Alpha-GPC: The Executive's Edge (300-600mg)

Alpha-GPC crosses the blood-brain barrier and directly increases acetylcholine—the neurotransmitter that controls focus, learning, and memory.

Studies show 600mg improves cognitive function by 20% and increases power output by 14%. The practical result: sharper decision-making, faster processing, and the ability to actually focus on complex tasks.

How to use it: 300-600mg before demanding work. Not daily—3-5 times weekly to avoid tolerance. Take with 600mg garlic extract to offset potential TMAO elevation.

Who's using this: Investment bankers before presentations. Surgeons before procedures. Anyone who needs their brain to actually work when it matters.

When you're under pressure, your brain burns through dopamine and norepinephrine rapidly. L-Tyrosine provides the raw materials to replenish them.

Military research proves it: L-Tyrosine prevents cognitive decline during sleep deprivation and extreme stress. You'll maintain mental performance when everyone else is having their third meltdown of the day.

The protocol: 500-1000mg on empty stomach before high-pressure situations. Limit to once weekly—overuse leads to crashes that make Monday mornings look pleasant.

Reality check: You'll feel this work within 30-60 minutes. You'll also feel it wear off after 3-4 hours. Plan accordingly.

500mg Phenylethylamine (PEA) combined with 300mg Alpha-GPC creates 30-45 minutes of focus so intense, some users compare it to prescription stimulants.

PEA is structurally similar to amphetamine—yes, that amphetamine—but legal and available on Amazon. Combine it with Alpha-GPC and you get the kind of mental clarity that makes complex problems suddenly seem simple.

Protocol: Take 10-20 minutes before critical tasks. That presentation you've been dreading. The spreadsheet from hell. The email to your boss's boss.

Warning: Don't exceed 500mg PEA. Don't use daily. And definitely don't combine it with your Adderall prescription unless you want to see sounds.

Still drinking coffee by itself? You're getting the energy but missing the focus.

Caffeine gives you energy but often scattered, anxious energy. L-theanine takes that wired feeling and channels it into calm, directed focus. It's like having a funnel for your mental energy instead of just flooring it in random directions.

The modern approach is 200mg L-theanine with 100mg caffeine. L-theanine promotes alpha brain waves—the same state you're in during flow states. Combined with caffeine, you get alertness without the jittery aftermath.

Research shows this combination outperforms either compound alone for accuracy, reaction time, and sustained attention.

Best practice: Take together in the morning or early afternoon. Effects last 4-6 hours without the crash.

Lion's Mane has been proven to stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF), essentially telling your brain to build new neural connections.

Clinical studies show cognitive improvements begin around week 4, with significant enhancement by week 8. The effects: better memory recall, clearer thinking, and the ability to remember why you walked into a room.

The protocol: 1000mg daily with food. This is a long game—consistency matters more than timing.

Your brain is 60% fat. Feed it garbage fats and it performs like garbage.

EPA specifically reduces neuroinflammation—the hidden cause of that afternoon brain fog. Studies show 2g EPA daily can match antidepressants for mood improvement, except instead of killing your sex drive, it improves your cognitive function.

Dosing: 2-3g EPA, minimum 500mg DHA. Take with meals. And buy quality—rancid fish oil is worse than no fish oil.

Everyone thinks creatine is for gym bros. Wrong. Your brain uses 20% of your body's total energy, and creatine helps produce ATP—literal cellular fuel.

Research shows 5g daily improves memory, processing speed, and reduces mental fatigue. Vegetarians often see dramatic improvements because they've been running on empty.

Simple protocol: 5g daily, timing doesn't matter. Just take it every day or it's useless.

I know what you're thinking. "Nicotine? Really?"

Yes, really. Not cigarettes—that's for people who enjoy cancer. We're talking pharmaceutical nicotine in gum, patch, or lozenge form.

Nicotine is one of the most potent cognitive enhancers available. Research shows improvements in attention, working memory, and reaction time that rival prescription stimulants.

Protocol: 1-2mg for 2-3 hours of enhanced focus. Maximum twice weekly or you'll be that guy buying nicotine gum at 2 AM pretending it's for "a friend."

The truth: Half of Silicon Valley is quietly using this. The other half is lying about it.

Prescription only. Modafinil doesn't make you high. It doesn't make you speedy. It makes you incapable of feeling tired for 12 hours. It's like someone deleted the fatigue option from your brain's menu.

Originally developed for narcolepsy, it's now the worst-kept secret in high-stakes professions.

Medical reality: Requires prescription. Using it daily is how you forget what normal consciousness feels like. Save it for when failure isn't an option.

Methylene blue enhances mitochondrial function, increasing cellular energy production in the brain. Yes, the same stuff used to treat fish diseases. Science is weird.

At microdoses (0.5-1mg), research shows improvements in memory consolidation and neuroprotection. The price of admission? Your tongue turns blue for 3 hours and your pee looks like Gatorade.

Start with: 0.5mg—some people are highly sensitive. Don't be the hero who takes 5mg and spends the day feeling like they're downloading the Matrix.