Nootropics have gained in popularity recently as cognitive supplements. Let’s be honest, how many times were your muscles fully functional but you just didn’t have the mental energy to go to the gym? This is where the best nootropics for bodybuilding can help.
The best nootropics for bodybuilding are lion’s mane, bacopa, alpha gpc, citicoline, uridine, huperzine A, and taurine. Below we’ll discuss how they work and why they are the best. Also, they are all included in their purest and most bioavailable form in Maximum Mind.
When you’re a bodybuilder, you might become trapped in a rut both physically and emotionally. When a lack of concentration and focus sets in, it is impossible to reach optimal training performance. Sometimes the body is ready, but the mind isn’t. For this, there’s a solution that doesn’t rely on stimulants like caffeine that reduce blood flow. You don’t want to risk impairing the “pump” do you?
“Success Is Something You Attract by the Person You Become.”
— Jim Rohn
What Are Nootropics?
“The only difference between the master and the novice is that the master has failed more times than the novice has tried.”
― Stephen McCranie
First things first, what are nootropics? Corneliu Giurgea, a Romanian neuroscientist, coined the term nootropic (pronounced new-tropic) in 1972. He believed that smart drugs should be invented and made widely available for the purpose of enhancing the general population’s brain health and increasing human intelligence.
According to Dr Giurgea’s findings, nootropics enhance cognition, memory, alertness, concentration, creativity, and attention. They became known as cognitive enhancers, substances that amplify the way the brain’s many cognitive functions operate and how we process information.
Simply put, cognitive enhancers (or nootropics or smart drugs) are prescription or off-the-counter drugs or supplements that enhance cognition. Some nootropics contribute to brain health while others can be quite dangerous.
Since Marco’s Grounds only works with safe and natural compounds in their purest forms, for most of our discussions we will restrain ourselves to natural nootropics that increase cognition safely.
How Can the Best Nootropics for Bodybuilding Help You Perform Better?
“Invest in your dreams. Grind now. Shine later.”
– Unknown
Bodybuilding is cerebral as well as a physical sport. If you workout and your body is in top form, but your mind isn’t, it’ll all be for nought. Bodybuilders must psychologically drive themselves to overcome the most challenging exercises, whether professional or recreational.
The best nootropics for bodybuilders, which are available in Maximum Mind, can aid in improving a variety of mental elements of training performance, including the following.
Focus
Bodybuilders require razor-sharp attention in order to perform as many reps as feasible. They, like most individuals, are preoccupied with a variety of difficulties, including career worries, family duties, and other responsibilities. These are continuously competing for their attention.
When bodybuilders go to the gym, they must put things aside and focus only on their training program. They return to reality after finishing their last exercise and leaving the premises. It’s a mental war they must win on a regular basis.
You must use your mental capabilities daily during your workout program. If you do this, you will reach your fitness objectives, whether they be to gain muscle mass, lose fat, or both.
Mind Over Matter
Perhaps you’ve heard the expression “mind over matter.” To put it simply, your mind can help you achieve your goals even when the odds are stacked against you. Bodybuilding is an excellent example.
Assume you need to do a few more reps, but your mental motor is faltering. You know your body can handle it. Your intellect, on the other hand, is starting to fail you.
The best nootropics for bodybuilding can assist your mind in providing your body with that one critical push that makes all the difference.
After all, the last repetition, the repetition you want to do the least is also the critical one.
Some nootropics help to modulate brain chemicals that control one’s inner drive. Acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and gamma-aminobutyric are among those neurotransmitters.
Intensity and Motivation
Bodybuilding is a demanding sport. In fact, it’s one of the most difficult – just ask Arnold Schwarzenegger or Ronnie Coleman. Each time you lift weights in the gym, you must perform at your best. Bodybuilding is not for the sluggish.
This is when the intensity comes into play. Your trainer will create a proper program for you to follow in order to reach your fitness objectives. This is not a simple process. Expect your workout regimen to get more intense. To put it another way, if you want to succeed in the gym, you must be intense and motivated. Nootropics can aid you with this. The best natural nootropics which abet the drive and vigor you need for bodybuilding, are contained in Maximum Mind.
For instance, nootropics can aid in motivation enhancement in two ways:
Increasing Catecholamine Activity
Nootropic supplementation aids in the regulation of the catecholamine neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. A study published in Certainty and Controversy found that increased concentrations of these excitatory transmitters improve your motivation for exercise and daily activities [1].
Boosting Energy Levels
Nootropics that increase mental energy aid in the prevention of exhaustion and burnout. As a consequence, you raise the intensity of your workouts, resulting in improved overall outcomes.
Stress Management
Stress affects bodybuilders as well. As a matter of fact, a strenuous workout may take a toll on both body and mind. These athletes frequently face two types of stress:
Cortisol
This is the feared stress hormone that can have a detrimental effect on training results. A study published in Nova Science Publishers asserted that increased levels could stymie muscular growth [2]. If you want to gain significant muscle mass, you must control your cortisol levels.
Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress arises when free radicals exceed the number of antioxidants. As a result, damage caused by free radicals occurs. Researchers in Molecular Aspects of Medicine found that oxidative stress has been linked to severe health problems [3].
Adaptogens (herbal compounds that help regulate hormones and keep stress levels in control) and nootropics can assist bodybuilders in mitigating the effects of elevated cortisol and oxidative stress.
Maximum Mind Ingredient Analysis
“Life shrinks and expands on the proportion of your willingness to take risks and try new things.”
— Gary Vaynerchuk
Organic Lion’s Mane Mushroom Extract
If you’ve ever gone through a forest and saw a cluster of shaggy white hair clinging to the trunk of a tree, you’ve probably encountered a lion’s mane mushroom. The Lion’s Mane (Hericium Erinaceus) is a rare edible fungus indigenous to North America, Northern Europe, and Asia.
Its white long dangling spines are unlike any other species of fungus, resembling a (huge surprise here) “lion’s mane,” hence the name.
The Lion’s Mane fungus is known to grow high on a variety of tree species, both live and dead, so look skyward if you’re ever on the lookout for this unusual mushroom. The usage of this fungus has grown in popularity in the Western world for culinary and medical applications, most notably for the cognitive advantages of lion’s mane.
One of the benefits of lion’s mane is that it increases energy, a useful perk every bodybuilder needs. As we age, our energy levels tend to decline significantly. It might be rather difficult to think clearly when you are fatigued. Fortunately, lion’s mane displays anti-fatigue characteristics, aids in physical energy enhancement, and does not cause the jitters or crashes associated with caffeinated beverages.
Another advantage of lion’s mane is that it is high in antioxidants, which aid the body in producing energy.
Antioxidant supplements can help reduce muscular fatigue, particularly during exercise, muscle recovery time, and the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body.
These properties make lion’s mane one of the best nootropics for bodybuilding.
Note: there’s an effective dose of organic lion’s mane full-spectrum fruiting body at 40% minimum beta-glucans, in each dose of Maximum Mind.
Read more about lion’s mane on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or find more about the benefits of lion’s mane here.
Organic Bacopa Monnieri Leaf Extract
Bacopa Monnieri, also called Brahmi, water hyssop, thyme-leaved Gratiola, or herb of grace, is a popular Ayurvedic plant.
It thrives in wet, tropical circumstances and is famous for aquarium usage owing to its ability to grow underwater, according to research published in Alternative and Complementary Medicine [4].
According to research published in Phytomedicine, bacopa monnieri has been used by Ayurvedic physicians for millennia for a variety of reasons, including memory improvement, anxiety reduction, and epilepsy therapy [5].
Indeed, there is evidence that it may enhance brain function and alleviate anxiety and stress.
These benefits are linked to a class of powerful compounds present in bacopa monnieri called bacosides.
The following are four newly discovered advantages of bacopa monnieri:
- It has a high concentration of antioxidants.
- Reduces stress
- Reduces free radiacal damage [6]
- Lowers cortisol
Read more on bacopa on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or find out more about the benefits of bacopa here.
Alpha GPC
Alpha Glycerophosphocholine (also known as alpha GPC) is a choline-containing supplement present in a wide range of foods that are also high in choline but appear to be active at larger dosages in terms of pharmacological activity.
Alpha GPC is primarily sold because it is one of the most efficient choline prodrugs for delivering dietary choline to the body after oral consumption (able to influence both systemic and brain concentrations of choline). Choline prodrugs like alpha GPC appear to assist the construction of cell membranes in a way that isn’t typical of this class of drugs (only CDP choline is associated with lipid membranes in this sense).
Further, studies have shown that besides boosting focus and mental power, alpha GPC also increase muscle strength in athletes [7].
For this reason, alpha GPC is one of the best nootropics for bodybuilding and muscle mass.
Note: there’s an effective dose of alpha GPC at 99% purity in each dose of Maximum Mind.
Read more about alpha GPC on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or dig deeper into the benefits of alpha GPC here.
Citicoline as Cognizin®
Citicoline is a naturally occurring compound necessary for life itself that is a modified version of choline. It has a role in the synthesis of two critical components of neurological function:
- Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a phospholipid that assists in the formation and repair of new brain cells.
- Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter that stimulates the cholinergic system, a system involved in memory, learning, and recall.
Citicoline enhances mental energy in terms of nootropic bodybuilding advantages.
This is a critical benefit because this sport may deplete not only your physical but also your mental capacity. Consistently lifting large weights in the gym might take a toll on your mental energies. Citicoline supplementation helps to compensate for this.
Let’s be honest, how many times were your muscles fully functional but you just didn’t have the mental energy to go to the gym? This is where citicoline is king.
Additionally, citicoline boosts a bodybuilder’s mental energy without the terrible stimulant crash.
Note: there’s an effective dose of citicoline as Cognizin® in each dose of Maximum Mind.
Read more about citicoline on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive and about the benefits of citicoline for brain power here.
Uridine
The liver synthesizes dietary uridine, which is discharged in the blood as uridine monophosphate.
Numerous foods are fortified with dietary uridine. However, because the bulk of uridine consumed through food is absorbed during the digestive process, supplementation may be necessary to obtain many of its remarkable effects and benefits—particularly those connected to cognition.
Uridine supplementation has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier easily. In the brain, uridine is converted to CDP choline. From CDP, choline, phosphatidylcholine, and acetylcholine are subsequently produced.
The more uridine in the brain, the more CDP choline is generated, effectively protecting and reinforcing nascent synapses. Uridine also plays a role in the development of new synapses by encouraging the growth of projections or branches of brain cells termed neurites, which are crucial for neural communication.
In Neuroscience studies, supplementing uridine dramatically increased the number of neurites per cell and neurite branching [8]. Increased neurite outgrowth and branching are strongly associated with improved cognition.
According to a published paper in Nutrition reviews, uridine’s combined actions promote and enhance neuroplasticity, or the brain’s potential to reconstruct and alter in response to learning and brain training [9].
This can be greatly beneficial for bodybuilders as the more neurons and brain connections, the more mental energy available for pushing weights hard in the gym. Hence, why uridine is one of the best nootropics for bodybuilding.
Note: there’s an effective dose of uridine at 99% purity in each dose of Maximum Mind.
Read more about uridine on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or dig deeper into the benefits of uridine here.
Taurine
Taurine may potentially provide sports performance advantages.
Taurine boosted the capacity of muscles to contract and create force in animal tests by causing them to work harder and for longer periods of time. According to research found in Applied Physiology, It decreased tiredness and muscular damage in mice during exercise [10].
Taurine has been found in human tests to eliminate waste products that contribute to fatigue and muscle burn. Additionally, it safeguards muscles from cell damage and oxidative stress.
Human studies in Amino Acids show that taurine supplementation improves exercise performance in trained athletes. Cyclists and runners have increased their endurance by covering greater distances with less exhaustion [11].
Another research in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism confirms the importance of this amino acid in preventing muscle injury. Participants who were subjected to a muscle-damaging weightlifting exercise showed fewer signs of injury and reported less muscular discomfort [12].
Along with these performance benefits, taurine may help you lose weight by boosting your body’s reliance on fat for fuel. Supplementing cyclists with 1.66 grams of taurine boosted fat burning by 16%.
You may find taurine in many meals, and it’s commonly added to energy drinks.
When it comes to supplements, many individuals rely on the “miracle molecule” that is taurine.
A number of health advantages of taurine have been demonstrated, including a decreased risk of illness and better athletic performance. No documented negative effects are associated with appropriate dosages of this supplement.
For all these reasons, taurine is one of the best nootropics for bodybuilders.
Note: there’s an effective dose of taurine in its free form at 99% purity in each dose of Maximum Mind.
Read more about taurine on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or dig deeper into the benefits of taurine here.
Organic Huperzia Serrata Leaf Extract
Extracts from a plant called Chinese club moss or Huperzia Serrata contain huperzine A. Huperzine is an ingredient in dietary supplements or in prescription drugs when used to treat a disease. It is frequently used against Alzheimer’s.
According to a study in New Drugs and Clinical Remedies, delivering huperzine A intramuscularly for ten days may reduce muscle weakness in people with myasthenia gravis and may have comparable or longer-lasting benefits to intramuscular neostigmine [13].
As an anticholinesterase agent, huperzine A has been demonstrated to be in increasing memory and attention through acetylcholine (a chemical essential to learning and memory).
Additionally, huperzine A has been shown in certain studies to improve learning and memory and protect against cognitive loss as we get older.
For these reasons, huperzine A is one of the best nootropics for bodybuilding.
Note: there’s an effective dose of huperzine A at 50% purity in each dose of Maximum Mind.
Read more about huperzine A on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or read more about the benefits of huperzine A here.
L-Theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in green tea. For thousands of years, monks have consumed this component in the belief that it aids in mind relaxation.
L-theanine aids in the promotion of wakeful relaxation, which is good for surpassing physical limitations in bodybuilding. It acts by boosting alpha waves and neurotransmitters, resulting in a soothing effect without impairing mental ability.
L-theanine may also aid bodybuilders post-workout. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition research, “post-workout administration with 50 mg of l-theanine promotes mental regeneration following physical activity. [14]”
Strenuous exercises, such as bodybuilding, might have a detrimental effect on your mental abilities, thus preventing you from working fully or pushing as hard next time at the gym. As it turns out, L-theanine can assist in revving up your brain engine prior to, during, and after a strenuous workout at the gym.
This is why L-theanine is one of the best nootropics for bodybuilding.
Note: there’s an effective dose of L-theanine from organic green tea leaf extract in each dose of Maximum Mind.
Read more about L-theanine on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or find out the best caffeine and L-theanine combination here.
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine
N-acetyl L-tyrosine (or simply NALT) is an amino acid that serves as a precursor for synthesizing the neurotransmitters dopamine, adrenaline, and norepinephrine.
NALT assists in compensating for the effects of low cortisol levels caused by severe bodybuilding exercise. It aids in the brain’s defence against stress chemicals. Additionally, it aids in replenishing depleted neurotransmitter levels caused by prolonged stress.
When your mind begins to feel fatigued, NALT will assist in reviving it — this component has a reputation for enhancing mental performance and alertness, both of which may benefit you at the gym.
In other words, if you’re a hard-training bodybuilder, NALT can help you perform better cognitively during your workouts. Indeed, several researchers in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggest that it aids in the improvement of exercise tolerance and the prevention of weariness [15].
For this reason, L-tyrosine is one of the best nootropics for bodybuilding.
Note: there’s an effective dose of L-tyrosine as N-acetyl L-tyrosine in in each dose of Maximum Mind.
Read more about tyrosine on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or dig deeper into the benefits of tyrosine here.
Conclusion on the Best Nootropics for Bodybuilding
“Action is the real measure of intelligence.”
— Napoleon Hill
A bodybuilder’s mental toughness is crucial to completing even their most exhausting exercises. These hard-training athletes can benefit from nootropics by improving their cognitive function and hence their long-term performance.
Maximizing your anabolic hormones (testosterone, IGF-1, and growth hormone) is critical for muscle and strength development. Without adequate quantities of these muscle-building hormones, you will never reach your full size and strength potential.
Now, some lifters may resort to less “natural” methods of increasing their hormone levels, which frequently result in horrific side effects like gynecomastia (“man boobs”) and liver damage. Rather than immediately diving into the realm of synthetic anabolics, why not experiment with the best nootropics for bodybuilding as well as some natural testosterone boosters, such as ashwagandha, also present in Maximum Mind.
Bodybuilders of all levels may benefit from Maximum Mind since it contains the best nootropics for bodybuilding. Maximum Mind boosts vitality, concentration, stress resistance, and motivation—all of which have a direct influence on the quality of your workouts.
Maximum Mind is renowned for bridging the divide between your objectives and attention, assisting you in devoting yourself to a task, and ensuring that no impediment stands in your way.
Literature
- Kilyk, Emma. Dopamine and Motivation. SiOWfa15: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy. 2015 September 15.
- Vale, Rodrigo et al. Cortisol and Physical Exercise. Cortisol: Physiology, Regulation, and Health Implications. 2012 June (New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.): 129-138
- Hybertson, Brooks M. et al. Oxidative Stress in Health and Disease: The Therapeutic Potential of Nrf2 Activation. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 2011 August-December (32:4-6): 234-246.
- Calabrese, C., Gregory, W. L., Leo, M., Kraemer, D., Bone, K., & Oken, B. (2008). Effects of a Standardized Bacopa Monnieri Extract on Cognitive Performance, Anxiety, and Depression in the Elderly: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(6), 707–713.
- Russo, A., & Borrelli, F. (2005). Bacopa Monniera, a reputed nootropic plant: an overview. Phytomedicine, 12(4), 305–317.Khansari, N., Shakiba, Y., & Mahmoudi, M. (2009). Chronic Inflammation and Oxidative Stress as a Major Cause of Age-Related Diseases and Cancer. Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery, 3(1), 73–80.
- Hunter, P. (2012). The inflammation theory of disease. EMBO Reports, 13(11), 968–970.
- Ziegenfuss, T., Landis, J., Hofheins, J. (2008). Acute supplementation with Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine augments growth hormone response to and peak force production during resistance exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 5(Suppl 1): P15.
- Pooler, A. M., Guez, D. H., Benedictus, R., & Wurtman, R. J. (2005). Uridine enhances neurite outgrowth in nerve growth factor-differentiated pheochromocytoma cells. Neuroscience, 134(1), 207-214.
- Wurtman, R. J., Cansev, M., Sakamoto, T., & Ulus, I. (2010). Nutritional modifiers of aging brain function: use of uridine and other phosphatide precursors to increase the formation of brain synapses. Nutrition reviews, 68(suppl_2), S88-S101.
- Goodman, C. A., Horvath, D., Stathis, C., Mori, T., Croft, K., Murphy, R. M., & Hayes, A. (2009). Taurine supplementation increases skeletal muscle force production and protects muscle function during and after high-frequency in vitro stimulation. Journal of Applied Physiology, 107(1), 144–154.
- Balshaw TG, Bampouras TM, Barry TJ, Sparks SA. The effect of acute taurine ingestion on 3-km running performance in trained middle-distance runners. Amino Acids. 2013 Feb;44(2):555-61. Epub 2012 Aug 2. PMID: 22855206.
- da Silva, L. A., Tromm, C. B., Bom, K. F., Mariano, I., Pozzi, B., da Rosa, G. L., Tuon, T., da Luz, G., Vuolo, F., Petronilho, F., Cassiano, W., de Souza, C. T., & Pinho, R. A. (2014). Effects of taurine supplementation following eccentric exercise in young adults. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(1), 101–104.
- Cheng YS, Lu CZ, Ying ZL, et al. [128 cases of myasthenia gravis treated with huperzine A]. New Drugs and Clinical Remedies 1986;5:197-9.
- Jager, R. et al. Improving Mental Regeneration After Physical Exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008; 5(Suppl 1): P3.
- Avraham, Y. et al. Tyrosine Improves Appetite, Cognition, and Exercise Tolerance in Activity Anorexia. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Dec; 33(12) 104-110.