There's a question that gets asked a lot on nootropic message boards and forums. It's also something that I've been asked countless times:
Are there any ways to make nootropics work better?
The answer is, yes! There are a number of things you can do to increase the effectiveness of most nootropics. That's what we're going to discuss in this post.
1. Exercise
I know that most of you probably don't want to hear it, but it's true: Exercise will make nootropics work better.
It's no secret that exercise is good for you. Regular exercise can improve not only your physical health but also your mental health.
Improved mood, increased focus, more energy and motivation: These are just some of the benefits of exercising. Sound familiar? They're also the same benefits that people seek from nootropics.
By getting regular exercise, you boost many of the same brain chemicals nootropics work on. Exercising and taking nootropics provide a double whammy: You'll see better results with both than you would with either one by itself.
Fortunately, you don't have to spend all the day in the gym to make nootropics work better. Even a brisk, fast-paced walk for just thirty minutes a day is enough to get results.
If you're not getting your heart rate up for at least a half hour per day, doing so will make most nootropics work better. Exercise might not be as easy as popping a pill, but it can often be just as (if not more) effective.
2. Take On An Empty Stomach
Have you been taking your nootropics with food? If so, you may want to consider taking them on an empty stomach.
You know how prescription medication labels often say something like, “Take one tablet daily with a meal” or “May be taken with or without food?” Do you know why that is?
It's because the body absorbs some medications better on an empty stomach and others better with food. Fat soluble drugs absorb better when taken with a small meal, while water-soluble drugs absorb better when taken on an empty stomach. The same is true with nootropics.
Water-soluble nootropics work better when taken on an empty stomach. Some examples include piracetam, oxiracetam, phenylpiracetam, CDP-choline, alpha-GPC, and acetyl L-carnitine. Fat-soluble nootropics work best when taken with a small meal. Examples include aniracetam, pramiracetam, and Noopept.
If you're trying to make your nootropics work better and you usually take them with food, try taking them on an empty stomach. Most water-soluble nootropics should absorb better this way.
3. Keep Track Of Your Results
This won't directly make nootropics work better, but it'll help you figure out what will. By keeping track of your nootropic use, you can figure out ways to make them work better.
I suggest at least writing down what you take, when you take it, what effect it has, when the effects come on, and when they wear off. That way, over time, you'll be able to look back and analyze the results.
Maybe you'll notice that a certain nootropic works best when you take it in the morning. Maybe you'll realize that another nootropic works best when taken on an empty stomach. By keeping a record of your nootropic use, you can look back and see what conditions make them work best.
4. Nutrition/Hydration
Nootropics work by either changing the level of certain chemicals in the brain or by changing the way those chemicals interact. You know what else does that? Food.
It shouldn't surprise you that food and water have a major impact on both your physical and mental health. If you're not eating a balanced diet, you're not getting all the nutrients needed for optimal brain chemistry.
Nootropics should be considered a supplement to good nutrition, not a replacement for it. If you want to make nootropics work better, eat a balanced diet high in vitamins and minerals. Your body uses these micronutrients to maintain a healthy level of chemicals in the brain.
And staying properly hydrated is just as important as the foods you eat. Have you ever noticed how you feel tired, sluggish, and crappy when you haven't been drinking enough water? Your body needs water for just about everything and your brain is no different.
Making nootropics work better can be as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables or drinking an extra glass of water or two every day.
5. Take Tolerance Breaks
Some nootropics work better the longer you take them. Ashwagandha, for example, often takes several weeks for its anxiety-reducing effects to reach their peak.
Others, however, work less and less the more often you take them. It's with these nootropics that taking a tolerance break can make them work better.
Let's say you've been taking caffeine and l-theanine every day for a month. For the first week, you felt great: Wide awake with a sense of calm focus. The second week, you felt pretty good but not as good as the first week. By the third week, you felt a little better than normal. And now, even with the caffeine and l-theanine, you just feel like you did before even starting it.
This is called tolerance. With many nootropics, the more you take them, the more your body and brain get used to them. And when that happens, they stop working as well as they once did.
The way to fix this is to take a tolerance break. If you've been taking something for a while and you're not getting the same results you once did, it may be time to take a break. Give your body and brain some time. After a while, your nootropics should work as well as they once did.
6. Get Plenty Of Sleep
The last thing you can do to make nootropics work better is to make sure you're getting plenty of sleep. Few things are as anti-nootropic as sleep deprivation.
Sleep is necessary for our bodies and brains to repair tissue, sort through memories, recharge our batteries, and many other functions. Getting a good night's sleep is one of the best ways to make nootropics work better.
Have you noticed how you just feel better when you're well rested? Of course! So it only makes sense that nootropics would work better when you've gotten plenty of rest.
If you're not sleeping long enough or you are but don't wake up feeling refreshed, try to get more, better sleep. Just about all nootropics work better when you're well rested.
Conclusion
If you want to make nootropics work better, try some of the above suggestions. If you want to make them work best, try all six.
Keeping your body and mind rested, nourished, and fit will unquestionably make nootropics work better. Plus, doing those things has the added benefit of keeping you healthy!
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