Enhancing the performance of the brain has always been one of the foremost wishes of every student. People taking part in strenuous jobs also pray for their brains to be active for the entire period of their work. However, the brain has its own limitations, and it wearies as the work or the day progresses. In order to enhance brain activity, there have been several practices that have been followed for ages. However, one of the recent inclusions in that list is the administration of nootropic drugs that increases the activity of the nerves and thus helps in the performance.
Nootropic compounds for brain activity
When it comes to the activity of the brain, nootropic compounds generally target the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is one of the chief players in the transmission of nerve impulse and hence brain activity. One such nootropic compound is Alpha GPC. Alpha GPC is considered as a useful source of choline, which is a precursor of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine functions in the contraction of muscles and aids in memory. Therefore, this particular nootropic choline is significant attention for athletes who want to aim their physical strength as well as mental alertness.
Benefits of Alpha GPC
There are several health benefits associated with Alpha GPC. Some of them include:
- Enhancement of brain function
It is essential for every drug that is targeted to the brain is that it reaches the brain. Since the brain is located at a privileged location of the body, not all medications can pass through the blood-brain barrier and reaches its targeted site on the brain. However, since Alpha GPC contains a choline group, it can easily pass through the barrier and reaches the brain. In the brain, it can trigger the release of acetylcholine and its downstream processes, which ultimately lead to the enhancement of impulse transmission and improvement of brain function.
- It might improve physical performance
Previous studies have confirmed that Alpha GPC also has enhancement properties of physical strength. After six days of supplementation of the drug, force production in the lower body region is found to improve. For this reason, athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts prefer adding Alpha GPC to their diet regime so that their physical performance can reach higher levels.
- It might boost intellectual skills
Alpha GPC is often considered as a drug for the treatment of patients with neurological disorders. Previous studies have established that administration of 1200 mg of the drug per day to Alzheimer’s disease increases intellectual skills within six to eight months of treatment. Similarly, this drug has also been found to recover symptoms of vascular dementia, patient mood, and behavior.
- It might fasten the recovery process of stroke patients
Transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients have faced a better chance of recovery after receiving Alpha GPC within 10 days of a stroke attack. When the patients were administered with the same drug on a daily basis for 6 months, they showed progressive signs of intellectual recovery.
Side Effects of Alpha GPC
Although no serious side effects have been reported to date, Alpha GPC has been found to cause insomnia, headache, dizziness, heartburn, and skin rashes. Some people complained of having brain fog, lethargy, and a spike in libido. However, these outcomes are generally associated with a high dosage of choline.
With these details of the effects and side effects of Alpha GPC, I think you can make the right decision of whether you should intake this drug to enhance your performance.