Best Nootropics for Energy - Top 3 Supplements To Fight Fatigue

We’ve all been there before. Waking up for work and wallowing through the day yawning, just waiting for the clock to tick home-time so you can hit the sheets. Fatigue is something that most of us struggle with at some point in our day, whether it’s mental or physical.

For some people, fatigue can simply be a subjective symptom of malaise or impaired performance, while for others it can take on the form of aversion to activity or extreme sleepiness.

In any case, fatigue has both physical and mental components that can heavily interfere with daily functions and it’s estimated that anywhere from 5-20% of the general population struggle with persistent and troublesome fatigue ¹.

While getting enough sleep and eating nutrient-dense foods are both great ways to support energy production and optimal performance, sometimes we need more.

Supplements that boost mitochondrial function and energy levels can also be a major crutch when you’ve had a bad night's sleep or work has left you feeling like you’ve been beaten up.

So, if you’re sick and tired (yep, pun intended) of constantly feeling fatigued, we’ve got you covered. We’re giving you a rundown of the top 3 nootropic supplements that curb fatigue fast to give you energy for days—with no nasty side effects.

Top 3 Supplements To Fight Fatigue

#3 Performance Lab® Energy

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Looking for all the same energy as caffeine offers without the actual caffeine? Performance Lab® Energy is it.

It’s a powerful, ultramodern stim-free energy formula that sparks mind-body vitality surge by upgrading your natural production of cellular energy and powering all metabolic processes.

Energy is a clean, smart stack of advanced form nutrients that boost your mitochondria—the energy powerhouses of all cells.

While the megadoses of caffeine in your conventional energy supplement boost energy quickly, they tend to also promote a hard crash. Featuring MicroActive® Q10, BioPerine®, BioPQQ®, and Bio-Enhanced® nutrition technology, Energy works without caffeine to optimizes mitochondria for a natural energy boost.

And unlike energy pills loaded with synthetic additives, Energy is clean. No caffeine, no crash, no additives. Just pure revitalizing energy in 100% plant-based NutriCaps®.

Key benefits:

• Stim-free booster promotes energy production in cells’ mitochondria
• Enhances exercise results by maintaining energy in muscle and metabolizing energy in fat
• Supports efficient metabolic performance in nearly every cell in the body
• Enhances vitality by helping to multiply, protect, and charge up mitochondria
• Safe, natural, and legal way to revitalize mental and physical performance

Learn More About Performance Lab® Energy Here

What Are Nootropics?

Optimal energy underlines pretty much all physical and mental functions we use daily. It boosts motivation and allows us to carry out cognitive or physical tasks with ease. While we’d love to say that achieving optimal energy and mitigating fatigue is as easy as rubbing the magic lantern and making a wish, it’s not that simple.

Peak performance and energy rely on a complex combination of factors like sleep, stress, nutrition, exercise, and various physiological reactions that control energy production.

But there’s something else we can throw in to support energy—nootropics. When used safely and appropriately, they can enhance cognitive functions and fight fatigue.

While traditionally used to treat cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease (AD), schizophrenia, stroke, ADHD, aging, and any other conditions affecting the brain ², nootropics have risen in popularity in the wellness space due to their powerful effects on boosting brain function in non-pathological cases.

Essentially, nootropics are natural supplements that offer a dual purpose—they boost brain function to enhance energy, focus, and attention, but they also work to enhance brain health ³.

While the mechanisms differ slightly between compounds, most act as vasodilators against small arteries and veins in the brain to increase blood circulation while at the same time boosting the delivery of key nutrients and oxygen that enhance energy ⁴.

You may not know this, but despite its small size—it accounts for only about 3% of bodyweight—the brain takes more than 15% of total body blood and oxygen supply. Since boosting circulation increases oxygen and nutrient delivery, it also enhances cognitive function and energy production.

The 5 Best Nootropics For More Energy

Citicoline

When it comes to supporting energy production and brain health, citicoline (Cognizin) is where it’s at.

Also known as cytidine 5′-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline), citicoline is available as both an exogenous sodium salt and naturally synthesized in the body where it functions as an essential intermediate in the synthesis of the major phospholipid of the cell membranes, phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) ⁵.

Upon ingestion, citicoline converts to both choline and cytidine; choline is a nutrient required for regulating memory, mood, muscle function, and more.

As expected, increasing levels of citicoline will, in turn, increase acetylcholine, the main neurotransmitter involved in virtually all executive functions, including speech, focus, and memory. What’s more, boosting levels of citicoline also increases levels of phosphatidycholine, which serves as the building block of brain cells.

As such, while citicoline may not power you up physically, it can do so mentally by fuelling neurotransmitters—the chemical messengers that are integral to normal brain function.

There’s a fair bit of research supporting the role of citicoline for better brain health, with improvements in:

• Short-term memory
• Learning
• Problem-solving
• Attention
• Energy
• Long-term memory
• Neuroprotection

Caffeine

We all know and love caffeine for its stimulating effects on the brain. Whether you want to boost energy, enhance focus and attention, or drive motivation and intensity, caffeine can help. That is... when you’re not mega-dosing and driving burnout.

Caffeine primarily stimulates the brain through its antagonistic action on adenosine receptors. Because caffeine closely resembles the molecule adenosine, it can bind to its receptors and block adenosine’s action, thereby reducing fatigue ⁶. Research also suggests cognitive improvement through its direct action on arousal, mood, and concentration ⁷.

Caffeine has also shown potential for improving:

• Short-term memory
• Problem-solving
• Coordination
• Arousal
• Vigilance
• Attention
• Energy
• Mood
• Reaction time

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR), a popular dietary supplement and nootropic, is an amino acid and short-chain ester of carnitine that boosts energy and enhances muscle strength ⁸.

ALCAR affects both brain and muscle metabolism, can offer protection against neurotoxic insults, and may be effective for treating mental illnesses like depression.

It’s easily able to cross the blood-brain barrier and works within brain cells by maintaining cellular integrity. It’s also a precursor to the formation of acetylcholine, a chief neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Since this system is responsible for contracting smooth muscles, dilating blood vessels, increasing bodily secretions, and slowing heart rate, ALCAR helps regulate your recovery. Studies have also associated ALCAR with learning, working memory, attention, episodic memory, and spatial memory function ⁹.

ALCAR is shown positive benefits for:

• Energy
• Problem-solving
• Short-term and long-term memory
• Attention
• Learning
• Mood
• Anxiety
• Sleep

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

If you’re looking for an energy booster to fight fatigue, CoQ10 is it. It’s a naturally occurring quinone found in most aerobic organisms that was first isolated from the mitochondria of beef heart ¹⁰.

The primary biochemical role of CoQ10 is to serve as a cofactor in the electron-transport chain—a series of reactions involved in the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s main source of energy. Because most cellular functions are dependent on a sufficient supply of ATP, CoQ10 is essential for the health of virtually all tissues and organs.

CoQ10 also functions as a powerful lipid antioxidant to prevent the generation of free radicals and subsequent modifications of proteins, lipids, and DNA ¹⁰.

Studies have shown that in conditions and diseases with elevated levels of ROS, concentrations of CoQ10 decrease. As such, a deficiency of CoQ10 leads to dysfunction of the respiratory chain as a result of inadequate production of ATP, which decreases the efficiency of cells.

So, if you want to maximize the function of your cellular powerhouses (mitochondria) and energy production, CoQ10 needs to be in your diet or supplement stack.

L-Tyrosine

When it comes to mitigating the negative effects of stress and stabilizing mood, L-tyrosine has you covered.

It’s a non-essential amino acid synthesized from phenylalanine that, unlike most other amino acids, doesn’t play a role in muscle protein synthesis. Because it’s a powerful precursor to key neurotransmitters, it’s a stellar compound for achieving sharper attention, laser focus, and better concentration on the task at hand.

But that’s not it. It also serves as a precursor to the production of certain catecholamines, which means that changes in the availability of L-tyrosine can have major influences on the synthesis of catecholamines like dopamine and norepinephrine ¹¹.

Because stress can deplete important brain chemicals, supplementing with L-tyrosine can maintain the concentration of neurotransmitters to improve several aspects of cognitive performance. Not to mention that if you’re struggling from lack of sleep, L-tyrosine can help enhance alertness.

One study found that supplementation with L-tyrosine allowed people who lost a night’s sleep to stay alert for three hours longer than those who didn’t supplement ¹².

But unlike some other amino acids, tyrosine is thought to boost focus, performance, and energy, especially during stressful situations. Research shows that tyrosine may possess stimulating properties, making it beneficial for improving learning and alertness, while simultaneously decreasing brain fog ¹³.

Final Thoughts

With all of that said, there’s no need to shy away from energy supplements because you didn’t get a good nights’ sleep or you’re on the verge of a mental breakdown from work overload.

When used correctly, clean energy supplements can offer a huge advantage over conventional high-stim products. They’ll sharpen attention, enhance focus, boost energy, and more, for cleaner, calmer, and more fine-tuned stimulation without risk of burnout.