How to Stack NR for Maximum Results: What Actually Worked After 18 Months

So I'm sitting at my kitchen table on a Sunday morning in March 2023, staring at six different supplement bottles, and I'm thinking: "I'm spending like $340 a month on this stuff and I have no idea if I'm doing this right."

I'd been taking NR—Nicotinamide Riboside, the NAD+ precursor everyone was talking about—for maybe three months at that point. My energy was better, sure, but I kept reading these Reddit threads and research papers about how you're supposed to stack it with other stuff for "synergy." And honestly? I felt like I was throwing darts blindfolded.

That morning, my wife walked in while I was arranging pills by color like some kind of supplement psychopath. She just shook her head. "You know most people just take a multivitamin, right?"

I didn't know it then, but I was about to waste a lot of money figuring out what actually works.

TL;DR: After 18 months of tracking bloodwork and testing different NR stacks, here's what actually moved the needle: NR (300mg) + resveratrol (500mg) in the morning showed the best results for NAD+ levels. Adding TMG (500mg) prevented the methylation issues I got at month 4. Semax stacked well for cognitive benefits. Most other "synergistic" combos were marketing BS. Timing matters more than people think—take NR early, away from fat-burning peptides.

Why I Even Started Stacking NR With Anything

Let me back up. I started NR solo in December 2022, right after my 36th birthday. My baseline bloodwork from November showed I was... fine. Not great, not terrible. Just the slow decline you're supposed to accept in your late thirties.

Three months on NR alone (I was taking 300mg from Tru Niagen—yeah, the expensive one), and I got new labs done. NAD+ levels were up about 40%, which sounds amazing until you realize the reference range is huge and "up 40%" still put me in the middle of normal.

I felt better—mornings were easier, that 3 PM brain fog wasn't as brutal—but I wanted more. And that's when I fell down the rabbit hole of "stacking for synergy."

The Classic NR + Resveratrol Stack (And Why Everyone Recommends It)

Every article I read mentioned resveratrol. It's supposed to activate sirtuins, which work better when NAD+ is elevated, which NR provides. Perfect synergy, right?

So in April 2023, I added 500mg of trans-resveratrol from a brand I found on Amazon for like $28. Took both together every morning with coffee.

Week one: nothing different. Week two: I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but my recovery after workouts felt faster? Week four: I actually noticed I was sleeping harder. Not longer—still my usual 7 hours—but deeper.

The weirdest thing? My resting heart rate dropped from like 62 to 58 over two months. I track everything on my Garmin, and I kept checking because it seemed too good to be true.

But here's what the research actually shows, and what I learned the hard way: resveratrol's bioavailability is terrible. Most of it doesn't even get absorbed. The studies showing benefits use micronized resveratrol or take it with fat. I was taking mine with black coffee like an idiot.

Month three on the stack, I switched to taking both with my breakfast (usually eggs and avocado). That's when things actually clicked. Energy was noticeably better by 10 AM, and that lasted through the afternoon.

My protocol that worked: 300mg NR + 500mg micronized trans-resveratrol, taken with a meal containing fat, first thing in the morning. Cost me about $85/month total.

The Methylation Problem Nobody Warns You About

Around month four of the NR + resveratrol stack—this would've been July 2023—I started feeling off. Hard to describe. Brain fog was creeping back, I was getting these weird tension headaches, and my mood was just... flat.

I almost quit everything. Then I read this one forum post from a guy who mentioned TMG—trimethylglycine, also called betaine. Apparently, NR uses up methyl groups when it's metabolized, and if you don't have enough methylation capacity, you feel like crap.

I was skeptical. It sounded like the kind of broscience that sells supplements. But TMG was cheap—like $15 for a month's supply—so I grabbed some bulk powder from BulkSupplements.

Added 500mg to my morning routine. Within a week, the fog lifted. Two weeks, the headaches were gone. A month later, I felt better than I had since starting NR in the first place.

I later found out this is actually backed by research. NR gets converted to NAM (nicotinamide), which gets methylated and excreted. High doses can deplete your methyl donors—especially if you're not getting enough B vitamins or folate. TMG donates methyl groups directly.

Lesson learned: If you're taking NR long-term, especially at higher doses, add TMG. 500mg to 1g daily. It's cheap insurance against feeling like garbage.

Stacking NR With Peptides (The Stuff That Actually Got Interesting)

By September 2023, I was deep into peptides. I'd started experimenting with Semax for focus, and I was curious if there was any interaction with NR.

Turns out, there's not much research on this combo, but the mechanisms made sense to me. NR boosts cellular energy and NAD+-dependent processes. Semax works on BDNF and neurotransmitter regulation. Different pathways, potentially complementary.

I ran Semax (300mcg intranasal) in the morning, about 30 minutes after taking my NR stack. The focus was sharp—sharper than either alone. I was getting through my work sprints without that mental fatigue that usually hit around 11 AM.

I also tried stacking NR with HGH Frag 176-191 when I was cutting fat. Big mistake. Well, not a "mistake" exactly, but I didn't see any synergy. The frag is best taken fasted, and I was taking NR with breakfast. The timing never worked out, and trying to dose them separately was annoying.

What worked: NR stacks well with cognitive peptides like Semax or Cortexin if you time them properly—NR with breakfast, peptides 20-30 minutes after. Don't bother trying to stack with fasted protocols like fat-loss peptides.

The Stuff I Wasted Money On (So You Don't Have To)

Let me save you some cash. Here's what I tried that did absolutely nothing:

NR + Pterostilbene: Pterostilbene is supposed to be "better absorbed" than resveratrol. I spent $52 on a month's supply. Felt zero difference from regular resveratrol. Total waste.

NR + Quercetin: Read somewhere that quercetin is a senolytic and pairs well with NAD+ boosters for "anti-aging." Took 500mg daily for six weeks. Nothing. Bloodwork was identical. I think quercetin needs to be pulsed at way higher doses to do anything, and even then, the evidence is weak.

NR + CoQ10: This one made sense on paper—both involved in cellular energy. Took 200mg CoQ10 (ubiquinol form, the expensive one) for two months. Didn't notice any difference on top of NR alone. Maybe it helped, maybe it didn't. Couldn't tell.

NR + Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Another "mitochondrial support" combo. ALA gave me acid reflux. Stopped after two weeks. Zero synergy I could detect.

Total wasted: probably around $280 over four months. Lesson learned: just because two supplements sound good together doesn't mean they actually stack.

Timing Protocols That Actually Matter

Here's something nobody talks about enough: when you take this stuff matters as much as what you take.

I experimented with different timing for about three months. Tracked everything in a spreadsheet—energy levels, sleep quality, workout performance, even mood on a 1-10 scale. Yeah, I'm that guy.

Morning dosing (7-8 AM with breakfast): This worked best for me. NR + resveratrol + TMG, all together with eggs and toast. Energy peaked around 10 AM and stayed solid until evening. Sleep wasn't affected.

Split dosing (morning + afternoon): I tried 150mg NR in the morning, 150mg around 2 PM. The afternoon dose made me feel slightly wired before bed. Sleep quality dropped. Stopped after a week.

Evening dosing: Took the full stack around 6 PM for two weeks. Bad idea. I was staring at the ceiling at midnight, fully awake. NAD+ affects circadian rhythm, and boosting it at night messed with my sleep.

With vs. without food: NR alone can be taken on an empty stomach, but resveratrol needs fat for absorption. Taking everything with breakfast (which included avocado or eggs) worked way better than fasted dosing.

Best protocol: Single morning dose, 7-8 AM, with a meal containing fat. If you're adding peptides, dose them 20-30 minutes after. Don't overthink it.

My Current Stack (As of December 2024)

After 18 months of testing, here's what I'm still taking:

Total monthly cost: about $95. That's down from the $340 I was spending when I was trying every "synergistic" combo under the sun.

Bloodwork from October 2024 showed NAD+ levels up about 60% from baseline, inflammatory markers down, and subjectively I feel better at 38 than I did at 34.

What the Research Actually Says (And What It Doesn't)

Real talk: most of the "synergy" claims you read online are extrapolations from animal studies or pure speculation.

The NR + resveratrol combo has some human data showing it's safe and well-tolerated, but the studies are small and often funded by supplement companies. The sirtuin activation theory is solid in mice, less proven in humans.

TMG for methylation support makes biochemical sense, and there are studies on betaine supplementation, but not specifically in the context of NR stacking. I'm going off mechanism and personal experience here.

Peptides + NR? Almost zero research. I'm purely in experimental territory.

The best evidence we have is for NR alone raising NAD+ levels in humans. Everything else is educated guessing.

Bottom line: I'm not a medical professional. This is just what worked for me after a lot of trial and error and way too much money spent. Always talk to your doctor before trying any of this, especially if you're on medications.

FAQ: Common Questions About Stacking NR

Should I take NR with NMN for better results?

No. They're both NAD+ precursors that use the same pathways. Taking both is redundant and a waste of money. Pick one. I went with NR because it has more human safety data, but NMN works too.

Can I take NR with my multivitamin?

Yes, and you probably should. B vitamins (especially B3, folate, B12) support the methylation cycle that NR affects. A good multivitamin covers your bases. Just take them at the same time in the morning.

How long does it take to feel the effects of an NR stack?

For me, subtle energy improvements in week 2-3. More noticeable benefits around week 6-8. Bloodwork changes showed up at the 3-month mark. It's not an overnight thing. Give it at least 8-12 weeks before deciding if it's working.

Is it safe to stack NR long-term?

NR has been studied in humans for up to 12 weeks in most trials, with some going longer. I've been on it for 18+ months with regular bloodwork monitoring. Everything looks good for me, but everyone's different. Get baseline labs, retest every 3-6 months, and watch for anything weird.

The Five-Second Moment I Keep Coming Back To

It was a random Tuesday in November 2023. I was in my home office around 3 PM—the time I used to crash hard and reach for my third coffee.

But I wasn't crashing. I was in the middle of a coding sprint, focused, and I suddenly realized I hadn't even thought about caffeine. The brain fog that used to roll in like clockwork just... wasn't there.

That's when it clicked. This wasn't placebo. The stack was actually working.

I once thought supplements were mostly hype—expensive urine, as my old doctor used to say. But now I think some of them, done right, with the right combinations and timing, can actually move the needle. Not in some dramatic, life-changing way. But in those small, everyday moments where you feel like yourself again.

The NR stack didn't turn me into a superhuman. It just gave me back the energy and focus I'd slowly lost in my thirties. And honestly? That's enough.

If you're thinking about stacking NR, start simple. NR + resveratrol + TMG, morning dosing, give it 8-12 weeks. Track how you feel. Get bloodwork. Don't waste money on every "synergistic" combo you read about online.

And if your wife makes fun of you for organizing pills by color? She's probably right. But do it anyway.