A critical component of athletic performance is mental: staying focused under fatigue, making quick decisions, pushing past the part of your brain that wants to quit before your body actually has to. This is where nootropics come in.
(BTW, timing matters: tuck your pouch 30 to 90 minutes before training)
First, NAD+ supports the energy production that powers both your brain and your muscles.
Paraxanthine has been shown to reduce mental fatigue during a 10-kilometer run, beating caffeine on some measures, and in animal studies it has improved muscle endurance (the human strength data is still early). Paraxanthine also powers the brain’s “perceived effort” signal, so a hard set or a hard mile feels a little less hard.
Alpha GPC has a small but interesting human dataset for the gym. In a 2008 trial of resistance-trained men, a single dose taken 90 minutes before squats raised bench press force by 14 percent and triggered a much bigger growth hormone response after exercise. Other small studies have found improved vertical jump power.
Meanwhile, B6 and B12 work behind the scenes, supporting neurotransmitter production and the nerve insulation that allows your brain to send signals to your muscles quickly.
So yeah, tuck a pouch and get after it.