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Psychotropin™

Stressors, like heavy training, cause disturbances in hormones and parameters associated with the central nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). Among other things, HPA changes include an increase in cortisol (a muscle wasting stress hormone), a reduced sensitivity of the HPA to feedback down-regulation and a disruption in the circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion. Central nervous system changes include the stress-induced depletion of catecholamine neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine.

To successfully combat stress and stressful situations, adaptation is required. Adaptation might be best thought of as the ability to be exposed to a stressor, while responding with either decreased or no characteristic hormonal changes. Adaptation also implies being able to reassume a homeostatic state (back to normal) once the stressor has been removed.

As an example, if a well-trained athlete participates in an exercise bout inducing a huge HPA change — about that would absolutely wreck an untrained person — the athlete will be relatively unaffected. The reason? This is a result of adaptation that has occurred during the athlete's training process. After the stress ended, their physiology would be expected to re-establish homeostasis rapidly. Basically put, training more causes you to adapt more quickly.

Most of us are well-trained bodybuilders, so our adaptation process should be pretty responsive; however, by nature, our sport requires us to constantly bombard the muscle with stressors in order to trigger the next level of growth. So how do we maintain this level of intensity and constant physical punishment without driving our bodies and our minds to mush?

We’re all familiar with the numerous approaches for body recovery but what about the brain? What about the mental and psychological stresses that you can’t just bench press your way through – like deadlines, exams, and stressful relationship situations? These can drain your nervous system, raise cortisol, and waste muscle just as fast as physical overtraining can. How do you protect and strengthen your mind so it can adapt and cope with these situations effectively - thereby minimizing the catabolic stress response?

Psychotropin is a supplement designed to increase the body’s ability to handle and adapt to stress while serving to calm and reset the mind. It can renew central nervous system function and induce a state of psychological well-being and physical anabolism. Psychotropin is loaded with a veritable plethora of mood-elevating nutrients and plant constituents. Patrick Arnold and ErgoPharm see the future of focus/mood elevators being an ancillary gadget for heavy training and bodybuilding.

Phenibut — The chief ingredient of Psychotropin is a derivative of the brain neurotransmitter amino acid gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This amino acid derivative is 3-phenyl GABA, known as the remarkable compound phenibut with very unique subjective effects. Phenibut gives a calming effect, however this effect is not associated with any sedation. Quite the contrary, phenibut seems to enhance concentration and awareness and it boosts clarity of thinking. It also seems to allow one to work harder with less perceived effort. It also has known and studied anti-catabolic effects. For instance, studies on piglets have shown that phenibut sharply reduces the corticosteroid response to weaning stress, resulting in enhanced growth versus controls.

Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALCAR) — ALCAR supplementation demonstrates neuronal structural changes in the brain and plays a role in reducing stress and depression. ALCAR protects against the decreases in dopamine and testosterone that normally occurs after exposure to both acute and chronic stress. ALCAR has also been shown to substantially increase circulating IGF-1 levels in non-symptomatic HIV+ as well as normal people.

Bacopa Monnieri — In use for several thousand years in Ayurvedic medicine as a brain nerve tonic, Bacopa monnieri is now being recognized for its memory enhancing by possibly improving the conductivity of nerve tissue as well as for its adaptogenic effects as it possesses mild sedative and anti-anxiety properties.

L-Theanine — Theanine may have both mood enhancing and nootropic properties. Theanine shows promise for improving learning performance, heightening mental acuity, increasing the formation of GABA, and increasing brain dopamine levels among other positive neurological benefits. Theanine has also been purported to reduce the ill effects of over stimulation from caffeine.

Betaine — Betaine is a methyl donor also known as Trimethylglycine (TMG). Betaine, a closely related molecule to choline, plays a role in the synthesis of carnitine. Methyl donors are also involved in synthesis of neurochemicals, which may account for their cognitive effects.

Rhodiola Rosea — In addition, Psychotropin contains the herb rhodiola rosea - which has documented CNS stimulating, mood elevating, work performance enhancing, sleep improving, and fatigue fighting properties.

Vinpocetine — Vinpocetine, a cerebral metabolic enhancer and a selective cerebral vasodilator, has been shown to enhance oxygen and glucose uptake from blood by brain neurons, and to increase neuronal ATP bio-energy production, even under hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions.

Huperzine A — Huperzine A crosses the blood-brain barrier and protects acetylcholine from being destroyed by acetylcholinesterase. This property of Huperzine causes an increase in acetylcholine in the brain thereby leading to improved mental function including memory enhancement.

As you can see, Psychotropin is packed with neuro-protective and adaptogenic ingredients. This represents the next line of defense against overtraining and over stimulation. Psychotropin serves to renew CNS function to promote calmness, focus and psychological well being — all leading to physical recovery and eventual anabolism.

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