Gamersupps Review: Why You Shouldn’t Buy

Remember the movie Limitless? Take a pill that enhances allows you to use 100% of your brain capacity enhancing mental function to the extreme.

That’s the premise of nootropics. Natural brain enhancers to boost your mental performance. That is what Gamersupps supplements are based around.

While Gamersupps supplements have some well-researched ingredients to enhance mental performance, many of the ingredients lack scientific backing and are likely underdosed due to doses being hidden behind a proprietary blend.

This Gamersupps review is going to break down every active ingredient so you know exactly what you are getting.

Table of Contents

Why You Shouldn’t Buy Gamersupps

When looking at supplements to enhance your gaming performance, there is one thing that supplement companies do as a marketing trick to potentially underdose their products.

And that is the “proprietary blend.” The proprietary blend is a sneaky marketing term supplement companies like to use to make it seem like their formula is exclusive and they created it so no one can copy it.

However, that is not the reason for a proprietary blend as it’s very easy to find the research displaying the optimal dosage for each ingredient. There are no “secret” ingredients that will make that big of a difference.

And the ones that do are banned (e.g. testosterone).

The real reason for the use of a proprietary blend is to hide how underdosed the active ingredients are.

Yep, it’s a money saver.

While many of the ingredients by Gamersupps have some strong evidence behind them, some others don’t. That doesn’t make them completely useless, but keep in mind on their ingredients page they don’t link out to the actual research regarding the effectiveness of their ingredients.

Further, one serving size is 1.6 g. So, let’s see how the optimal dose of each ingredient fits into their serving size. I will be looking at their most reviewed flavor, Dragonfruit Punch.

Gamersupps Review & Ingredients

I will be linking to the best ingredients you can purchase individually so you can take optimal doses for your gaming performance.

When reading an ingredients label, here is a simple rule to follow. Ingredients are listed in a specific order. They are always ordered by the quantity of the ingredient where the first ingredients are the highest dose while the ingredients at the end of the label have the smallest doses.

Vitamin D3

For gamers and esports athletes, Vitamin D supplementation is a must as the majority of time awake is spent indoors or mainly at night when there is no sun.

Vitamin D can be attained naturally through direct sunlight each day which will be dependent on where you reside.

Sporting athletes around the world display Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. For example, 26-36% of basketball, American Football, and soccer players showed Vitamin deficiency and 42-80% showed insufficiency ^[1].

There’s no reason that esports athletes and gamers don’t display similar deficiencies in Vitamin D. Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health and muscle strength and performance which is important for fast movements of the mouse or gaming controller ^[1].

It also seems to strengthen the immune system reducing the risk of getting sick.

Gamersupps dose their product at 100 IU. The Endocrinology Society estimates that 600-800 IU a day isn’t enough for sufficient Vitamin D levels and raised their recommendation to 1500-2200 IU a day ^[1].

This suggests that Gamersupps are well underdosed. Vitamin D is dirt cheap and worth having your own Vitamin D supplement.

Best Vitamin D3

NOW Foods 2000 IU Vitamin D3

Caffeine L-Theanine Stack

Both of these ingredients have a lot of great research behind them. Caffeine can be thought of as an “upper” which raises cognitive function, alertness, and many other mental attributes. I’m sure you’ve felt how focused you can be after having your morning caffeine.

L-Theanine on the other hand is a “downer” that reduces anxiety, stress, and has a relaxing effect ^[3]. So why would you combine both of these together?

Interestingly, when combining both caffeine and L-theanine as a “nootropic stack,” they work synergistically where the caffeine is able to provide the boost in mental function while the L-theanine “takes the edge off” of the caffeine and reduces the jittery feeling along with high blood pressure ^[2].

According to Examine.com, a 1:1 ratio of 200 mg each of caffeine and L-theanine has been shown to promote attention and brain function. Most research states a 2:1 ratio of L-theanine to caffeine is the gold standard for cognitive benefits ^[4][5][6].

Your ratio should always be based on your caffeine value, not the other way round. As in, work out your dose of caffeine first otherwise you could end up with too much or too little caffeine.

If you are not a regular caffeine drinker, starting with 100 mg is a good base. Cognitive benefits seem to occur at lower doses of caffeine compared to strength where 3-6 mg per kg of bodyweight is often recommended ^[7].

3 mg per kg of bodyweight seems to be the sweet spot for prolonged activity such as gaming whereas higher doses acutely improve power output. So for a 60 kg individual, a dose of 180 mg caffeine stacked with 360 mg L-theanine would be an optimal dose.

Unfortunately, Gamersupps does not disclose their dosage but with caffeine being listed as their number one ingredient out of 1.6 g total, I would estimate that the caffeine content is at least 200 mg.

They state on their ingredients page they use a 2.25:1 L-theanine to caffeine ratio which, while a little higher than a lot of the research, won’t cause any harm.

Depending on your bodyweight, you may be under or over-dosing your caffeine with Gamersupps so you are better off getting your own raw ingredients so you can increase or decrease as necessary.

These caffeine anhydrous tablets do the trick and are very well priced. You can cut them in half for 100 mg doses. That is what I do as I don’t drink caffeine regularly.

Best Caffeine

ALLMAX Caffeine 200 mg Tablets

L-Theanine is best bought in 200 mg doses so you can double up if you need to.

Best L-Theanine

Jarrow Formulas L-Theanine 200 mg Caps

Choline L-Bitartrate

Choline L-Bitartrate is the cheap version of choline that is found in Gamersupps supplements. Unfortunately, this isn’t as effective for enhancing brain function compared to more expensive choline sources such as Alpha-GPC.

Choline you will also find in the egg yolk (so eat the whole egg) where one large yolk has around 150 mg of choline. A few eggs a day will give you around 450 mg and then supplementing on top of it will get you to an optimal dose.

1-2 g is typically used for cognitive benefits. Promising research with Alpha GPC specifically has shown reductions in cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients ^[7].

600 mg of Alpha GPC has been shown to massively increase power output in athletes but is yet to be replicated and likely not as applicable to esports athletes ^[8].

If you have the extra cash and want to eke out any potential benefit, then this is the choline supplement you should get.

Best Alpha GPC

NOW Foods 300 mg Alpha GPC

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this supplement as part of an essential gaming supplement stack unless you had the money to spend.

L-Tyrosine

L-Tyrosine is a well-studied nootropic relative to other nootropic supplements. It has been shown to preserve working memory, attention, and reduce the perception of stress during acute stress such as sleep deprivation and temperature changes ^[9].

PURE L-Tyrosine Powder (1 lb)

Gamersupps have definitely underdosed L-Tyrosine as the entire serving size is 1.6 g.

Phosphatidylserine

This supplement is actually found in fish. But further supplementation derives greater cognitive benefits. Approximately 200-400 mg a day appears to improve cognition whereas two 200 mg doses a day increased speed of calculation and improved accuracy of right answers by 20% and 13% respectively in college males ^[10].

This is a promising nootropic and well worth having in your stack. It’s a little more expensive than other ingredients but has some better evidence of its effectiveness.

Best Phosphatidylserine

NOW Foods 100 mg Phosphatidyl Serine

I would estimate the dose is closer to 100 mg in Gamersupps due to how far it is placed down the ingredients list.

Lutein

Evidence is pretty scarce when it comes to this carotenoid. It is said to accumulate in the eyes acting as a blue light filter that protects the cells in the eye ^[11].

There may be potential for Lutein to provide a neuroprotective effect reducing the risk of cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s ^[12].

12-15 mg of Lutein seems to be the sweet spot for improvements in visual performance and protection. You can get this straight through food with ½ cup of cooked kale and ½ cup of spinach ^[12].

If you would prefer to supplement (I would advise getting it through food so you get your vegetable intake), then you can get 20 mg soft gels very cheap.

Best Lutein

Lutein 20 mg California Gold

Astaxanthin

Now we get into the really speculative supplements. That’s not to say they aren’t potentially useful. But with very little research backing them, recommending them is more about looking at potential benefits for those who have the extra money and want to try eek out that extra 0.5% in performance.

Astaxanthin is an antioxidant that is usually found in red-pink seafood such as salmon. Other than that, there isn’t much benefit for the esports athlete.

Coenzyme Q10

There doesn’t seem to be any real therapeutic effect with coenzyme Q10 with the research showing potential improvements in blood flow in those with diabetes ^[13].

For me, that’s not a good enough reason to include in a nootropic pre-workout product for gaming and esports.

Acai Berry Extract

Gamersupps reasoning for including Acai berry extract is related to animal studies showing improved cholesterol and brain function.

Unfortunately, research states that “it is hard to specify the definitive effects of açaí on cognitive function.” ^[14].

However, if you like Acai fruit, there’s no harm in eating an antioxidant-rich fruit!

Mangosteen Extract

Another antioxidant included by Gamersupps due to its supposed anti-cancer benefits. There is very little evidence for this with the small number of studies focused on petri-dish research ^[15].

Goji Berry Extract

Similar to the above ingredients, very little evidence exists for the exorbitant claims made about Goji berries. Gamersupps rationale is the potential to regulate blood pressure. However, evidence is weak and scarce.

Ginseng

The final active ingredient is Ginseng. Another popular traditional Chinese medicine with some promising evidence behind it.

Approximately 200-400 mg is the optimal dose for cognitive benefits and improving self-reported calmness ^[16].

This is a traditional Chinese medicine that may well be worth having as part of your esports supplement stack.

Being the last ingredient on the Gamersupps list, it will definitely be underdosed. Therefore, opt for a Ginseng extract to have on its own so you can properly dose it.

Best Ginseng

California Gold Nutrition Panax Ginseng Extract, 250 mg

Is Gamersupps Safe

The only problem you may have with Gamersupps is the caffeine intake, especially in younger individuals. Younger gamers shouldn’t use these supplements especially not knowing the dose of caffeine in the product.

Other than that, Gamersupps ingredients are perfectly safe and there is no issue if you decided you wanted to give these supplements a try.

However, you will get more for your money if you buy the individual ingredients so you can dose each of them appropriately.

Gamersupps Pros

While I believe there are many cons to buying a supplement like this, there are some pros.

I would highly recommend getting your own ingredients and learning a bit about each supplement. While Gamersupps are convenient, the benefits may only come from the caffeine and L-theanine which you can buy much cheaper on their own.

1. de la Puente Yagüe, M., Collado Yurrita, L., & Cuadrado Cenzual, M. A. (2020). Role of vitamin d in athletes and their performance: Current concepts and new trends. Nutrients, 12(2), 579.

2. Examine.com. https://examine.com/supplements/theanine/

3. Lu, K., Gray, M. A., Oliver, C., Liley, D. T., Harrison, B. J., Bartholomeusz, C. F., … & Nathan, P. J. (2004). The acute effects of L‐theanine in comparison with alprazolam on anticipatory anxiety in humans. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 19(7), 457-465.

4. Haskell, C. F., Kennedy, D. O., Milne, A. L., Wesnes, K. A., & Scholey, A. B. (2008). The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood. Biological psychology, 77(2), 113-122.

5. Owen, G. N., Parnell, H., De Bruin, E. A., & Rycroft, J. A. (2008). The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. Nutritional neuroscience, 11(4), 193-198.

6. Giesbrecht, T., Rycroft, J. A., Rowson, M. J., & De Bruin, E. A. (2010). The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness. Nutritional neuroscience, 13(6), 283-290.

7. Moreno, M. D. J. M. (2003). Cognitive improvement in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia after treatment with the acetylcholine precursor choline alfoscerate: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Clinical therapeutics, 25(1), 178-193.

8. Ziegenfuss, T., Landis, J., & Hofheins, J. (2008). Acute supplementation with alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine augments growth hormone response to, and peak force production during, resistance exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 5(1), 1-2.

9. Banderet, L. E., & Lieberman, H. R. (1989). Treatment with tyrosine, a neurotransmitter precursor, reduces environmental stress in humans. Brain research bulletin, 22(4), 759-762.

10. Parker, A. G., Gordon, J., Thornton, A., Byars, A., Lubker, J., Bartlett, M., … & Kreider, R. B. (2011). The effects of IQPLUS Focus on cognitive function, mood and endocrine response before and following acute exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 8(1), 1-6.

11. Vishwanathan, R., Goodrow-Kotyla, E. F., Wooten, B. R., Wilson, T. A., & Nicolosi, R. J. (2009). Consumption of 2 and 4 egg yolks/d for 5 wk increases macular pigment concentrations in older adults with low macular pigment taking cholesterol-lowering statins. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 90(5), 1272-1279.

12. Johnson, E. J. (2014). Role of lutein and zeaxanthin in visual and cognitive function throughout the lifespan. Nutrition reviews, 72(9), 605-612.

13. Watts, G. F., Playford, D. A., Croft, K. D., Ward, N. C., Mori, T. A., & Burke, V. (2002). Coenzyme Q10 improves endothelial dysfunction of the brachial artery in Type II diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia, 45(3), 420-426.

14. Poulose, S. M., & Shukitt-Hale, B. (2013). Functional role of walnuts and acai fruits on brain health. In Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Flavors, Color, and Health Benefits (pp. 171-187). American Chemical Society.

15. Li, G., Petiwala, S. M., Pierce, D. R., Nonn, L., & Johnson, J. J. (2013). Selective modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress markers in prostate cancer cells by a standardized mangosteen fruit extract. PloS one, 8(12), e81572.

16. Coleman, C. I., Hebert, J. H., & Reddy, P. (2003). The effects of Panax ginseng on quality of life. Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics, 28(1), 5-15.

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