My NAD+ Supplements Journey – 1 Week Before

I’m Charlie, 35 and I’m a dad of two – a 3 year old and a 3 month old, and I’m hosting this mini-series on my personal NAD+ supplements journey. I'll be posts a blog for: 1 week before (this one) Day 1 1 week after 2 weeks after 3 weeks after 1 month after 2 months after and more...

I’m Charlie, 35 and I’m a dad of two – a 3 year old and a 3 month old, and I’m hosting this mini-series on my personal NAD+ supplement journey.

I’m tired, and not in a “had a long day” tired. More like “haven’t felt fully rested in months” tired.

My work days are fuelled by coffees, broken up by 6h of on/off sleep.

My weekends are filled with activities for the kids interspersed with trying to stay fit. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Over the past month or two I’ve started to feel like I’m treading water. I’m craving energy and want to be able to do as much stuff with the kids as possible.

I knew I had to do something so I started looking into ways to feel better.

Not just wired, truly better.

That’s how I ended up down the NAD+ supplement rabbit hole.

A Confession!

I’m honest, sometimes brutally honest but always straight to the point and 100% transparent.

I’m not being paid to say anything. My thoughts and articles are entirely my own and NADLab have promised to publish what I write with no edited – regardless of how the trial goes.

NADLab are sending me 6 months of Liposomal NR Chloride capsules, free of charge.

I’m not promising them a good review. I’m not promising them anything.

If I feel no difference, I’ll stop after 6 months.

If I do feel a positive difference, I’ll pay for the capsules I’ve taken and keep going.

Simple!

This mini-blog series is just my experience – nothing more, nothing less!

It’s not health advice and doesn’t mean you’ll have the same experience.

It’s not hype. It’s my personal experience.

What is NAD+?

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) is found in every cell and is invlved in energy, DNA repair, metabolism, and ageing.

So let me hit you with some bad news – Our NAD+ levels drop as we get older.

Well that’s just great. As if ageing couldn’t get any worse here comes the NAD kick right in the balls.

But there is good news – NAD+ levels can be supported through NAD+ supplements.

What Are NAD Supplements?

I’m going to make a guess here.

If you’re reading this you’re already knee deep in NAD+ supplement research and probably know just as much as me.

But here’s the short version.

NAD+ supplements aim to reverse the decline in NAD+ levels over time.

As NAD+ levels drop so does our energy, sleep quality, focus and resilience.

Now you might be thinking. Ok great, give me some NAD+ and I’ll be on my way.

Well, yes. You could do. But all the research I’ve found indicates that NAD in it’s molecular form is actually too large to be absorbed into your cells.

Think of NAD+ supplements like gold leaf on deserts. Sure, it looks great, but makes for an expensive toilet trip.

So don’t make the same mistake I’ve made. The container of Amazon special NAD+ capsules sit on my desk unopened staring at me saying “if you ever want expensive wee, take me”.

NMN vs NR: The Rabbit Hole

I’ll admit. I’ve spent far too long comparing these two most popular NAD+ supplements.

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)

Both NMN and NR are NAD+ precursors and can raise NAD+ levels.

But there’s one key issue.

NMN is not approved for sale in the UK. It’s under FSA review.

That means selling it in the UK meaning breaking (or skirting) the rules.

That was enough for me to drop NMN and anyone selling it in the UK.

And if they’re willing to cut that corner – what else are they cutting?

NR, then. But what kind?

Not all NAD+ supplements are created equal.

And the same goes for NR.

There’s standard NR and NR chloride.

They come in capsule, powder, sublingual and liposomal form in a variety of different dosages.

I wanted two things:
1. NR Chloride in a 300mg dose (again, not wanting expensive wee here).
2. A reputable source with well tested products.

If I’m doing this properly, I want the form that’s easiest to absorb — and the one that’s backed by real data.

So where is the best place to buy NAD+ supplements?

First place I found was Tru Niagen.

US-Based, clinical backing but at £60+ a month it was a little steep.

They also only offered normal capsule form.

And once I learned about the enhanced absorption of liposomal, that’s what I really wanted.

After a few more days I found NADLab.

UK based and a supplier of Liposomal NR Chloride in the correct 300mg dosage.

They openly published their SGS lab results and seemed to focus on quality over quantity.

I emailed them.

We set up the deal I mentioned at the top – no payment, just honest feedback.

That’s it.

So how should I track my NAD+ supplements results?

I don’t want to totally revamp my life and accredit it to NADLab.

I need the same diet. The same workouts. The same workload.

The only new thing in my routine will be the Liposomal NR Capsules.

For context, I already take:
1. Alpha Men by MyVitamins (also not sponsored)
2. Omega 3 Capsules (a few times a week)

My current stats:

Age: 35
Height: 181cm / 5’11½ (yes, the half matters)

Weight: 80kg
Skeletal Muscle*: 34.7kg
Fat Mass*: 15.6kg / 18.2%

Body Water*: 46.5kg
BMI*: 25.2
Last 5k Time: 27.52

Sleep: 6 hours (broken)

*as measured by my Samsung Smart Watch so data to be taken with a pinch of salt.

How I feel right now:

Flat but motivated.

I don’t wake up feeling rested and need caffeine to feel alert.

I feel slower, mentally and physically than where I want to be.

Not awful. Just not myself.

What’s Next:

The NAD+ supplement I’m taking is:
Liposomal NR Chloride, 300mg capsule from NADLab [link]

Two packs arrived this morning.

I want to start now but promised myself a 1-week baseline period.

So here I am. One week out.

Tired. Curious. Hopeful.

Let’s see what happens.