Top 9 Best Nootropics for Energy

In 2011, a movie titled “Limitless” premiered in Hollywood. Unlike any other movie we had seen before, this had the story of a character who discovered some “Limitless Pills” known as NZT-48. Upon using them, the character transformed from an ordinary writer into a genius of the financial world.

Now, we may not have a real-life version of NZT-48 but there are certainly a few nootropics that come close to that. And today, we’d like to particularly talk about the best nootropics for energy. These are the smart-drugs you need to get an extra jump in your step – imagine the kind of possibilities you could unlock with an extra boost of power!

Top Nootropics For Energy in 2024

Nootropics for Energy – Top Options Reviewed

Before we even start breaking down the list of our preferred energy-enhancing smart-drugs, let’s briefly talk about what matters as far as brain-power goes.

First, in order for your brain to be powerful, its metabolic pathways need to function optimally.

And of course, all body cells provide energy in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and you need those reserves to work optimally so you have all the energy you need to face complex tasks.

Besides that, the ideal power booster should be one that sustains your energy needs for the long haul. You don’t want something that leaves you with a post excitement crash and that’s why we’ve intentionally left out caffeine and other cheap stimulants from this list.

In our view, the following examples are the noots that meet the cut as far as providing you with clean energy without major safety risks is concerned.

1. Rhodiola Rosea

The first one of our list is none other than the Rhodiola Root extract, a well-known adaptogen. The name adaptogen comes from the word “adapt” and confirms that this extract can help you to become adaptive.

It’s important to be adaptive, especially when you need to deal with energy-gobblers like stress and anxiety. That’s precisely why we think that a bit of Rhodiola Rosea can go a long way in helping you preserve your energy reserves.

But of course, if you need to load up on energy, you’ll need more than just Rhodiola and that’s why we’d recommend stacking it up with the next nootropic on the list – Citicoline.

2. Citicoline

When you use Citicoline, you get to hit two birds with one stone. Yup! First, this smart drug supports cholinergic memory status which is important for long-term potentiation. Besides that, it has the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier which makes it best placed for improving brainpower.

When paired up with Rhodiola Rosea, you end up with a dynamic duo. Citicoline replenishes your energy supplies while Rhodiola reduces energy loss.

As such, taking these two together can help support your long-term energy needs. And unlike cheap stimulants, you won’t have to deal with a “crash” afterward.

3. Alpha GPC

If you can’t get hold of Citicoline, try the equally good Alpha GPC. Just like Citicoline, Alpha GPC is a rich source of choline that has the unique capability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Although it has been used to support mental energy for many decades, it’s only after a 2008 study that people started to appreciate its potential. In the study, scientists linked A-GPC to a 14% increase in brain energy output (determined using peak force).

The recommended dosage for A-GPC is 250 to 600 mg per day. Fortunately, that’s well within the realm of popular, ready-made nootropic stacks such as Qualia Mind and Alpha Brain.

4. Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ)

PQQ is the holy grail of body energy and this stems from the fact that it enhances energy production from the cellular level. All the other nootropics we’ve reviewed so far only do so at the brain level.

The effects of taking PQQ are not subtle but long-term. And that probably explains why it’s not popular out there.

The science behind it, however, makes a lot of sense. To generate clean energy you need to ensure that the mitochondria are functioning optimally. The mitochondria are the sites in your body cells that are responsible for energy synthesis in the form of ATP.

Long story short, you need a tiny dose of PQQ per day to improve your cellular energy output. Combine that with an adaptogen like Rhodiola rosea of Ashwagandha and you have a power stack that’s hard to beat.

5. Phosphatidylserine (PS)

PS isn’t really a direct source of energy but it has numerous indirect effects. For instance, it improves the way your brain uses glucose to produce energy. And of course, when more energy is churned out of the glucose in your bloodstream, you’re bound to feel energetic.

And that’s not all. PS is categorized as a phospholipid. In other words, it contains a form of fat which is required in the development of healthy cell walls.

You need to keep your cell walls intact if you want to sustain a top-performing brain for longer. And that’s why some experts recommend PS as part of the regimen for preventing cognitive decline in the long haul.

6. L-Theanine

L-Theanine is obtained from green tea-leaves and thank God! It doesn’t have anything to do with caffeine. In fact, L-Theanine is not a stimulant. In our view, it’s something that simply stabilizes your brain function.

Here’s what it does. Whenever you take some L-Theanine pills, the active ingredient gets absorbed into your bloodstream and eventually finds its way into the brain. Once there, it does a good job of streamlining the alpha and beta brainwaves.

If taken with an energy enhancer such as Citicoline, L-Theanine can be even more effective. In fact, you can even stack it with caffeine to reduce the risk of the after-use crash.

When used alongside other energy stimulants, L-Theanine provides you with the stability you need to put that energy to good use. If you work for long hours, this particular smart drug helps keep you calm and focused.

If you experience jitters after taking caffeine, L-Theanine can also help get rid of those negative feelings. In other words, this is the secret behind the production of clean energy and that’s why we highly recommend it.

7. Noopept

All the other noots we’ve mentioned so far are earth-grown but Noopept isn’t. But before you dismiss it as just another shambolic lab creation, picture this. Noopept is a refined version of the oldest nootropic known to man – piracetam.

Piracetam was invented in the 1960s and is still popularly used to-date which confirms that lab-made noots are not that bad after all.

Now, hear this – Noopept is 1000 times more powerful than Piracetam. And the good thing with it being that powerful is that you only need extremely small doses of it to feel the effects.

When a nootropic compound is taken in small doses, its risk of unwanted side effects also becomes minimal as the body doesn’t have to struggle to clear it from the system should the need arise. That explains why Noopept has become a darling to many a passionate biohacker.

8. Aniracetam

Aniracetam is closely related to Noopept as they’re both members of the racetam family. It, however, is cheaper than Noopept although quite effective as well.

Aniracetam works by boosting the production of the feel-good hormones namely dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. These are needed to fight depression and sustain high levels of motivation.

On top of that, this noot increase the flow of blood to the cortex of your brain. With more blood finding its way to this crucial organ, you’re likely to experience a surge of energy as your brain cells get all the oxygen they need to convert glucose into energy.

We’d recommend stacking it with a choline, though e.g. Citicoline or Alpha GPC. Taking racetams without cholines can lead to headaches attributed to choline deficiency.

9. Modafinil

Marketed under the brand name Provigil, Modafinil is probably the most popular nootropic compound for energy production. That said, it’s heavily regulated by the existing laws and is, therefore, hard-to-find over-the-counter just like Adderall.

That said, it’s still possible to find Modafinil through some of the few trusted online sources available currently. Our recommended one is Afinil Express.

But if you find the laws surrounding Modafinil use a bit too much to put up with, you might want to give its alternative – Adrafinil – a try.

Adrafinil breaks down into modafinil once you swallow it. However, you need to take 300mg of it to get the effects typically associated with 150mg modafinil.

Since you have to take it in huge doses, it also requires more resources to be cleared from your bloodstream. And that explains why most people who take it complain of smelly pee. That’s, however, not supposed to be a big deal provided you take it with lots of water.

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to go all-natural or are bold enough to give the like of Modafinil and Noopept a shot, there’s certainly no shortage of best nootropics for energy out there. You simply need to find one that works best for you and run with it.

At the same time, the option of stacking more than one nootropic still exists. And remember, if you don’t like the idea of creating DIY stacks at home, you can always go for ready-made ones like Mind Lab Pro and Qualia Mind.