LightSpeed™ Formula
Proprietary LightSpeed™ Neuromuscular Acceleration Complex:
Choline Bitartrate is a rapidly absorbed, potent and stable form of choline. Choline is an organic compound which is used by the body to make the key stimulatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), which stimulates muscle contraction and is also heavily involved with cognition and memory. Exercise reduces choline levels in the body, which thus reduces a person’s physical output. Studies have shown that choline supplementation is particularly useful to those engaged in prolonged exercise or strenuous physical activity. Its effects on cognitive functions are also significant, with observed improvements in coordination, memory and mood. Studies have also found choline supplementation to increase pre-workout vigor and reduce post-workout fatigue.
Additionally, choline helps to strengthen cell membranes, and is used by the body in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine. Phosphatidylcholine acts both to build cell membranes and to help clear the liver of fat and cholesterol.
Choline bitartrate was chosen as the choline source for LightSpeed™ because it has a number of advantages without the downsides of other choline sources. It has been found to have a much higher concentration of choline by weight than other choline sources such as phosphadtidylcholine and soy lecithin, as well as being more readily absorbed into the bloodstream. (* If one takes supplemental phosphatidylcholine orally, it does not survive the digestive tract very well, and thus only about 13% of it is used by the body. It therefore makes more sense to supplement with choline bitartrate, which is then converted to phosphatidylcholine once absorbed into the bloodstream.) Additionally, choline bitartrate does not tend to cause any gastric distress, as is often the chase with supplemental phosphatidylcholine, and it is much more stable than the citrate form of choline.
Sulbutiamine is a remarkable derivative of vitamin B1 (thiamine) which, unlike vitamin B1 itself, rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier. It has been shown to have truly profound effects on both physical and mental performance. Sulbutiamine has been extremely popular among athletes in Europe for years due to the fast-acting, jitter-free wave of sustained energy, focus and mood elevation it provides along with its striking ability to delay physical and mental fatigue, allowing strength athletes to set new personal records and endurance athletes to keep going full-bore long after they would have normally “hit the wall.” Subtle in its onset, sulbutiamine often causes athletes who use it to find themselves wondering late in a workout or competition, “How come I’m not very tired? I’m usually wiped out by now.” And it does all of this without causing them to fail a drug test because it is merely a novel vitamin derivative which is not on any major sports governing body’s list of banned substances.
Sulbutiamine supplementation results in an increase in the formation of thiamine triphosphate (TTP), which regulates synaptic transmission of numerous impulses involved in different neuro-transmission systems. Sulbutiamine also works by dramatically increasing cholinergic activity in the brain, as it is a powerful acetylchoinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the destruction of the key neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). Acetylcholine is crucial in signaling muscle fibers to contract, among other important functions.
Unlike most stimulants, sulbutiamine provides a clean, clear-headed, pleasant rush of energy that will not make the user feel wired or jittery. Sulbutiamine has reams of research backing up its efficacy and is documented to delay muscular fatigue, promote increased maximal strength, wakefulness, improved response to stress, improved motor performance, improved long-term memory and even visual acuity, and has been shown to speed up reflexes and reaction time in clinical tests. It is commonly used by those suffering from asthenia (a general loss of bodily strength) and has also been shown to help alleviate the symptoms of depression, assist in normalizing sleep/wake cycles and even improve libido. †
N-Acetyl Tyrosine is a more stable and orally bioavailable form of the amino acid L-tyrosine. Once ingested, N-acetyl tyrosine is converted by the body to L-tyrosine, which is a precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and adrenaline (epinephrine).
Supplemental tyrosine has been shown to have a very pleasant, jitter-free stimulatory affect. Studies have shown it to have significant beneficial effects particularly on those undergoing continued physical or mental stress, such as hard training athletes. In those undergoing such stress it has been observed to combat physical and mental fatigue — which may thereby help athletes to avoid overtraining — and has also been shown to increase alertness, increase overall physical and cognitive performance and reduce stress hormone levels. It is also thought to improve reaction time. Additionally, tyrosine acts on the thyroid to influence the manufacture of thyroxine, which in turn influences metabolism. As a result, tyrosine is thought to be of benefit with regard to weight loss.
Notably, since other ingredients in the LightSpeed™ formula, such as green tea and caffeine, are known to increase the release of dopamine, noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and adrenaline (epinephrine), and tyrosine increases the body’s synthesis (use) of these neurotransmitters, the combination of these ingredients has a potent synergistic effect.
Methylxanthines (green tea extract) act as central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. As opposed to using artificial forms of caffeine or harsher stimulants, LightSpeed™ uses green tea extract, which yields the naturally occurring methylxanthines caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. These substances have been shown to work synergistically with other ingredients in the LightSpeed™ formula such as N-acetyl tyrosine in that methylxanthines increase the release of the neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and adrenaline (epinephrine), whereas N-acetyl tyrosine increases the body’s synthesis (use) of these neurotransmitters.
Additionally, caffeine has been found to have a very synergistic effect with another key LightSpeed™ ingredient, sulbutiamine. A significantly enhanced effect is produced when combining even a moderate amount of caffeine with sulbutiamine versus using sulbutiamine alone. Sulbutiamine’s effects seem to be intensified significantly by caffeine. As such, a very moderate amount of caffeine (slightly less than is found in the typical cup of coffee) is used in LightSpeed™, as more is not necessary to achieve the desired effect. The goal, keep in mind, is not to get you over-stimulated or to make you jittery. LightSpeed’s™ unique formula is, by design, able to be supremely effective with only a very moderate level of caffeine.
Caffeine of course has been found through numerous studies over many years to have a wide range of physical and cognitive performance-enhancing effects, including improved VO2 max (maximal oxygen uptake), increased muscular contractile strength, improved endurance in distance runners and cyclists, improved speed in sprinters, delaying fatigue in athletes and reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) which occurs post-exercise.
Bacopin® is a standardized extract prepared from the leaves of the bacopa monnieri plant. Bacopa monnieri has been used for centuries in the Ayurvedic system of medicine to enhance learning, concentration and memory development as well as to provide relief from anxiety disorders, and modern research has affirmed its efficacy.
Bacopin®, the premiere brand of bacopa monnieri, has been standardized for bacosides A and B, the primary constituents responsible for bacopa’s cognitive enhancement effects. These bacosides, along with the triterpenoid saponins present in bacopa monnieri, facilitate the repair of damaged neurons by enhancing neuronal synthesis, kinase activity, restoration of synaptic activity, and ultimately nerve impulse transmission. What does this mean for you? Bacopa is known to help enhance focus, attention span and mental sharpness. It is recognized as an adaptogen, an agent that naturally helps the body with overcoming physical and mental fatigue and anxiety caused by various kinds of stress, thus making it a useful endurance aid. It is also commonly used to help with respiratory function, and researchers have observed significant improvements in speed of information processing, memory and verbal learning with longer-term administration of bacopa monnieri. Additionally, it is known to have potent anti-inflammatory and immune system-enhancing properties.
Research has also shown that bacopa may increase thyroid hormone levels by more than 40%. The higher the body's thyroid hormone levels are, the faster the body burns up calories, with much of that likely to come from body fat. This boost in thyroid hormones may help prevent the drop in metabolic rate that normally accompanies those who have been dieting or trying to lose weight or body fat.
The bacosides present in bacopa monnieri also appear to have antioxidant activity in the hippocampus, frontal cortex and striatum. And bacopa monnieri extracts have been shown through in vitro research to exert an anti-cancer effect, likely due to their ability to inhibit DNA replication in cancer cell lines. †
DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) is a naturally occurring nutrient that is present in the brain in small amounts. Researchers have found that when supplemental amounts of DMAE are taken the enhancement effects on brain function are truly remarkable. It is thought to work by accelerating the brain’s synthesis and turnover of the key neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), a neurotransmitter that stimulates muscle contraction and is also heavily involved with cognition and memory. Additionally, DMAE has been shown to stabilize cell membranes and prevent cell membrane degradation (widely thought to be one of the primary causes of aging). DMAE is also thought to have the effect of inhibiting choline metabolism in peripheral tissues, thereby allowing free choline to accumulate in the blood and enter the brain, where it stimulates cholinergic receptors.
DMAE has been shown in a wide range of scientific literature to elevate mood, increase physical energy, improve memory and learning, and heighten intelligence. In a double-blind study, subjects given DMAE exhibited increased vigilance (presence of mind), improved mood, and had significant synchronization of the brain’s hemispheres, which correlates to improved neuromotor control, increased verbal memory, enhancement of behavioral tasks and better control in anxious situations. And DMAE does all of this without a typical stimulant-like “high” or a crash later on. It has a smooth, controlled onset which lasts for hours, has no unpleasant side effects and makes you feel perfectly “zoned in."
Picamilon is a unique combination of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and niacin which rapidly penetrates the blood-brain barrier (unlike either of those two components alone). The niacin component acts as a vasodilator, increasing cerebral blood flow and improving the brain’s functional state. GABA is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in regulating neuronal excitability in the nervous system. In other words, it works to “calm your nerves.”
The notable thing about picamilon, however, is that it has the unique ability to calm one’s mind without relaxing the body or causing drowsiness. In fact, clinical studies have found it to be of particular use to athletes due to its ability to alleviate anxiety during competition while increasing the nervous system’s ability to coordinate complex activities. This makes it the perfect compound to get an athlete in the ideal mental and neurological state when it’s “game time.” The mind is stimulated and cognitive abilities are enhanced without causing any of the jitteriness typical of stimulants. Perhaps even more interestingly, studies found that picamilon helped subjects to quickly recover physical and mental working capacity after having been fatigued or overstressed. In other words, it helps you perform longer and recover faster.
Bioperine® is a form of black pepper extract standardized for 95% piperine. Known as “Nature’s Bioavailability Enhancing Thermonutrient,” Bioperine® has been shown to enhance the body’s absorption rate of various nutrients, thereby assuring maximal utilization by the body and increasing the potency of a given dose of nutrient. It does so by naturally enhancing thermogenesis, a process commonly recognized as being a key factor in maintaining weight loss, and which has also been identified as playing an integral role in utilizing the daily food and nutrients that the human body consumes. Bioperine® helps provide a more efficient mode of transport into the blood for key nutrients. For example, in one human study, subjects who ingested Bioperine® along with 100 mg of Vitamin B6 exhibited serum levels of Vitamin B6 two hours later that were over 150% higher than those who merely ingested 100 mg of Vitamin B6 alone. Bioperine® helps to make the whole formula much more potent, providing more bang for your buck.
Vinpocetine is a thoroughly researched “smart supplement” that has been widely used in Europe for nearly three decades for its cognitive enhancement, antioxidant and protective benefits. It has been shown not only to selectively stimulate blood circulation to the brain and to help the brain make better use of oxygen but also to have a remarkable neuroprotective effect. Additionally, vinpocetine is thought to increase the rate of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) synthesis and cerebral glucose utilization. ATP is the substance that transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism, whereas glucose is the primary fuel for the brain, thus these two effects result in enhancement of overall brain energy levels.
Vinpocetine is especially effective in enhancing overall attention and concentration, improving memory and improving overall cognitive function, and is reported by many to improve visual acuity.
Huperzine-A is a purified compound derived from the plant huperzia serrata and is a powerful acetylchoinesterase (AChE) inhibitor. What this means is that it prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that stimulates muscle contraction and is also heavily involved with cognition and memory.
Clinical studies have also shown significant increases in brain noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and dopamine after administering huperzine-A. Noradrenaline (norepinephrine) is both a neurotransmitter ― i.e. it transmits impulses from one neuron to the next ― and a hormone involved in regulating the body’s “fight or flight” response under times of extreme stress. Dopamine plays many important roles in the brain, and is involved in motor activity, cognition, mood, learning and other functions.
B-Vitamin Support Complex:
Niacin (niacinamide) is often used to prevent decline in cognitive abilities as well as to help reduce fatigue. Among various other benefits, niacinamide has been shown to help maintain normal function of nerves, to reduce the psychological effects of stress and anxiety, and to help alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis. It is also thought to have anti-aging benefits.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine HCl) is necessary for the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and adrenaline (epinephrine), as well as certain enzymes and postglandins. It plays an essential role, among other things, in healthy nervous system function and energy production. It is especially important for maintaining healthy nerve and muscle cells, and is necessary for the absorption of Vitamin B12 as well as for red blood cell production.
Folate (folic acid) is essential for proper brain function and plays an important role in emotional and mental health. It also works in conjunction with Vitamin B12 on regulating red blood cell formation as well as performing several other crucial tasks.
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) is considered the most potent vitamin. Its main functions are in the maintenance of a healthy nervous system and the formation of red blood cells. It helps maintain the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers from each other, and has been shown to help those with certain types of nerve damage. It plays an important role in numerous cellular reactions to release energy from carbohydrates, fats and protein, and works in conjunction with folate (folic acid) on regulating red blood cell formation.
Pantothenic Acid (d-calcium pantothenate) plays a key role in helping maintain precise communication between the central nervous system and the brain, which is crucial to functions such as muscular contraction and reaction speed. It is also integral in producing numerous enzymes in the body, and helps to break down carbohydrates, fats and protein for energy. In addition to a wide range of other important functions, pantothenic acid may help to manage stress from psychological strain, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, and smoking and alcohol cessation. †
