Pure Alpha GPC

Biohacker Review: The "Tesla" of acetylcholine precursors

I cycled on Alpha GPC in mid-May and have been taking 300 milligrams daily since. I typically take it in the mid-morning sometime after I enjoy my mighty mug of Bulletproof-style coffee.

I did do brain training and a Heart Rate Variability measurement about 30 minutes after dosing...

Uptick in HRV after dosing	High brain training score of 4.4 achieved

Scientific Overview

I did a deep-dive meta-analysis of Alpha GPC and other choline precursors in 2015, but since then there have been nearly 180 items of human research published in scientific journals, including 10 clinical trials. Let's delve into some of the recent research on Alpha GPC. 

Alpha GPC and caffeine is an unexpected stack that was evaluated against a placebo in an American clinical trial. The abstract of the trial does little to sell it as a smart drug...

Acute supplementation with caffeine or Alpha-GPC had no statistically significant beneficial effect on measures of mood, cognitive function, or physiological performance, in part due to large individual variability between subjects. As Alpha-GPC seemed to be beneficial for certain physical and mental performance tasks...

Apparently, taking 400 milligrams reduced "jitteriness" when compared to caffeine. But surprisingly, it resulted in an uptick in vertical jump peak power for athletes. So worth trying for basketball players and zombie apocalypse survivors.

A fun factoid from a German paper: Alpha-GPC comes from (one of my favorite things in the whole world!) boobs - that's right, as infants we get it from our mother's breast milk. And it's crucial to the baby's healthy cognitive development.

A 2018 Canadian analysis of choline sources reminds us that Alpha-GPC is a water-soluble form -  so no need to take it with a meal, you're fine just dropping a capsule and chasing it with water, tea, or coffee.

In 2021, a South Korean-American study was published that does not paint Alpha-GPC in an appealing light; the researchers crunched the data on over 12 million people over 50 years old taking and discovered oddly enough that...

In this cohort study, use of α-GPC was associated with a higher 10-year incident stroke risk in a dose-response manner after adjusting for traditional cerebrovascular risk factors.

So if you're over 50 and taking this Nootropic regularly you would want to take some things that offset stroke risk like Serrapeptase and Nattokinase - you could just supplement them or get them from dietary sources: Silkworm digestive juice and Japanese Natto respectively.

A recent Hungarian study suggests it's a double-edged sword when it comes to cardiac health...

Here we provide the first evidence for the cytoprotective effect of short-term GPC treatment. However, long-term administration of GPC may exert cytotoxicity in a wide concentration range in cardiac myocytes.

My takeaway from this is that I wouldn't want to take it on a regular basis for a long time - it's not a daily driver Nootropic. I'll take it cyclically.

Delving back into the research I wasn't all that impressed overall. So I turned to the anecdotal accounts from the Biohacker community...

A Biohacker reports crazy focus resulting from OMAD/24-hour fasting while on it...

For the past month or so I’ve been taking alpha GPC while doing one meal a day (in the evening) and my focus is off the charts. It’s like a laser.

And another Biohacker describes it as a creativity promoter...

I love Alpha GPC and how it makes me feel. I am significantly more productive & creative when I take it.

Oakman on the longevity forum Longecity, holds it in high esteem as a physical performance enhancer...

All I can say is I've been using 300mg Alpha GPC fairly regularly for a couple months as part of a "Muscles and Endurance" stack. So before going to the gym, or a 2 hr hike in the mountains, or 30mi biking I take this, I'd say 4-5 times a week. So far I haven't gone 'incredible hulk' on anyone, rather the opposite, I'm in great spirits, have great energy and endurance, low blood pressure and fast recovery. Alpha-GPC is (at least theoretically and among other things like its nootropic effects) good for increased athletic performance and decreased inflammation.

Mr. Happy Stack is one Nootropic cocktail that is real real-life "NZT-48" for many; it combines Alpha GPC, Uridine, and omega-3 fish oil. One Redditor, a data entry clerk, actually reports that this stack dramatically increased their productivity and resulting income...

I have more than double my productivity and because I get paid on top of my base pay for each extra form I fill in bonuses, I am making twice as much money now because I can actually focus for once, I can sit through long ass boring task without procrastinating or getting distracted. I cannot begin to tell you how how much I love this stack, This is not a placebo. I'm a month into this stack so far and its changed my life. I have the extra drive now to grind through monotonous work at a blistering pace.

But there's a handful of random adverse side effects reported (like feeling angry, anxiety, headaches, and anhedonia, along with intense HUNGER and DIARRHEA). One Biohacker reported:

2 weeks into taking it (1 week ago) the side effects starting to materialize. Deep, unsettling apathy about the state of things in my life/the world/my relationships + being enveloped in a feeling that things won't get better was deeply worrying for me. All this on top of the little energy boost it gave me put me into a hazy manic-but-too-tired-to-give-a-shit-about-anything state. Kind of like when you day drink too much.

Just a reminder to start at a low, conservative dosage and that it's not a Nootropic for everyone - some do not tolerate it well.

Piracetam and Alpha GPC will make you a dangerous dude (or dudette) because Alpha GPC is such a potent acetylcholine precursor that you can really push up the dosage of the verbal intelligence molecule.

Piracetam

Category: Nootropic Ingredients

But my past experience with Alpha-GPC was mostly limited to using it as a Racetam cofactor, I would typically use it in a 1:4 ratio with Piracetam. I did try taking it alongside a downloadable Piracetam infoceutical and the resulting cognitive performance enhancement left my socks less than blown off. However, the 4.4 Dual N-back brain training score I achieved on Alpha GPC was one of my best, confirming that it is a quintessential cognition-enhancing smart drug.

Ben Greenfield recommends it and gives a dosage recommendation in Boundless, his Biohacking manifesto...

Alpha GPC prevents cognitive decline, protects the brain, reduces inflammation, and increases attention span, memory, and growth hormone production (which may also slow down the effects of aging and help you lose weight). An effective dose is 400 mg three times per day. (p.165)

Although, given some of the anecdotal reports, I keep the dosage at 300 milligrams or less.

Powdered vs capsuled

Alpha GPC is one supplement that I am not a big fan of in powdered form (which is the most economical form). You want to be precise about your dosing with it, and taking it capsuled is a lot easier than measuring out every dose. I tried it powdered once upon a time (with my buddy here) and it tastes pretty terrible...

Bottom line

I call it the "Tesla" of acetylcholine precursors because it's not cheap and, while it certainly enables cognitive horsepower for peak performance for some, it's far from the most reliable smart drug.

About Pharmaceutical Grade Alpha GPC

Alpha GPC (alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine) is a choline compound in the brain that encourages acetylcholine production. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that sends signals to cells and neurons. It’s vital to perform several cognitive functions and processes, including focus, memory, cognition, arousal, and more.