7 Best Nootropic Supplements for Improving Energy and Motivation

Students, businesspeople, and others with demanding lifestyles often look for safe and efficient ways to increase their energy and motivation. Whether it’s an important business meeting or studying for a final exam, everyone can benefit from an extra jump in their step.

Although nootropics have been around for quite some time, 2011 Hollywood blockbuster Limitless popularized the industry. In the movie, the main character discovers a limitless pill called NZT-48. It’s seemingly magic powers transform him from an average writer into a super-genius in the finance world. The exaggerated mental enhancement portrayed in Limitless would be great if it were real. Just imagine the possibilities.

We don’t exactly have a real world NZT-48, but there are a lot of brain supplements that can give you a noticeable mental edge. So, what is the best nootropic for energy? In this article, we’ll cover the following 7 nootropics and cognitive enhancers: Aniracetam, Piracetam, Pramiracetam, Phenylpiracetam, Noopept, Modafinil / Adrafinil, and Armodafinil. If you’re having difficulty striking up the energy or motivation to get important work done, these supplements will give you the push you need.

Best Energy Boosting Supplements & Nootropics

1. Aniracetam

Aniracetam is one of the most effective energy enhancers and may be the best racetam for motivation, ambition, and determination. Aniracetam restores and creates the driving force for motivation by creating a state of focused relaxation. There are a couple of ways in which it does this. First, Aniracetam enhances energy by increasing extracellular concentrations of serotonin and dopamine within the brain’s prefrontal cortex. The increase in these chemicals fuels the “feel good” emotions and relaxation needed to maintain high energy and motivation levels. Aniracetam, in a sense, serves as an anti-depressant. Many people take Aniracetam for mood improvement and stabilization due to its anxiolytic properties.

Aniracetam also increases blood flow in the association cortex of the brain. This increase means Aniracetam supplementation can improve your holistic thinking. Being able to view individual pieces as a collective whole can make starting tasks easier due to enhanced mental clarity. We recommend adding choline to your energy and motivation stack when taking racetams. Alpha GPC or Citicoline supplementation can help eliminate headaches caused by choline deficiency.

2. Piracetam

Piracetam is also an excellent energy and motivation enhancer. It’s a very popular racetam that’s less potent than Aniracetam, making it ideal for new users. Like Aniracetam, Piracetam acts as a dopamine and serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Many studies say that Piracetam is most beneficial when treating cognitive impairment in older adults. However, its use in healthy individuals is mostly understudied.

Piracetam works by enhancing cellular membrane fluidity in the brain. This primary function explains why it’s an effective nootropic supplement for cognitive enhancement. Many users also take Piracetam as a supplement for improving creativity, as it has been shown to have similar anxiolytic properties found in Aniracetam. As mentioned earlier, this benefits an individual by reducing anxiety, allowing them to focus their energy on the task at hand.

3. Pramiracetam

Pramiracetam is similar to Piracetam and Aniracetam but is more potent than both of them. Pramiracetam enhances energy and motivation by increasing nitric oxide synthase in the cerebral cortex. This particular synthetic racetam is a great addition to your nootropic stack for energy and motivation. Much like the other racetams, the research of Pramiracetam in humans is limited, so its mechanism of action is a bit mysterious. With that said, we know that Pramiracetam supplementation can influence Electroencephalography (EEG) readings. EEG is used to measure your brain’s electrical activity.

4. Phenylpiracetam

Phenylpiracetam (phenotropil), like many smart drug types before it, was first developed in Russia. It is a modified version of Piracetam with a phenyl group added to its structure. This racetam is up to 60 times more potent than Piracetam and has been known to increase the density of dopamine receptors. Increasing the density of dopamine receptors can significantly enhance motivation, energy, and stamina.

In addition to being more neuroprotective than Piracetam, Phenylpiracetam also has psychostimulatory properties and can improve physical performance. These features caused the World Anti-Doping Agency to ban Phenylpiracetam supplements from use in the Olympics. Many users say Phenylpiracetam creates a clean stimulation similar to an Adderall without the adverse side effects. This clean energy makes it one of the top nootropics for focus. It can place you into a purpose-driven state leaving you feeling energized and motivated for several hours.

5. Noopept

Noopept is widely considered the best nootropic supplement for motivation and energy. This quick fix for brain fog greatly enhances drive, mental alertness, focus, mood, and concentration by increasing alpha and beta brainwave activity. These brainwaves are active during our waking hours and are involved in logical thinking and conscious thought. An observed increase in these brainwaves can lead to improved critical thinking, socialization, reading, and writings skills.

All of these are vital skills to sharpen when trying to improve productivity. The enhanced focus and increased capacity to take on intensive mental tasks caused by Noopept directly impact your motivation. Noopept is up to 1000 times stronger than Piracetam. Its strength means that much smaller doses are needed to achieve similar effects.

6. Modafinil / Adrafinil

Modafinil, sold under brand name Provigil, is a smart drug nootropic that significantly improves energy and motivation. Although conventional treatment for ADHD excludes Modafinil, many people use it for this purpose. When comparing Modafinil vs. Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), Modafinil is preferred for several reasons. It provides long-lasting clean energy and motivation with very minimal side effects. Long term, it appears to be a much safer alternative to Adderall which has been known to cause dependency issues and addiction.

Modafinil, a schedule IV controlled substance, is available only with a prescription. Adrafinil, however, is not a controlled substance, and it’s virtually the same thing as Modafinil. Because of this, Adrafinil is a great alternative as it’s easily obtainable.

The liver metabolizes Adrafinil, turning it into Modafinil when orally ingested. Since the liver metabolizes Adrafinil into Modafinil, the long-term side effects of Adrafinil are unknown. There’s speculation that long-term use could potentially cause liver damage, but there are no current studies to support this. Little to no dangerous side effects occur with responsible use of Adrafinil or Modafinil. However, there are plenty of all-natural substitutes for Adderall that can help boost your energy levels. We suggest giving those supplements a try.

7. Armodafinil

Armodafinil, a wakefulness-promoting drug used to treat excessive sleepiness, causes an increase in energy and motivation when taken by healthy individuals. It won’t boost memory or make you smarter, but it can enhance overall productivity through physical and mental stimulation. Commonly sold as Nuvigil, Armodafinil has similar effects to Modafinil and Adrafinil but differs in potency. Many refer to this drug as the lesser known “hot cousin” of Modafinil, and for a good reason.

Modafinil contains two enantiomers: the r-enantiomer and the s-enantiomer. The r-enantiomer is responsible for the cognitive stimulation you feel when taking the drug. The s-enantiomer, as far as current research is concerned, is mostly useless. Armodafinil contains only the r-enantiomer. Therefore, only half the amount of Armodafinil is needed.

Best Nootropic Stack for Motivation and Energy

Finding the best nootropic stack for motivation and energy is a must if you lead a demanding lifestyle. Any of the listed nootropics above can be of great benefit, although there is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. Individuals may react differently to these supplements. When responsibly taken, most users will experience improved levels of energy and motivation.

Out of the compounds listed above, the best nootropic for energy and motivation is Noopept. When stacked with an acetylcholine supplement, you will have long-lasting drive and enthusiasm towards your work. Tell us what you think the best nootropic for motivation and energy is. Let us know your experiences in the comments below!