Ten healthy men took 600 mg of soy phosphatidylserine a day for 10 days and a placebo for 10 days, then completed a 15 minute moderate intensity cycling test. Cortisol rose less on the supplement, both at its peak and across the whole session. Growth hormone and lactate were the same in both arms, while the testosterone to cortisol ratio was higher on phosphatidylserine.
Phosphatidylserine is a fat like molecule found in cell membranes, concentrated in tissues with high metabolic activity such as the brain and skeletal muscle. Earlier work suggested it could blunt the rise in cortisol, a stress hormone, after hard exercise. Studies at 800 mg per day of soy derived phosphatidylserine had reported a lower cortisol response, while studies at 600 mg and below had not. The working assumption in the field was that 800 mg per day was the effective dose. This study asked whether 600 mg per day could shift the hormone response to moderate exercise.
Ten healthy men took part. The study ran 21 days as a double blind, placebo controlled crossover, so each man served as his own control.
Each participant took 600 mg per day of soy derived phosphatidylserine, or a maltodextrin placebo, for 10 days. The exercise was 15 minutes on a cycle ergometer: five three minute stages starting at 65 percent of maximal oxygen uptake and rising by 5 percent per stage to 85 percent. Blood was drawn immediately after exercise and at 5, 15, 25, 45 and 65 minutes into recovery, then assayed for cortisol, testosterone, growth hormone and lactate.
Mean peak cortisol was 26.9 plus or minus 6.5 micrograms per deciliter on phosphatidylserine against 44.2 plus or minus 12.7 on placebo (p equals 0.03). The paper reports a 39 plus or minus 1 percent reduction in plasma cortisol.
Area under the curve analysis, which captures total hormone exposure across the session rather than a single peak, showed a 35 plus or minus 0 percent lower cortisol response (p less than 0.01), a 37 plus or minus 5 percent higher testosterone response (p equals 0.02) and a 184 plus or minus 5 percent higher testosterone to cortisol ratio (p equals 0.02).
Several results were null. Mean peak testosterone was 8.3 plus or minus 1.7 ng/ml against 5.5 plus or minus 0.3 on placebo, which did not reach statistical significance (p equals 0.13). Lactate was 4.3 against 4.1 mmol/l (p equals 0.51), so the men worked at a similar intensity both times. The peak testosterone to cortisol ratio also failed to separate the groups (p equals 0.30), even though the area under the curve version of the same measure did.
Ten participants is a small sample. All were men, all healthy, and their aerobic fitness was not high.
Funding and authorship matter here. The acknowledgements state that Increnovo LLC of Milwaukee funded the research and that Chemi Nutra of White Bear Lake, Minnesota funded publication of the manuscript. Two of the five authors, Martin Purpura and Ralf Jäger, are listed at Increnovo LLC, and Jäger is the corresponding author. Despite this, the competing interests section reads: "The authors declare that they have no competing interests." Readers can weigh that against the funding disclosure.
There is also tension inside the results. Peak testosterone and the peak testosterone to cortisol ratio were not statistically different, while the area under the curve versions of both were. The paper does not resolve this. By the authors' own account, earlier work at this dose had not moved cortisol, so the finding sits against part of the existing literature.
This is a small, single site, industry funded crossover trial. It reports that in ten healthy men, 10 days of 600 mg per day of soy phosphatidylserine was followed by a lower cortisol response to a 15 minute cycling test.
It does not show any benefit to performance. Nothing here measured strength, endurance, power output or training progress, and lactate confirms the men worked equally hard on both visits. It does not show that a lower cortisol response leads to better training outcomes, less overtraining or faster recovery, though the paper's conclusion leans that way. It says nothing about women, older adults or people who are not healthy.
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.
