NAD+ IV Therapy: Benefits, Science, and What to Expect at Your First Session

What Is NAD+ and Why Should You Care?

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. That's a mouthful, so everyone calls it NAD+. It's a coenzyme that exists in every cell of your body, and it does a lot of heavy lifting: energy production, DNA repair, cellular signaling, mitochondrial function. Think of it as the molecule that keeps your cells running properly.

Here's the problem. Your NAD+ levels drop roughly 50% by the time you hit 50 (Massudi et al., 2012). That decline tracks closely with the things people chalk up to “getting older”: brain fog, slower recovery, less energy, poorer sleep, declining cognitive sharpness.

NAD+ IV therapy delivers the molecule directly into your bloodstream at therapeutic concentrations. No digestion. No conversion steps. No guessing about absorption. This is the protocol that longevity researchers and performance physicians actually use.

Why NAD+ Declines With Age

Your body both produces and consumes NAD+. When you're young, production outpaces consumption. Somewhere around your mid-30s, that balance shifts. By 50, your NAD+ levels are roughly half what they were at 20.

Several things accelerate the decline:

• Chronic stress burns through NAD+ faster than your body can replenish it
• Poor sleep disrupts the repair cycles that depend on NAD+
• Alcohol directly depletes NAD+ (your liver uses it to metabolize ethanol)
• Sedentary behavior reduces the metabolic demand that stimulates NAD+ production
• Overeating and processed food create additional oxidative stress

The result is a compounding deficit. Less NAD+ means less efficient mitochondria, which means less energy, which means less activity, which means even less NAD+ production. It's a cycle. IV therapy breaks it.

IV vs. Oral: Why the Delivery Method Matters

If you follow the longevity space, you've probably seen NMN and NR supplements marketed as NAD+ boosters. They're precursors. Your body has to absorb them, transport them, and then convert them through multiple enzymatic steps before they become usable NAD+.

That process is inefficient. Studies show oral bioavailability is limited, and the amount of NAD+ that actually reaches your cells is a fraction of what you swallowed.

IV delivery is different. The NAD+ goes directly into your bloodstream. No conversion required. No first-pass metabolism. The concentrations your cells receive are dramatically higher than anything oral supplementation can achieve.

Oral supplements aren't worthless. But if you want therapeutic-level results, IV is the standard that the clinical research supports.

Done guessing with supplements? Book your first NAD+ infusion and feel the difference →

What the Research Shows

NAD+ has become one of the most studied molecules in aging research. A few key findings:

• NAD+ activates sirtuins, a family of proteins involved in DNA repair, inflammation regulation, and mitochondrial health. Sirtuin activity declines with age, and NAD+ is the fuel they need to function.
• Animal studies consistently show that restoring NAD+ levels improves mitochondrial function, reverses markers of cellular aging, and extends healthspan. Human research is earlier stage but pointing in the same direction.
• A 2020 study published in Nature Communications found that boosting NAD+ improved metabolic function and reduced age-related inflammation markers in human subjects.
• Cognitive performance research suggests NAD+ plays a role in neuroprotection and may support brain function as we age.

The science is compelling enough that NAD+ has become a staple in performance medicine and longevity practices. It's not a miracle molecule. But the data on cellular repair, energy metabolism, and cognitive function is solid and growing.

What Your First Session Actually Feels Like

Before You Come In

We recommend baseline bloodwork before your first NAD+ session. This gives us a reference point to measure changes and helps Dr. Valle customize your protocol. Eat a meal beforehand. Show up hydrated. Bring your laptop or a book.

The Infusion

You'll sit in our IV lounge, which has Wi-Fi, charging ports, and comfortable seating. A 250mg+ NAD+ infusion takes about 2 to 2.5 hours. We run it slowly and at a controlled rate because NAD+ can cause mild side effects if pushed too fast.

During the infusion, you might feel some flushing or warmth in your chest and face. Some patients get a mild tingling sensation. A few experience brief nausea. All of this is normal and temporary. If anything feels uncomfortable, we slow the drip rate and it resolves within minutes.

Most patients work, read, watch something on their phone, or take calls during the session. It's not an intense experience. It's closer to sitting in a comfortable chair for a couple hours.

After

No downtime. You walk out and go about your day. Most patients notice something within 24 to 48 hours: clearer thinking, better energy, improved mood. Not a caffeine buzz. More like someone turned up the resolution on everything by a few notches.

The effects from a single session typically last several days. With a loading protocol (see below), the benefits accumulate and become your new baseline.

Who Benefits Most

NAD+ isn't exclusively for one type of patient. But the people who report the biggest impact tend to fall into a few categories:

• Executives and knowledge workers who depend on sustained cognitive performance and can't afford brain fog
• Athletes and active professionals looking for faster recovery between training sessions
• Anyone over 40 noticing that their energy, recovery, and mental sharpness aren't what they used to be
• Longevity-focused patients who are already optimizing diet, sleep, and exercise and want the next level of cellular support
• Patients recovering from illness, surgery, or prolonged stress

Sound like you? Talk to Dr. Valle about whether NAD+ fits your goals →

The Protocol: Loading and Maintenance

One NAD+ session is noticeable. But the real results come from building and sustaining elevated levels over time. Here's how we structure it:

1. Loading phase (weeks 1-4 to 6): One 250mg+ infusion per week for 4 to 6 weeks. This establishes therapeutic NAD+ levels in your system.
2. Maintenance phase: One infusion per month to sustain those levels. Some patients prefer biweekly during particularly demanding stretches.

Dr. Valle adjusts the protocol based on your bloodwork, your response, and your goals. There's no one-size-fits-all dosing chart here.

Pricing at True Roots

For patients planning monthly NAD+ long-term, the PERFORMANCE membership ($449/mo) usually makes more financial sense than a la carte. The NAD+ alone would run $4,200+ per year. Membership is $5,388 and includes quarterly labs, Botox at $12/unit, and 20% off all other services.

See how membership saves on NAD+ and stacks with your other services. Compare membership tiers →

Next Steps

If you're curious about NAD+ IV therapy, the best starting point is a conversation with Dr. Valle. He'll review your health history, recommend baseline bloodwork, and help you decide whether NAD+ is worth trying for your specific situation.

1. Book a consultation at True Roots
2. Get baseline labs so we can measure before and after
3. Schedule your first infusion and see what 250mg+ of NAD+ actually feels like

Book Your First NAD+ Session →