Written by
Louise W Lu, PhD, MPH, BMLS
Written/Reviewed by
Alexandra V Goldberg, Registered Dietitian
You're not alone. Many women in their 30s, 40s, and beyond start to notice:
“I rest, I eat well, I don’t overwork — so why am I still exhausted?”
Here’s the catch: your body’s energy might not just depend on sleep or food,
but on a molecule inside your cells quietly running low — NAD⁺.
That’s where buzzwords like NMN and PQQ come in.
They're not magic pills — but they might be your body’s missing building blocks.
What exactly is NAD⁺? What does NADH do? And how do they affect your energy, metabolism, and aging?
Jump to Sections:
What Are NAD⁺ and NADH?
Many people think that "eating well" automatically means "having more energy".
But in reality, nutrition is just the raw material. What actually powers you is your body’s energy conversion system.
Ingredients don’t turn into cooked meals on their own.
Your body needs a full “processing system”
to turn food into usable energy.
One key "component" in this system is NAD⁺.
Its job is to take the glucose, fat, and other nutrients you eat
and convert them into energy that your cells can actually use.
Click image to enlarge
NAD⁺ acts like an “energy shuttle”.
It grabs the energy carriers (electrons and hydrogen)
from the broken-down nutrients and delivers them to the cell’s “power plant” — the mitochondria.
Once it ‘discharges’, your body can finally power up.”
After the delivery is complete, NAD⁺ turns into NADH,
and releases that energy through the electron transport chain to produce usable energy (ATP).
Click image to enlarge
NAD⁺ is a battery ready to charge, while NADH is the fully charged battery powering your cells.”
These two forms constantly alternate and cycle,keeping your energy flowing consistently.
But once NAD⁺ runs low or the cycle stalls, you may notice:
might not be laziness or poor sleep —
it could mean your body's "power source" is running low.
Why the NAD⁺/NADH Ratio Matters
Think of your body as a rechargeable battery system:
- NAD⁺ is the empty battery — ready to collect energy.
- NADH is the charged battery — ready to release energy.
Every time you eat, nutrients are metabolized inside your cells, releasing high-energy electrons.
NAD⁺ captures those electrons and becomes NADH.
Then, NADH delivers the electrons to your mitochondria, starting the "power generation" process and producing ATP.
Click the image to enlarge
After NADH has delivered the charge, it turns back into NAD⁺, ready for the next cycle.
This process happens billions of times a day in your body — it's the core of sustained energy production.
When your NAD⁺ ratio is high, it means you have plenty of "batteries waiting to charge".
The system flows smoothly and efficiently, and you feel energetic, recover well, and burn fuel cleanly. 😄
But if too much NADH builds up and NAD⁺ runs low, it’s like your system is clogged with charged batteries that can’t unload.
Electrons get stuck, energy conversion slows down, and your entire metabolism starts to jam. 😫
it's like your power station is backed up.
ATP production drops, mitochondria get sluggish,
and excess electrons generate oxidative stress.
fatigue builds up, recovery slows, metabolism weakens,
and aging accelerates.” 😱😱
This is why some people feel drained even when they sleep well and eat clean.
It’s not always about what you’re doing externally — sometimes, it’s a silent imbalance deep inside your cells.
Final Thoughts: It’s All About Balance — And NMN Might Be the Key
When we feel low on energy, the issue often isn’t how much we eat —
it’s whether our cells can convert that food into usable energy.
The ratio between NAD⁺ and NADH acts like a battery system inside your cells.
If NAD⁺ runs low, the next cycle of energy production stalls, and your entire metabolism slows down.
it’s about keeping the energy cycle moving.”
NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) is the direct precursor to NAD⁺,
like refilling raw materials into your internal power plant—helping your energy system restart.
lower energy, slower recovery, and accelerated aging,
maybe it’s time to ask —
are your NAD⁺ levels running low?
Of course, NMN isn’t a magic pill—but it may be one of the most powerful “switches”
to reactivate your body’s energy loop.
For anyone 30+, 40+, or even 60+, supporting NAD⁺ levels is a smart step toward long-term vitality.
