Boost Nootropic

Boost Nootropic is our solution for the modern day thinker and doer. Those who need to wake up, get in the zone and perform at their peak. The modern world is wrought with distractions. Smart phones, smart watches, social media, email, constant notifications, our colleagues/peers, meetings. These things are all pulling away our attention at all times. Our ability to focus is the #1 superhuman ability we can all tap into as humans. 

When Bill Gates first met Warren Buffett, their host at dinner, Gates’ mother, asked everyone around the table to identify what they believed was the single most important factor in their success through life. It’s no wonder that Gates and Buffett gave the same one-word answer: “Focus.”

Your ability to focus, think deeply and work on complex problems is the biggest differentiator and advantage you can have in the modern world. This is what separates you from everyone else.

The more you can draw your attention to the task at hand and focus, the more you will learn and the more information you will retain. They say flow follows focus, so immerse yourself deeply into the problem/task at hand and you will see your performance skyrocket. 

Our mission with Boost Nootropic is to give you the brain support to help you tap into your focus. 

We do this by stimulating and supporting motivation neurochemicals like Dopamine, stimulating your central nervous system without causing a massive crash, giving you sustainable caffeine-free energy, helping you modulate and manage your stress so that you stay in your optimal arousal zone, supporting your mitochondria for enhanced cellular energy and more.

Format: Powder

Flavour: BrainBerry (Raspberry Lime)

Purpose: To provide a boost in focus, mood and energy. To help you be productive, remove distractions and get work done throughout the day using sustainable energy without a crash. 

Who should use this product: Corporates, knowledge workers (engineers, scientists, lawyers, etc), gamers/esports, university students, athletes.

Directions of use: Mix 1 scoop with cold water and sip on throughout the day for long-lasting energy and focus. Use as needed.

Boost Ingredients:

• Zynamite (300mg)
• Teacrine (200mg)
• L-Theanine (200mg)
• L-Tyrosine (1.5g)
• Acetyl L Carnitine (1.5g)
• Rhodiolife Rhodiola Rosea (350mg)
• Huperzine A (200mcg)
• Astragin (50mg)

Ingredients Breakdown

Zynamite (300mg)

Breakdown/summary:

Zynamite is a patent-pending Magnifera indica extract (mango leaf extract) standardised to > 60% magniferin. It has been developed by Nektium Pharma.

Zynamite is a relatively new ingredient that has been the subject of 3 pre-clinical and 6 clinical studies. 

Zynamite has been shown to have application in both providing mental energy and increasing physical performance, particularly in fatigued/exhausted subjects.

Mechanisms of action:

1. Increases Long Term Potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus. May lead to enhanced memory/attention.
2. Stimulates Central Nervous System and enhances brain electrical activity
3. Inhibits COMT, enhancing endogenous noradrenergic and dopaminergic signaling
4. Increases ATP production, upregulates mitochondrial oxidative capacity
5. DOES NOT BIND TO ADENOSINE RECEPTORS OR INHIBIT PDE-4 LIKE CAFFEINE!! (No adverse effect at high doses like caffeine)

Nootropic effect:

• Enhanced mental activation and calculation performance
• Reduced stress and fatigue
• Potential increase in memory and attention
• Increased energy and motivation
• Faster reaction time
• Increased physical performance (power output, VO2 max, muscle oxygenation)
• Does not cause dependence or tolerance build up over time

Research:

These are the two most relevant research articles for Zynamite, the rest focus more on the ergogenic or physical performance benefits of Zynamite.

1. Zynamite® (Mangifera indica Leaf Extract) and Caffeine Act in a Synergistic Manner on Electrophysiological Parameters of Rat Central Nervous System (semanticscholar.org)
2. Central nervous system activities of extract Mangifera indica L. — ScienceDirect

In the first study, researchers set out to determine if Zynamite had similar stimulatory effects on the CNS as caffeine. They used two different models within rats for these trials.

It was shown that Zynamite could attenuate the beta-1, alpha-2 and alpha-1 spectral frequencies within the first 1–2 hours of administration. Alpha-2 waves are primarily affected by dopamine. Alpha-1 waves are primarily affected by serotonin. Beta-1 waves are primarily affected by glutamate. These findings show that Zynamite may act on the CNS through activation of dopamine, glutamate and serotonin receptors thus leading to improved memory and increased wakefulness. 

Furthermore, it was shown that Zynamite, either alone or in combination with caffeine resulted in enhanced long term potentiation (LTP), which measures time and space dependent memory. The main conclusion showed Zynamite and caffeine act in a similar way to stimulate the CNS and increasing cognitive function and could thus be a potential replacement for caffeine.

The second study, published in 2020, was conducted to determine if magniferin, the primary constituent inside mango leaf extract is responsible for Zynamite’s effects on the brain. This study consisted of 3 separate studies, one in vitro study and two double blind placebo controlled crossover studies. 

The in-vitro study found that magniferin is a selective antagonist of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). COMT is one enzyme responsible for breaking down catecholamines — including dopamine, norepinephrin and epinephrin. These hormones and neurotransmitters are depleted during intense physical and mental exercise. As magniferin inhibits this enzyme from methylating these neurotransmitters, it can lead to heightened levels and thus better mental and physical performance.

In this study, they found that magniferin had no effect on the same CNS targets as caffeine, including its effect as an adenosine receptor antagonist and PDE-4 inhibitor. This means magniferin could be quite synergystic with caffeine as they target different pathways.

It was also found that mango leaf extract and magniferin produced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus.

In both human trials, it was found that MLE is well tolerated and had no reported cardiovascular side effects. This shows that it does not cause negative effects as seen with high caffeine intake such as increased heart rate, palpitations, sweats or increased blood pressure. 

It was also shown that MLE could modulate brain electrical activity during challenging cognitive tasks, signifcantly increasing reaction time and decreasing self-reported mental fatigue compared to placebo.

Teacrine (200mg)

Breakdown/summary:

Teacrine is a patented compound from Kucha Tea Leaf that supports energy, mental clarity, motivation and mood. It has been developed by our friends over at Compound Solutions in the U.S.

Teacrine is not classified as a typical stimulant, and is being used in sports performance, cognitive performance, general energy and gaming domains.

Teacrine is both stable and and soluble in water, however has a very bitter taste to it. A 40% tasteless version exists to help create a more palatable experience in powdered or drink products.

Teacrine is structurally similar to caffeine and acts on both dopaminergic and adenosinergic pathways. It is able to provide stimulation without irritability or a tolerance build up, unlike caffeine. It also doesn’t impact blood pressure or heart rate like caffeine does.

Caffeine and Teacrine seem to be complimentary. Ingesting Caffeine with Teacrine increased the bioavailibity of Teacrine in humans.

Teacrine also has a half life more than 4x greater than caffeine, so you will feel the focus, mood and energy effects for approximately 4–8 hours versus 1–2 hours for caffeine.

Mechanisms of action:

1. Activates dopamine receptors D1 and D2, supporting dopaminergic signaling
2. Increases activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), associated with reward, task competition and motivation
3. Inhibits adenosine receptors A1 and A2a, which may help decrease perceived feelings of fatigue

Nootropic effect:

• Endurance
• Increased energy without jitters, irritability or habituation
• Increase in motivation to accomplish tasks
• Increase in mental energy
• Decrease in fatigue

Research:

1. Safety of TeaCrine®, a non-habituating, naturally-occurring purine alkaloid over eight weeks of continuous use (nih.gov)
2. The effects of TeaCrine® and caffeine on endurance and cognitive performance during a simulated match in high-level soccer players | Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
3. The effects of Teacrine TM , a nature-identical purine alkaloid, on subjective measures of cognitive function, psychometric and hemodynamic indices in healthy humans: a randomized, double-blinded crossover pilot trial | SpringerLink

The first study looked at 60 healthy men and women that consumed up to 300mg/day of Teacrine for 8 weeks. They found it did not cause any habituation (tolerance) or negative responses that is typical of other neuroactive agents such as caffeine and other stimulants.

The second study looked at 24 male and female participants during a 90 minute simulated treadmill soccer match over four randomised sessions. These session included Teacrine (275mg), caffeine (275mg), Teacrine (125mg)+ caffeine (150mg) or placebo groups. The researchers wanted to test the effects of Teacrine and Caffeine on cognitive performance and time-to-exhaustion. The study showed there was a 27–38% improvement in TTE which reflects increased performance capacity. Choice Reaction Time also increased in caffeine and Teacrine + caffeine groups compared to placebo. These results suggest that Teacrine favourably impacts endurance and the combination with caffeine provides greater benefits on cognitive function than either supplement independently.

Study 3 is a randomised, double blind, crossover design with 15 healthy subjects that ingested 200mg of Teacrine or placebo. Questionnaires were used to detect change in various aspects of physical and mental energy and performance. A subset of 6 subjects underwent a seaprate 7-day, open label, repeated dose comparing 100mg, 200mg and 400mg of Teacrine.

The 200mg of Teacrine caused significant improvements in energy (+8.6% Teacrine vs -5.7% Placebo) and reductions in fatigue (-6.7% Teacrine vs +5.8% placebo). A trend for improved concentration was also noted. 

The N=6 cohort study showed moderate to large effect sizes with the 200mg dose of Teacrine over a 7-day period for the following subjective measures: energy, fatigue, concentration, anxiety, motivation to exercise and libido (See graph below).

Teacrine looks like a very promising stimulant-like compound for supporting focus, mood and energy. It works well by itself but also synergistically with caffeine to exert maximal effects.

We are excited to see further research with higher participant numbers to further verify the efficacy of this unique compound.

L-Theanine (200mg)

Breakdown/summary:

L-Theanine is a non essential and non-protein amino acid, commonly found in small quantities within green tea, black tea and some mushroom species.

When extracted from these sources and taken at higher doses (typically 100–400mg), there seem to be very unique and promising therapeutic properties for this compound.

It has a similar chemical structure to glutamine, and both neurotransmitters that are produced from it, GABA and glutamate.

L-Theanine is mostly taken for its ability to promote a relaxation feeling, and help calm down your nervous system. It is also commonly used with coffee or caffeine to reduce the negative side effects that can often occur, such as sweating, jitters or anxiety.

L-Theanine is thought to provide a relaxing effect without sedation.

Nootropic Effect

L-Theanine is able to support the following effects:

1. Lower stress and anxiety
2. Increase sense of calm and wellbeing
3. Reduce blood pressure and heart rate
4. Reduce time to fall asleep
5. Increase quality of sleep
6. May increase focus and attention when paired with caffeine

Mechanisms of Action

1. Binds to glutamate receptors (glutamate receptor antagonist) thus inhibiting its excitatory characteristics
2. Increasing GABA and potentially serotonin/dopamine
3. Increases alpha brain wave frequencies
4. NMDA receptor antagonist 
5. May increase BDNF and NGF levels in the brain

Research

1. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-theanine both alone and in combination on cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood (nih.gov)
2. Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial (nih.gov)
3. L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state — PubMed (nih.gov)

Study 1 is a double blind, placebo controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-Theanine on cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood. 12 habitual and 12 non-habitual consumers of caffeine each received 75mg caffeine, 50mg L-theanine, 75mg caffeine plus 50mg L-Theanine, and placebo in a counterbalanced order across four separate visits. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured via near-infrared spectroscopy with cognition and mood assessed at baseline and 30 minutes post-dose. This study found that the combination of L-Theanine with caffeine, eliminated the vasoconstrictive and behavioural effects of caffeine.

Study 2 examined the effects of 4 weeks of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive function in healthy adults. 30 individuals took either 200mg of L-Theanine or placebo each day. Stress related symptoms and scores all decreased after L-Theanine administration. Scores for sleep latency, sleep disturbance and use of sleep medication all reduced after L-Theanine administration. For cognitive function, verbal fluency and executive function scores all increased after administration.

Study 3 looked at electrical brain activity using EEG technology after ingestion of L-Theanine. A total of 35 healthy, young participants consumed 50mg L-Theanine or placebo. They were resting with their eyes closed during this period. EEG recordings were taken at baseline and 45, 60, 75, 90 and 105 minutes after ingestion. There was a statistically significant increase in alpha brain wave activity in the L-theanine group as compared to placebo. This was also replicated in another study, showing that L-Theanine, at realistic dietary levels can have a significant impact on mental alertness and arousal. 

L-Tyrosine (1500mg)

Breakdown/summary:

L-Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that is required to be taken in from the diet or from supplementation. It is used to produce catecholamines such as noradrenaline and dopamine. Increasing L-Tyrosine in the body will not simply outright increase levels of noradrenaline and dopamine, as this is a tightly regulated process in the body. It does however provide the building blocks to create these when needed.

Here is a basic understanding of the pathways involved in catecholamine synthesis. L-Tyrosine converts into L-Dopa via the enzyme Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH). TH is the rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine, which means it is the slowest step and most tightly controlled. L-Dopa then converts into Dopamine, which can then convert into Norepinephrine.

L-Tyrosine appears to be able to reduce stress during exposure to acute stressors (which tend to deplete noradrenaline) such as cold exposure, hypoxia and sleep deprivation and may help prevent stress-induced memory and attention deficits.

Nootropic Effect

• May increase mood, motivation and drive
• Acts as a buffer to acute stressors (cold, sleep deprivation etc.)

Mechanisms of Action

1. Precursor to catecholamines such as Dopamine and Norepinephrine

Research

1. Tyrosine supplementation mitigates working memory decrements during cold exposure — PubMed (nih.gov)

2. The effects of tyrosine on cognitive performance during extended wakefulness — PubMed (nih.gov)

3. Effects of tyrosine, phentermine, caffeine D-amphetamine, and placebo on cognitive and motor performance deficits during sleep deprivation — PubMed (nih.gov)

4. Tyrosine and its potential use as a countermeasure to performance decrement in military sustained operations — PubMed (nih.gov)

5. Treatment with tyrosine, a neurotransmitter precursor, reduces environmental stress in humans — PubMed (nih.gov)

 

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (1500mg)

Breakdown/summary:

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)is an acetylated form of L-Carnitine. It is produced within the body but can also be taken as a dietary supplement. The acetylated form of L-Carnitine is able to cross the Blood-brain barrier more efficiently and thus is used in many nootropic formulations.

L-Carnitine is best known for it its involvement in shuttling fatty acids into the mitochondria within cells to generate energy. 

ALCAR however, has this same effect, but can also enter the brain to protect cells from oxidative stress, support acetylcholine levels and more.

Anecdotally, ALCAR is seen in supplements at a range of 500mg-2g. A dosage higher than this has been known to give your body odour a “fishy smell” due to a chemical reaction that occurs. 

Nootropic Effect

1. Protect brain cells
2. Increased energy production
3. May aid in depression 
4. May aid in neurodegenerative diseases

Mechanisms of Action

1. Shuttles fatty acids into mitochondria within cells
2. Increases acetylcholine neurotransmitter levels 

Research

1. Functional proteomics of synaptic plasma membrane ATP-ases of rat hippocampus: effect of l-acetylcarnitine and relationships with Dementia and Depression pathophysiology — PubMed (nih.gov)
2. Long-term acetyl-L-carnitine treatment in Alzheimer’s disease — PubMed (nih.gov)
3. Neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells stimulated by acetyl-L-carnitine arginine amide — PubMed (nih.gov)
4. Acetyl-L-Carnitine Supplementation and the Treatment of Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — PubMed (nih.gov)
5. Meta-analysis of double blind randomized controlled clinical trials of acetyl-L-carnitine versus placebo in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease — PubMed (nih.gov)
6. L-Carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine roles and neuroprotection in developing brain (nih.gov)
7. Chronic acetyl-L-carnitine alters brain energy metabolism and increases noradrenaline and serotonin content in healthy mice — PubMed (nih.gov)

Rhodiola Rosea (350mg)

Breakdown/summary

Rhodiola Rosea is a perennial flowering plant that grows naturally in wild arctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America.

Traditionally, it is seen as an “Adaptogen” which is a herb or compound that can help increase resistance to stress.

The main constituents in Rhodiola which are thought to provide its beneficial effects are Rosavin and Salidroside.

You can find a variety of different trademarked/patented extracts of Rhodiola Rosea, such as Rhodiolife, RhodioPrime, SHR-5 and more. Different extracts have different % standardisations of the two key constituents which means they may exert slightly different effects.

Rhodiola is primarily used for its ability to reduce stress/anxiety, reduce fatigue from physical performance, improve mood and may even have a neuroprotective and longevity affect. 

Rhodiola is known to be a very mild Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAO), which means it can inhibit enzymes with breakdown serotonin and dopamine in the brain, thus leading to elevated levels of these neurotransmitters.

Usage of Rhodiola starts as low as 50mg a day, but is often used in the range of 288–680mg per day as this is what most clinical studies are based off.

Nootropic effect

1. Can reduce stress and anxiety
2. Can reduce physical fatigue
3. Promote longevity
4. May aid in depressive symptoms
5. May aid in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s

Mechanisms of action

1. Acts as a MAO inhibitor and thus may affect serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine
2. Modulation of stress response and cortisol
3. May help modulate oxidative stress and cellular health

Research

1. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue — a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty — PubMed (nih.gov)
2. Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression — PubMed (nih.gov)
3. Rhodiola rosea L.: an herb with anti-stress, anti-aging, and immunostimulating properties for cancer chemoprevention (nih.gov)

Huperzine A (200mcg)

Breakdown/Summary

Huperzine A is a naturally occuring compound found in the firmoss Huperzia Serrata.

Huperzine primarily acts as an acetylcholine-esterase inhibitor, which means it inhibits the enzyme that breakdowns Acetylcholine (primary memory/learning neurotransmitter) in the brain, thus leading to potentially elevated levels of Acetylcholine.

It also acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist, which makes it harder for Glutamate (another excitatory neurotransmitter) to bind to these receptors, which may have implications in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. This is because Alzheimer’s disease causes cells to make too much glutamate. 

Huperzine A is commonly stacked in nootropic formulations with other choline donors such as Alpha-GPC or CDP Choline in order to help elevate brain levels of acetylcholine, leading to improved memory and focus.

There is some potential for Huperzine A to support cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases due to its mechanisms, and this is under constant investigation and scientific research.

Huperzine A is commonly ingested at a dose of 50 mcg to 200mcg a day.

Nootropic effect

1. May improve focus
2. May improve memory
3. May support cognitive decline and improve cognitive function in those suffering from neurodegenerative disease

Mechanism of Action

1. Acts as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (increases concentration of acetylcholine)
2. Acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist

Research

1. Huperzine A: Is it an Effective Disease-Modifying Drug for Alzheimer’s Disease? (nih.gov)
2. Pharmacokinetics of huperzine A following oral administration to human volunteers — PubMed (nih.gov)
3. Huperzine A, a potential therapeutic agent for dementia, reduces neuronal cell death caused by glutamate — PubMed (nih.gov)
4. Progress in studies of huperzine A, a natural cholinesterase inhibitor from Chinese herbal medicine — PubMed (nih.gov)
5. Huperzine A for Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials — PubMed (nih.gov)
6. Huperzine-A capsules enhance memory and learning performance in 34 pairs of matched adolescent students — PubMed (nih.gov)

Astragin (50mg)

(See above)