All protocols

Using nicotine in very small doses as a cognitive enhancer, typically discussed for short-term attention, alertness, or plasticity support via cholinergic signaling. It’s also sometimes mentioned as a symptomatic aid in Alzheimer’s-related cholinergic dysfunction, but the emphasis is on cautious, minimal use because nicotine is highly addictive and can raise blood pressure.

Limit or stop cannabis use during preconception, especially if pregnancy is taking longer than expected. This includes smoking and vaping, since cannabis exposure has been linked to poorer sperm concentration, motility, and morphology, as well as reduced egg quality and fertility in some people.

A daily NMN regimen used as an NAD precursor to support sirtuin activity and cellular energy metabolism. The common protocol is 1,000 mg taken in the morning, with the goal of raising blood NAD levels; one cited effect is that about two weeks of use can roughly double NAD on average.

This recommendation is to avoid alcohol entirely rather than treat moderate drinking as healthful. The practical protocol is simple: if you drink at all, keep it to the smallest possible amount, with some speakers suggesting no more than one drink in a day, but the dominant advice is complete abstinence. The rationale is that even low doses of ethanol may carry health and behavioral costs, while stopping drinking can also support weight control and better self-regulation.

A serotonin precursor used by some people as an over-the-counter way to raise serotonin and support mood or gratitude-related states. The common practice is to use it cautiously or avoid it altogether, since it can push serotonin too directly and is often viewed as a poor fit for routine self-experimentation.

Increase intake of dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and romaine as a regular part of the diet. These foods are emphasized as nutrient-dense sources of magnesium and as a core feature of heart-healthy eating patterns like DASH, with the main benefit being support for preserved cognitive performance and overall brain health.

Audio tracks are played so each ear receives a slightly different frequency, creating a binaural beat effect. The usual protocol is to listen with headphones, which is how the two tones are kept separate and the effect is most reliably produced. Different frequency ranges are commonly used for different states, such as delta-range beats for easing the transition into sleep.

A 600 mg garlic capsule or extract taken alongside alpha-GPC, mainly to blunt a possible rise in TMAO. The practice is used as a precaution because the TMAO effect of typical alpha-GPC doses is uncertain, while garlic may also offer broader cardiovascular and immune-support benefits.

Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening or near bedtime if you want better sleep. Alcohol can make you feel sleepy at first, but it fragments sleep later in the night and suppresses REM and other restorative sleep stages, leaving sleep less refreshing overall.

An over-the-counter herbal source of L-DOPA, the direct precursor to dopamine. It’s used to produce a strong, short-lived dopamine boost, which is why people discuss it for Parkinson’s symptom support, lowering prolactin, and other dopamine-related effects.

Use red or red-plus-near-infrared light early in the day for brief eye exposure, typically about 1–3 minutes per session from a comfortable distance, a few times per week or daily for short periods. The practice is aimed at adults over 40 with age-related vision decline, and is thought to help photoreceptor mitochondria function better, potentially supporting visual performance and slowing age-related loss.

A quick morning breathing check used as a low-cost marker of recovery and stress load. After waking, do several deep nasal inhales and full exhales, then take one deep nasal inhale and time a slow, controlled exhale until the lungs are empty; repeat under the same conditions each day for a more comparable reading. Longer times generally suggest better CO2 tolerance and may track with readiness, stress management, and overall recovery.

During fasting, plain water is the baseline drink, and unsweetened tea or black coffee are commonly treated as compatible additions. The idea is to stay hydrated and, if desired, use caffeine for alertness without adding calories that would meaningfully interrupt the fast.

Use wearables or sleep devices like Oura, Whoop, or Eight Sleep to monitor sleep patterns over time, including stages such as REM and slow-wave sleep. The main value is not chasing nightly scores, but comparing trends and averages against how you actually feel so you can spot meaningful changes without over-fixating on noisy data.

At the early stage of feeling sick, use heat before sleep: a hot shower or very hot bath/shower as hot as comfortably tolerable without scalding; some may create a steam-filled bathroom. Avoid sauna if already running a fever because body temperature could rise to dangerous levels.

Use an electrolyte mix in water, especially first thing in the morning and around training, rather than relying on plain water alone. The common protocol is to add sodium-rich electrolytes before and/or during workouts, with many recommendations landing around 200–400 mg sodium per serving and higher amounts for heavy sweaters. This helps replace sweat losses, support hydration, and maintain normal nerve and muscle function during exercise.

Healthy way to activate reward/dopamine circuitry and get reinforcing stimuli or satisfaction; can feel painful during the activity but good afterward.

Eat in ways that nourish beneficial gut microbes, especially by emphasizing fiber-rich foods and fermented foods. The goal is to shift the microbiome toward producing helpful short-chain fatty acids and away from patterns that can damage the gut lining, which may support lower inflammation, better immune function, and broader metabolic health.

Use the largest safe, controlled range of motion for each joint during resistance training, and check that technique stays solid as depth or reach increases. Doing so across the week can improve strength and hypertrophy, help preserve mobility, and may reduce injury risk by keeping joints moving well.

A studied protocol of roughly 6 to 8 grams per day of vitamin C, usually taken with the goal of preventing or shortening colds and flu. The consensus here is that the evidence for meaningful benefit is weak, so it is generally not considered a high-value intervention despite the popularity of the approach.

After crossing time zones, shift your meals to the destination’s schedule as soon as you arrive, even if that means skipping or delaying breakfast to match local timing. Pairing food timing with the new day-night rhythm helps reset circadian cues faster and can reduce jet lag and gastrointestinal discomfort.

Rhodiola rosea is commonly used to reduce physical and perceived fatigue, with some early evidence suggesting it may also support memory and cognition. It’s often taken strategically rather than as a blanket cortisol-lowering supplement, since it appears to act more like a stress-response modulator and may be better suited for later-day use or fatigue-heavy periods than right before hard training.

A very low-dose daily tadalafil protocol, typically around 2 to 5 mg rather than standard higher doses. It’s used mainly to improve urinary symptoms and prostate/bladder congestion, with reports of reducing nighttime urination frequency, likely by improving pelvic blood flow and smooth-muscle relaxation.

A simple eye covering used during psychedelic-assisted sessions, especially psilocybin and MDMA therapy. The usual protocol is to put it on for most or all of the session so external visual input is minimized and attention can turn inward. This can reduce distraction from changing visuals and support a deeper, more introspective therapeutic experience.

A structured, non-drug treatment for insomnia that uses cognitive and behavioral techniques to retrain sleep. It typically includes sleep restriction or bedtime rescheduling, along with sleep-hygiene and stimulus-control strategies, often guided by a clinician. It is valued because it is highly effective, with benefits that can match sleeping pills short term and last longer over time.

Use a hand grip dynamometer or similar grip tool to measure grip strength, often comparing one hand at a time. It’s used as a simple recovery marker because grip tends to drop after hard training, poor sleep, or inadequate recovery, and tracking it can help flag when you’re not fully recovered.

Oral L-arginine is commonly taken in doses around 3 to 10 grams, often before bed or before exercise. The main rationale is to support a substantial growth hormone pulse, though doses above about 9 grams may blunt that effect and it can have cardiovascular effects, so it should be used cautiously.

A daily oral saffron supplement, typically around 30 mg, used as an anxiolytic. It’s been supported by multiple human studies, including double-blind trials in both men and women, and is associated with lower scores on standard anxiety measures such as the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale.

During workouts, use the Galpin hydration equation: drink about body weight in pounds divided by 30 in ounces every 15–20 minutes, or roughly 2 mL per kilogram at the same interval. Start exercise already hydrated and include electrolytes when needed, especially for longer or sweatier sessions. This helps limit the performance and cognitive drop that can happen when even mild dehydration reduces work capacity.

Increase intake of tyrosine-rich foods such as red meat, nuts, Parmesan, and other protein-containing foods to support dopamine and catecholamine production. The idea is that providing more dietary tyrosine can help maintain baseline dopamine levels and promote alertness and wakefulness, especially when mental energy is low.