Do Nootropics actually work?
The world of supplements is a vibrant ecosystem. And like any ecosystem there are many sub-habitats; The gold-standard, long-proven savannas of whey protein and creatine, the lush and generous jungles of Omega-3s, the newly discovered, intimidating, jagged ice peaks of peptides. And then there are the swamps. The murky, gloomy areas of hidden dangers and proprietary shadows. The predators here are numerous. You have the “Over-Hypers”, the ingredients that work in the controlled environment of a lab but fail to translate to the real world. The “Unavailables”, the molecules that look good on paper but fail to absorb in the wrong form. The “Pixie-Dusters”, who come in quantities so small they may not even be there. And maybe the most dangerous, the “Proprietary Ambushers”. They hide behind an opaque proprietary blend of ingredients. You don’t know what’s in there, you just have to trust them.
At nerve labs, we like to live out in the open, where any threat can be seen from far and things are as they seem. We have nothing to hide, that’s why we put the exact amount of each ingredient in our formula on every label. Although we have absolute faith in the efficacy of our formula; our ingredients are some of the most well researched and trusted compounds out there, we trust you to do your own research and figure out if you think this bled will work for you.
The below list is what we consider the best and most well-proven Nootropic compounds. Not all the ingredients listed below can be found in CLUTCH, but they are certainly something to consider depending on what benefits you are looking for.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)
Research: There are more than 20 high quality human studies done on ALCAR
Benefits: ALCAR has been found to support memory, alertness and fluid thought as well as slowing the effects of aging on the brain. It has also been shown to combat mental fatigue and reduce the rate of perceived fatigue (RPF).
Is it included in CLUTCH: Yes (400mg per serving)
Alpha-GPC
Research: Approximately 15 high quality human studies have been conducted on the effects of Alpha-GPC
Benefits: Alpha-GPC rapidly crosses the blood brain barrier to increase the levels of Acetylcholine almost immediately, where it has been shown to result in faster response times in cognitive tasks. Alpha-GPC has also been shown to increase peak force production (e.g. bench press force) and to drastically increase post-exercise growth-hormone levels.
Is it included in CLUTCH: Yes (200mg per serving). Although the amounts of Alpha-GPC used in most trials is higher (400mg-600mg), one of our ingredients, Huperzine A, which you will read about later on, has been shown to greatly increase the effectiveness of Alpha-GPC by blocking the chemical that breaks down Acetylcholine.
Ashwagandha
Research: More than 25 high quality human studies have been conducted on the effects of Ashwagandha.
Benefits: Over longer periods of daily supplementation (30-90 days), Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce cortisol levels and enhance information processing, recall accuracy, and executive function.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. Although Ashwagandha has been shown to give the benefits listed above, most of the gain is cumulative and comes with at least one month of daily supplementation. CLUTCH aims to be a fast-acting, acute supplement that does not require you to take it every day. Every ingredient in CLUTCH was selected for its acute benefits.
Bacopa Monnieri
Research: More than 20 high quality human studies have been done on the effects of Bacopa Monnieri.
Benefits: Studies have shown that long term daily supplementation of Bacopa Monnieri can increase learning rate, improve long-term information retention, and improve attention speed.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. As with Ashwagandha, the many benefits of Bacopa Monnieri are mainly seen with long-term daily use. Not ideal of our fast acting formula.
Caffeine
Research: There are more than 100 high quality human studies on the effects of caffeine.
Benefits: Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, the brains signal of tiredness, resulting in an immediate spike of alertness and wakefulness. It also assists with faster response times and improved vigilance during high-speed tasks.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. Although caffeine is one of the most well researched nootropics in the world, there are three main reasons we didn’t include it in CLUTCH. Firstly, caffeine can increase cortisol and create jitteriness. In some sports, that can be detrimental to your performance. Secondly, many people already consume caffeine daily in some other form and if we included it in CLUTCH, we might be increasing your intake to unwanted levels. We would prefer you enjoy your coffee, tea or energy drink without worrying about having too much caffeine. Thirdly, we did not want any stimulants in our formula so you can to take CLUTCH at any time of the day without compromising your rest and recovery. For our caffeine lovers, we have included 200mg of L-Theanine so you can enjoy your favourite brew without the jitters.
Citicoline
Research: There have been approximately 20 high quality human studies on the effects of Citicoline.
Benefits: Studies have shown that acute doses of Citicoline improve information processing speed and inhibitory control, making it easier to filter out distractions and respond to stimuli quickly. It has also been shown to reduce errors during cognitively complex tasks.
Is it included in CLUTCH: Yes (150mg per serving). Although the amounts of Citicoline used in most trials is higher (250mg-500mg), one of our ingredients, Huperzine A, which you will read about later on, has been shown to greatly increase the effectiveness of Citicoline by blocking the chemical that breaks down Acetylcholine.
Creatine
Research: Approximately 20 high quality human studies have been conducted on the cognitive effects of creatine.
Benefits: Creatine has been shown to rapidly regenerate the brain’s primary energy molecule, ATP, and reduce mental exhaustion during cognitively demanding tasks.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. Although creatine has many benefits that align with the goals of CLUTCH, effective daily doses require between 3000mg – 5000mg. To fit that into a capsule-based formula, we would have to sacrifice every other high-performance ingredient or ask you to swallow 10+ pills a day. We chose to prioritize a concentrated, potent blend of acute nootropics that fit perfectly into a convenient 2-capsule serving.
DHA (Omega 3)
Research: There have been more than 50 high quality human studies on the effects of DHA on the brain.
Benefits: DHA comprises approximately 40% of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the human brain. Long-term supplementation supports the creation of new synapses and is associated with larger hippocampal volumes.
Is it Included in CLUTCH: No. Studies have shown that the benefits of DHA are cumulative and generally require a minimum of 1000mg daily. Omega-3 oils are also prone to rancidity when exposed to air or mixed with dry powders. Studies suggest that DHA levels are significantly higher when consumed from whole fish sources. We encourage a “food first” approach to healthy fats while our capsules provide the hard-to-source acute nootropic ingredients.
Ginkgo Biloba
Research: More than 30 high quality human studies have been conducted on the effects of Ginkgo Biloba.
Benefits: Ginkgo Biloba works as a vasodilator to increase delivery of oxygen and glucose to the brain. Its high levels of antioxidants shield the brain from oxidative damage caused by aging and environmental stress.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. Like many other ingredients in this list, most of the benefits of Ginkgo Biloba typically take at least 30 days of daily supplementation to arise. Since our formula is designed for "on-demand" performance, we prioritized ingredients that work within the first 60 minutes.
Huperzine A
Research: There have been more than 20 high quality human studies on the effects of Huperzine A.
Benefits: Huperzine A inhibits the enzyme Acetylcholinesterase. In doing so, it blocks the breakdown of Acetylcholine which is incredibly important for your brain’s executive function. It has also shown in studies to protect the brain from oxidative stress. Most importantly, when used alongside choline sources like Alpha-GPC and Citicoline, it drastically improves their potency by stopping your body’s ability to break down Acetylcholine. With its half-life if up to 14 hours, it both increases the efficiency at which the brain uses Alpha-GPC and Citicoline and ensures their effectiveness does not fade when you need them.
Is it Included in CLUTCH: Yes (45mcg). Huperzine A is crucial in the CLUTCH formula. It ensures we can provide the full benefits of Alpha-GPC and Citicoline without sacrificing capsule volume for our other ingredients.
L-Theanine
Research: There have been more than 20 high quality human studies showing the effects of L-Theanine.
Benefits: L-Theanine has been shown to increase Alpha brain wave activity, a calm but alert state that has been recognised in people in flow state and meditation. It has been shown to neutralise the unwanted side-effects of caffeine such as shaky hands and heart palpitations. It has also been shown to dampen the body’s acute stress response, promoting a steady heart rate and a clear mind under pressure.
Is it included in CLUTCH: Yes (200mg per dose).
L-Tyrosine
Research: There have been approximately 15 high quality human studies on the effects of L-Tyrosine.
Benefits: L-Tyrosine supplies the precursors to norepinephrine and dopamine. Studies have shown that it assists in situations where these neurotransmitters have been rapidly burned through mentally and physically stressful situations.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. Most successful human studies have used 100mg – 150mg per kilogram of bodyweight, an impractically large amount for a capsule based sports nootropic.
Lion’s Mane
Research: Approximately 10 high quality human studies have been conducted on the effects of Lion’s mane.
Benefits: Lion’s Mane has been shown to stimulate the production of proteins that repair, protect, and grow new brain cells over time. Lion’s mane supplementation has shown to promote significant improvements in mental clarity and memory over 8-12 weeks of consistent use.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. The benefits of Lion’s Mane take even longer to show than most other cumulative-biased ingredients on this list. CLUTCH is designed to work whenever you need it.
Maritime Pine Bark
Research: There have been more than 10 high quality human studies on the effects of Maritime Pine Bark
Benefits: It is an antioxidant and vasodilator. It has been shown to signal the body to produce nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow to the brain. Maritime Pine Bark has been shown in studies to improve sustained attention, memory, and mental flexibility.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. While it is an excellent foundational supplement, most studies show effects in 4-12 weeks.
Phosphatidylserine
Research: More than 20 high quality human studies have been conducted on the effects of Phosphatidylserine.
Benefits: Phosphatidylserine has been shown to dampen the body’s cortisol response during intense physical exercise and mental stress. Long-term studies have shown it improves word-related recall, face recognition and executive function. It has also been shown to assist with better accuracy and faster completion times in sports-specific mental tasks.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. To achieve the stress-related benefits seen is studies, large amounts of Phosphatidylserine up to 800mg, are required daily for extended periods of time. In CLUTCH, we opted for more efficient and acute ingredients to achieve these goals.
Rhodiola Rosea
Research: Approximately 15 high quality human studies have been conducted on the effects of Rhodiola Rosea.
Benefits: Unlike many of the adaptogens on this list, Rhodiola has been shown to have a acute effects, significantly reducing mental fatigue and improving performance within as little as 30 minutes. It has also been shown to reduce biomarkers of muscle damage and lactate levels following intense exercise, allowing athletes to recover quicker.
Is it included in CLUTCH: No. Although Rhodiola does have the acute effects prioritized in CLUTCH, when used alongside Alpha-GPC and Citicoline, it can become too stimulating. Since one of the goals of CLUTCH is to assist in calming athletes during high-pressure moments, and we found that Alpha-GPC and Citicoline are more effective in increasing focus and muscular performance, we had to leave Rhodiola out of the mix.
Sceletium Tortuosum
Research: Sceletium Tortuosum, also known as Kanna, has been used by the indigenous people of South and Southern Africa for thousands of years. In recent years there have been several high-quality human studies on the effects of Sceletium.
Benefits: Sceletium has been shown in studies to inhibit the PDE4 enzyme and regulate serotonin. This means it assists in learning, promotes a sense of calm, and improves focus. It has been shown to rapidly lower performance anxiety and social anxiety without sedative effects.
Is it included in CLUTCH: Yes (40mg, Mesembrine dominant). A proudly South African ingredient for a proudly South African product, Sceletium is the perfect ingredient for CLUTCH. It assists with calming the athlete in big moments without sedative side effects.
By moving out of the swamps and into the light of shared research, we hope we’ve changed the way you look at your supplements. You now know exactly what is in your capsules, why it’s there, and why we left the other stuff out. We’ve done the heavy lifting in the lab so that you can focus on the heavy lifting in your life. Do the research, check the labels, and when you're ready to perform, we’ll be there.