside standard treatment for sudden hearing loss³, and 100 mg into a muscle, a vein or under the skin once a day for 3 days in a preprint pilot⁴. Neither has reported blood NAD+ levels, and we found no other study that shows what a shot does to NAD+ in the body³⁴.

In animal studies

Mice: 50 mg/kg injected into the abdominal cavity (intraperitoneal) right after an induced stroke, which reduced brain damage at 48 hours¹²; 250 mg/kg intraperitoneal once daily in an autoimmune model of multiple sclerosis, which lessened disease severity¹³.

What users report Anecdotal · not validated · not a recommendation

A dosing-calculator site lists community-reported amounts of 50 to 100 mg per injection, once a day. The same page says published human work used supervised IV doses of 500 mg and 750 mg, not this schedule¹¹.

Half-life and how it is taken

Routes: Intravenous drip (human studies, including randomized trials)
Subcutaneous injection (common gray-market use; one 3-day preprint pilot only)
Intramuscular injection (two small 2026 studies, one a preprint; one of them cites a 1966 study)
Oral NADH and the precursors NR and NMN (different molecules; many small trials)

Drip speed and side effects

A 2026 review says side effects during NAD+ drips, such as nausea, abdominal discomfort, flushing, cramping and chest pressure, occur ‘particularly at faster infusion rates’⁸. In two studies where people could slow the drip, NAD+ drips ran longer than NR drips, and the authors put that down to side effects during the drip⁶.

In one of them, most people given NAD+ rated their comfort as ‘low’ and reported anxiety, headaches, nausea and sudden urges to have a bowel movement; about half had one during the drip².

The same review says drip speeds ‘are not standardized and vary’, and that ‘systematic dose-escalation studies and direct comparisons of different IV NAD+ doses remain lacking’⁸.

Shots into a muscle or under the skin

As of 7 October 2026, we found two small reports from 2026 that gave NAD+ as a quick injection rather than a drip, and both were short: 3 days in one and at most 13 days in the other³⁴. The hearing-loss trial also cites a 1966 study in which 100 mg shots into a muscle were well tolerated by people with an alcohol-related brain syndrome; we could not read that paper³.

Neither has reported blood NAD+ levels: the hearing-loss trial reports no NAD+ measurements, and the injection pilot’s blood NAD+ results are ‘to be reported elsewhere’³⁴. So these reports do not show whether a shot raises NAD+ in the body³⁴.

A dosing website lists a daily injection schedule that runs to week 16, far longer than either course of shots in the two recent studies³⁴¹¹.

Why no dose is established

NAD+ is not approved as a drug in the US, so no US label sets a dose¹⁴¹⁵. A 2026 review calls IV NAD+ ‘investigational’ and says its use in wellness settings ‘remains ahead of the available clinical evidence’⁸.

The three Chinese trials all used the same NAD+ medicine approved in China, approval number H41024721¹³⁵. We could not open its Chinese label, so we cannot say what uses or doses it sets. Vials sold online are another matter: 41 of 61 NAD+ samples that Finnrick tested from 19 February to 24 September 2026 failed its standard for purity and content¹⁶. FDA has warned that food-grade NAD+ was used to make IV products, and contaminated NAD+ has caused chills, shaking and low blood pressure¹⁷¹⁸.

NR and NMN are different molecules

NR (nicotinamide riboside) and NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) are smaller vitamin B3 compounds that the body turns into NAD+, usually taken as pills, so their doses are not NAD+ doses⁹¹⁹.

Taken by mouth, they reliably raise NAD-related molecules in the blood, but a 2026 review found their effects on health measures ‘heterogeneous and often null’⁹. NMN improved muscle insulin sensitivity in a 10-week trial in women with prediabetes, while NR at 1,000 mg twice a day for 12 weeks did not improve insulin sensitivity in 40 obese men¹⁹²⁰. For the same reason, this page reports only the NAD+ groups of the two studies that also gave NR by drip or injection²⁴.

Drips and anti-doping rules

NAD+ is not named on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2026 Prohibited List or on the 2027 list published on 21 September 2026²¹²². The delivery method can still break the rules: IV infusions or injections of more than 100 mL per 12 hours are prohibited at all times (method M2.2) unless received during hospital treatment, surgery or clinical diagnostic tests²¹. One published case used 500 mL per infusion¹⁰. The M2.2 rule is unchanged in the 2027 list²².

Questions people ask

How much NAD+ should I take?

No dose is established for energy, anti-aging or wellness, and a 2026 review lists ‘optimal dosing strategies’ among the major unanswered questions⁸. Studies on this page used 10, 50, 250, 500 or 750 mg per IV drip and 5 or 100 mg per shot^123456710. The review also describes 1,000 mg a day in an uncontrolled pilot⁸. NAD+ is not approved as a drug in the US, so any decision about using it belongs with a licensed prescriber¹⁴¹⁵.

How long does an NAD+ IV take?

In studies, a 10 mg drip took about 40 to 60 minutes and 750 mg was given over 6 hours⁵⁷. Where people could slow the drip, 500 mg took 3 hours 3 minutes on average in one study and 97 minutes on average in a clinic series²⁶. The authors put the longer NAD+ times down to side effects during the drip⁶.

Why does NAD+ IV make you nauseous?

A 2026 review says nausea, cramping, chest pressure and other side effects occur ‘particularly at faster infusion rates’⁸. In one pilot, white blood cells and neutrophils rose after a 500 mg drip, which the authors read as a sign of an inflammatory response².

Are NAD+ injections as effective as IV?

We found no study comparing their health effects, as of 7 October 2026: the one trial that gave NAD+ by different routes compared comfort, and its blood NAD+ results are ‘to be reported elsewhere’⁴. A 2026 review of 113 studies found no outcome trial of NAD+ given into a vein or a muscle for anti-aging or wellness⁹.

Is it safe to take NAD+ shots every day?

In the two recent studies we found, daily shots were given only in short courses: 5 mg into a muscle for up to 13 days, and 100 mg for 3 days³⁴. Neither study attributed an adverse event to NAD+³⁴. In the 3-day pilot, though, pain and discomfort were the complaints reported most often, whatever the product or route⁴. Long-term safety is unknown, and contaminated NAD+ products have caused chills, shaking and low blood pressure⁸¹⁷¹⁸.

Go deeper

Sources

1Effects of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide on Older Patients with Heart Failure Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine, Aug 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2Randomized, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical study evaluating acute Niagen®+ IV and NAD+ IV in healthy adults medRxiv (preprint, not peer reviewed), 10 Jun 2024. doi.org
3NAD+ Enhanced on Hearing Recovery in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Randomized Controlled Trial The Laryngoscope, Mar 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4Preliminary Safety Analysis of Two Pilot Clinical Trials Involving Injections of Niagen®, Nicotinamide Riboside Chloride medRxiv (preprint, not peer reviewed), 30 Apr 2026. doi.org
5Effect of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide on Heart Failure Caused by Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, Jan 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6Intravenous infusion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) versus nicotinamide riboside (NR): a retrospective tolerability pilot study in a real-world setting Frontiers in Aging, 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
7A Pilot Study Investigating Changes in the Human Plasma and Urine NAD+ Metabolome During a 6 Hour Intravenous Infusion of NAD Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2019. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
8Narrative review of intravenous NAD+ and NAD+ precursors in wellness and translational medicine Frontiers in Aging, 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
9NAD+ supplementation for anti-aging and wellness: A PRISMA-guided systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence Ageing Research Reviews, Apr 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
10Symptomatic and Ultrasonographic Improvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis Temporally Associated with Intravenous NAD+ Therapy: A Case Report ACR Open Rheumatology, Sep 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
11NAD+ 500 mg Injection Dosage Chart PeptideDosages, 26 Sep 2026. peptidedosages.com
12NAD+ administration decreases ischemic brain damage partially by blocking autophagy in a mouse model of brain ischemia Neuroscience Letters, 23 Mar 2012. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
13Treatment with NAD+ inhibited experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by activating AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway and modulating Th1/Th17 immune responses in mice International Immunopharmacology, Oct 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
14Drugs@FDA via openFDA: search for active ingredient nadide or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (no matches) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), 8 Oct 2026. api.fda.gov · data query
15Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (categories list) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 21 Mar 2025. fda.gov
16NAD+: safety testing results and vendor ratings Finnrick, 24 Sep 2026. finnrick.com
17FDA reminds compounders to use ingredients suitable for sterile compounding U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 30 Oct 2024. fda.gov
18Warning letter to GenoGenix LLC (MARCS-CMS 718739) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 20 Jan 2026. fda.gov
19A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside in obese men: safety, insulin-sensitivity, and lipid-mobilizing effects The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1 Aug 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
20Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women Science, 11 Jun 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
21World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026 World Anti-Doping Agency, 24 Sep 2025. wada-ama.org
22World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2027 World Anti-Doping Agency, 21 Sep 2026. wada-ama.org

Not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any drug. Report an error.