Twenty resistance-trained men took 630 mg of alpha-GPC, 315 mg of alpha-GPC, or a placebo on separate visits, then completed cognitive tests and a lower-body resistance exercise session. Both doses improved Stroop test scores compared with placebo, and the higher dose also produced faster Stroop completion times. Other cognitive tests, jump and bench press throw performance, and growth hormone did not differ between conditions.
Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, or A-GPC, is a choline-containing compound. Choline is a precursor of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, attention and muscle contraction, so the theory is that raising choline might support thinking and physical performance. Most supporting evidence comes from clinical groups: people with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia or brain injury. Research in healthy people is thin, and most of those studies have failed to show cognitive benefits. This trial tested a single dose in healthy, resistance-trained men.
This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial run at the Center for Applied Health Sciences, a contract research organization in Ohio. Twenty-one healthy men aged 20 to 55 with at least two years of resistance training experience were recruited; 20 provided the analyzed data. Each man completed all three conditions in random order, 4 to 7 days apart: placebo, 630 mg A-GPC (high dose), and 315 mg (low dose).
On each visit participants took their capsule, waited 60 minutes, then completed visual analogue scales for mood, motivation, alertness and concentration, plus the Stroop, Flanker and N-Back cognitive tests. They then performed vertical jumps and bench press throws, followed by 6 sets of 10 Smith machine squats at 70% of one-repetition maximum. Blood was drawn over the next hour to measure growth hormone. No sample size calculation was done in advance, and the trial was registered retrospectively.
Stroop total score improved more on A-GPC than on placebo. The high dose gave a change of 13.0 plus or minus 8.2 versus 5.2 plus or minus 9.0 for placebo (p = 0.013, d = 0.61), and the low dose 10.8 plus or minus 7.7 (p = 0.046, d = 0.48). The high dose also completed the Stroop faster, minus 0.12 seconds versus minus 0.05 seconds (p = 0.021, d = 0.56).
Everything else was null or mixed. No significant differences appeared on the Flanker or N-Back tests. No differences appeared on the visual analogue scales for mood, alertness, concentration or motivation, and none in growth hormone, which the author calls unexpected. Physical performance was inconsistent: vertical jump peak force was higher for the low dose than the high dose (p = 0.027, d = 0.54), while upper-body performance differed between the high dose and placebo only on post hoc testing (p = 0.043, d = 0.49).
Funding came from NNB Nutrition, the maker of the A-GPC used, through a restricted grant to the contract research organization that ran the study. The sole author is a paid scientific advisor to that sponsor. A conflict-of-interest management plan kept him out of consenting participants, data collection and analysis before unblinding. The sample is 20 people. The author lists further limitations: only men were recruited, so results may not hold for women; findings are limited to healthy active men who are not competitive athletes; pairwise comparisons did not correct strictly for multiple testing; and only one dose was tested.
This is a small, industry-funded, single-dose crossover trial in 20 healthy trained men. It found an improvement on one cognitive test, the Stroop, at both doses, and faster completion at the high dose. It found nothing on two other cognitive tests, nothing on self-reported mood or motivation, and nothing on growth hormone. Read it as one signal that needs replicating by a group without a financial stake in the product, in a larger sample, and in women. It does not show a benefit for cognition generally, and it does not establish an effect on physical performance.
That depends on the specific medication and formula. A few, like blood thinners with CurQLife or blood pressure medication with MaxiNOs, are worth a direct conversation with your doctor first. Check each formula's own FAQ section for specifics, or ask your health coach.
No, and we'd rather be upfront about it. Bacopa, the plant in BacoZest, has published human studies, though they used other bacopa extracts. OptiNOs and MaxiNOs each have human studies sponsored by their maker, Laila Nutraceuticals, which haven't been published in a journal. CurQLife's research is still early, from lab and animal studies, and we label it that way.
It depends on what you're building your routine around. BacoZest is built around bacopa, which is studied for memory.* OptiNOs supports strength and muscular endurance alongside resistance training.* MaxiNOs was studied for healthy blood vessel function.* CurQLife's research is still at the lab stage. Your health coach can help you pick a starting point.
All four are built around plant extracts. OptiNOs was reported as well tolerated in its human study, and published bacopa studies reported no serious side effects. CurQLife's safety data so far comes from lab and animal testing. Check with your doctor first if you're pregnant, nursing, on medication, or managing a health condition.
Because the patented ingredients behind our four formulas went through dedicated research, and research costs real money. A generic curcumin or bacopa supplement hasn't been tested in the form you get from us. You're paying for an ingredient with research behind it, not just a label.
Generic ingredients often haven't been studied in the specific form you're buying. Our four core formulas use patented ingredients, and we show you the research behind each one, including where it's still early.
It depends on the formula. In its study, MaxiNOs blood vessel response was higher than placebo 2 to 3 hours after the first dose.* OptiNOs and bacopa were studied over 6 and 12 weeks of daily use, so give them time. CurQLife is meant to be taken daily.
Yes. BacoZest, OptiNOs, MaxiNOs, and CurQLife are built for different goals, and none of them contain stimulants. They haven't been studied together, so ask your health coach how to fit them into your routine.
