How to Properly Use Nootropics & Caffeine Throughout the Day

When it comes to daily routines, many people turn to caffeine in order to make it through their day. This can be due to an intense workload from school or completing projects at work, and even from not getting enough sleep each night — which is the case for many people. 1 in 3 adults in America don’t get enough sleep each night, which causes them to wake up unmotivated and unenergized. But should you reach for something with caffeine, or are nootropics really what you should be using?

If you look at the statistics, around 80% of adults in the US consume caffeine daily. What many fail to realize is not only are they abusing this stimulant, but a better choice for them throughout the day may be the use of powerful nootropics to help them get mentally dialed in along with providing a boost of energy.

In this article, we are going to dive deeper into both nootropics and caffeine to help you better time these key ingredients and supplements to maximize your mental and physical performance. 

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before adding supplements into your regimen, such as nootropics and caffeine.

The Need for Caffeine 

These days it doesn’t seem like people need a reason to use caffeine, as we find it in many of the beverages we typically consume daily. Everything from soda, tea, coffee, and energy drinks all contain caffeine. Unfortunately, caffeine is a stimulant that many can build up a tolerance for, which can lead you down a path of potential risks and issues.

The key to achieving the benefits you desire from caffeine is consuming it in appropriate dosages. Far too many people are slamming a coffee in the morning, grabbing an energy drink on the way to school or work, and then following it up with a pre-workout later in the day (or even another energy drink mid-afternoon). This causes a yo-yo effect on your energy and focus, where you have a massive spike in energy followed up by a sudden crash that leaves you searching for the closest form of caffeine to bring you back up. 

Related Article: Want to Think Clearer at Work? Here’s How with Alpha-GPC!

That’s not to say that caffeine doesn’t have a plethora of benefits, though, when used in moderation. For example, caffeine has been shown to help increase alertness, improve mental focus, enhance physical performance, reduce fatigue, and even boost mood.

Unfortunately, consuming caffeine daily can lead to dependency. Additionally, consuming caffeine regularly can cause the need to consume higher dosages for the same effect due to building up a tolerance. You may have experienced this when supplementing with pre-workouts. Perhaps you were accustomed to using only one scoop to get the desired effect, and now, you need two scoops to achieve the same feeling. 

Caffeine is great for boosting energy, but when you use such a stimulant, it should be timed accordingly. Far too many people are going down the rabbit hole of consuming hundreds of grams of caffeine daily to help get them through the day (some people are even pushing a gram or more of caffeine per day). This may cause some adverse side effects, such as jitters, insomnia, anxiety, and increased heart rate. 

We’ll touch on the timing of this stimulant in just a bit, but what you may want to be reaching for instead of caffeine are nootropics.

But before we move on, it should be noted that this article is not meant to demonize caffeine, but rather, we want you to be more mindful of the most advantageous times you should use such a stimulant during the day to achieve the best results without potentially putting yourself at risk of consuming so much caffeine that it can increase health risks and dependency. But let’s dive into nootropics.

Why You Should Look at Nootropics 

While nootropics are not new to the supplement industry, more and more individuals are turning to them for their mental performance benefits (gamers are flocking to nootropics to help increase their focus and performance while gaming).

Nootropics, also known as cognitive enhancers or smart drugs, are substances or supplements that can help enhance cognitive function, including memory, creativity, concentration, motivation, and focus.

Related Article: 5 Effective Ways to Maximize Your Brain Power 

Both business professionals and elite athletes alike are adding them to their daily supplement regimen to help them improve their productivity and ability to put all their focus and concentration into the task at hand. This can be anything from studying for a big test at school, getting ready for a big presentation at work, or getting dialed in at the gym and achieving a strong mind-muscle connection. 

Additionally, some nootropics have been shown to have neuroprotective properties, meaning they can help protect the brain from damage and improve overall brain health.

But overall, what you may be craving is improved cognition and focus through nootropics rather than a boost in energy from a stimulant, such as caffeine. The best way to understand the benefits would be to start supplementing with nootropics during the timeframe when you tend to reach for an energy drink or other source of caffeine and see how the nootropics affect your performance and how you feel.

How to Time Nootropics and Caffeine for Maximum Performance

Now, for the fun part. How can you utilize nootropics and caffeine for maximum performance all day?

While I’d like to outline a one-size-fits-all approach, there simply isn’t one. But I want to provide you with some insight and strategies you can implement into your day when it comes to nootropics and caffeine use. 

For many, caffeine isn’t the answer to get them through the day. If you sat back and asked yourself why you’re drinking a form of caffeine during the day, it’s probably due to a lack of mental focus and energy, right? You want to boost your productivity or ability to get work done during the typical 9-5, am I right? In that case, nootropics may be your best bet. You don’t need something with 300mg of caffeine to accomplish this. Instead, you need something that will help you regain your focus and get you dialed back in.

If you must, have yourself a cup of coffee in the morning, but don’t plan on having additional caffeine until pre-workout (if you prefer to use stimulants before training). Should you find yourself zoning out throughout the day or even into the evening, if you’re working on a project or studying, reach for some nootropics to help get the job done.

Caffeine is abused in our society because it’s readily available, and in most cases, people enjoy drinking such beverages that contain this stimulant (coffee, energy drinks, tea, soda, etc.). A morning boost may help provide you with the kick in the pants you need to get your day started, but then only revisit caffeine pre-workout to help you get the most out of your training session. Thanks to the benefits of caffeine pre-workout, you can push yourself further during your training sessions, get focused, boost energy levels, and maximize your performance.

In an ideal world, the above would be your best bet for using nootropics and caffeine. However, your schedule may vary where your work/life schedule is the complete opposite, where you work at night and sleep during the day. That’s perfectly fine, simply implement the strategies and timing above regarding nootropics and caffeine use to fit your daily schedule. 

Also, it should go without saying, but we’ll mention it anyway — if you plan on getting a good night’s sleep where you’re not staring at the wall all night, you should avoid caffeine several hours before bedtime.

The Best of Both Worlds

Personally, we like options. You probably like to have options as well, right? That’s why Evogen Nutrition strategically formulates their products, and their portfolio is vast so that you have the ability to pick and choose what you need and when in order to reach the results you desire.

For instance, Evogen Nutrition Brain Builder is a high-potency nootropic that can be used throughout the day as needed. Some people prefer to start their day with Brain Builder to help them get focused before going to work or school, while others use it in the afternoon to finish their day strong and utilize the cognitive benefits and mind-muscle connection for their workouts.

Then you have the Evogen Nutrition EVP family of pre-workouts. You can choose from EVP-3D, a stimulant-free pre-workout for those sensitive to caffeine or looking to cut back on how much caffeine they consume daily. Then, on the other hand, you have the option to use EVP Xtreme N.O., a stimulant-based pre-workout that allows you to adjust the number of scoops you use to suit your caffeine needs and requirements.

Related Article: Which Evogen Pre-Workout is Right for YOU?

Evogen Nutrition provides you with the flexibility you need to maximize your mental and physical performance throughout the day. Leveraging nootropics and the caffeine in our pre-workout (or the stim-free version) gives you the power to take charge of your day while cutting back on how much caffeine you may be taking in. Play with the timing of your nootropics and caffeine to truly dial in your performance and get the best results possible.