In the modern day, the supplement world is packed full of powders, formulas, super focus and hyper energy one a day capsules. The products are snapped up as a result of effective marketing and promotion, making fortunes for brands, only for them to disappear a short time later having made a quick buck.

The makeup of these products and their potential harmful long term effects are something which I will touch upon during this article, whilst briefly describing my own experience with my favorite blend of Nootropics, Azoth 2.0.

If you Google “Nootropics” you will find a large amount of information, a lot of it somewhat contradictory. I have been there and several of my training partners have been as well, searching for information on this ever growing Nootropics arena.

They can be categorised as being a form of cognitive enhancer. The same way that you put oil into a car to allow for smooth engine operation, a Nootropic can be added to a person’s dietary supplement regime to encourage their brain to work at a more optimal level throughout the day. Nootropics can also be used for several different tasks and do not have one sole use. Popular usage stems from physical training, academia, IT data work, CEOs and even gamers.

From personal experience, I have found that there is not a one size fits all Nootropic. It takes time, diligence and knowledge to establish a product and/or stack that works. Nootropics differ in style from energy drinks and pre prepared stimulant drinks as a Nootropic stack can be customised and manipulated as users see fit. I will cover the comparison between Nootropics and energy drinks in more detail later.

As I have mentioned, Nootropics have the ability to encourage a person’s brain to work at an optimal level. I find that certain tasks or duties can bring about particular barriers which hamper performance. In this area, this is commonly known as “brain fog”. There is no confirmed description for brain fog and one person differs from another. In a pressure laden, deadline driven society, the removal of brain fog for someone is not only encouraging but also appealing. Imagine being able to work with a clear mind, fresh ideas and thoughts, for a large portion of your working day? More importantly, doing this without regular Coffee trips or sugar laden energy drinks.

It sounds appealing doesn’t it? Your productivity would go through the roof and your prospects would increase with it…….STOP! While this can in fact happen and Nootropics have the ability to do this, they are not wonder drugs and should not be looked on as such. There still has to be effort and productivity by the user.

The topical energy drinks are something that a high percentage of people will reach for when feeling sluggish or needing a jolt. The cans are bought and consumed without taking into account the ingredients or their potential effects. From personal experience, the effects wear off soon after consumption and should be used sparingly at best.

The research is something that I carried out and this is why I am now an Azoth user. I am an active Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter and find most pre workouts uncomfortable for my sport. I need sustained energy and focus for my training and find that Azoth provides me with that in abundance due to its stacked ingredient profile.

From time to time, I take part in seminars/demonstrations which require the utmost concentration. Azoth has worked extremely well for me in this regard and I found through my use it doesn’t stim me out, it doesn’t give a crash after use and comes of trumps again and again.

I have also utilized Azoth in times of personal pressure, such as studying for exams and simply for times when I know I am faced with an extremely long day, whether that be due to a lack of sleep or otherwise. If you have researched Azoth, you will see that it best consumed with a healthy portion of fats, which suits me perfectly as I am a fanatical Keto (fat based diet) dieter, however I do from time to time have a carbohydrate loading day when I feel I need it.

While running my first bottle of Azoth, I returned to a high protein based diet to test out its performance with less fat consumption. I am pleased to say that I did not notice any change in the product’s performance and I still received no crash or after effects when the product’s effects wore off.

Azoth comes into its own when I require to carry out tasks which I am not really a fan of and would potentially avoid. Reading and taking notes is something that I find boring and monotonous, however when using Azoth, I have a determination and will to get this type of task completed effectively so I can move onto the next and more stimulating task.

To summarize, I encourage you to carry out your research into Nootropics as many other have done before you before spending hard earned money on a poor constructed and under dosed blend. The market of energy drinks is something which is placed very well in the correct arenas, however I encourage outside the box thinking when reaching for your next stimulant or energy boost.

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Let’s Talk Nootropics — What are Nootropics? A Primer was originally published in AZOTH on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.