Energy

Did you stay up till 3am again? Do your friends think you're an asshole, because you're not paying any attention to what they're saying? Need a little energy boost? Attain Focus has exactly what you need. Our energy capsules contain vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements to sustain your energy levels and keep you from getting run down. They also contain natural herbal ingredients to perk you right up in the short term. Your friends will be amazed by your newfound vigor and concentration. Some may still think you're an asshole, but hey that's the price you'll have to pay for being this awesome.

Our energy capsules use Green Tea, Yerba Matte and Guarana to boost thermogenic processes in the body. Among other things, these are natural sources of caffeine, which amounts to about the equivalent of a half-cup of coffee per dose.

Several ingredients in these capsules have powerful antioxidant properties. Research suggests that oxidative stress can contribute to fatigue, and is likely a significant factor in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals and alleviate this stress.
Here’s the breakdown, ingredient by ingredient, of what’s in these capsules, and why:

1. Vitamin E is a lipid soluble vitamin that scavenges free radicals in the bloodstream and in cellular membranes.  It snarfles up peroxide radicals 1000 times faster than polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Vitamin E deficiency is uncommon, but when it happens, it can cause blood cells to disintegrate and neurons to die, which sucks a lot. [1]
2. B-vitamins are essential for normal cellular metabolism.  Several enzymes involved in ATP synthesis simply cannot function without them.  Shortage can lead to fatigue, anemia, weakness, and confusion.   Although this supplement contains more than the standard RDA of most of these B-vitamins, the amounts are well within established safe limits.
3. Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone release.  If you don’t eat iodized table salt, you could be at risk for iodine deficiency, which could lead to hypothyroidism – a condition characterized by lethargy and mental sluggishness.  A minimum of 150 µg of iodine (the amount contained in this supplement) daily is recommended for adults, while up to 1.1 mg is considered safe.
4. Chromium is needed in trace amounts to enable proper response to insulin.  If your body doesn’t respond to insulin, you can get hyperglycemic.  Hyperglycemia can make you feel tired and glazed. 
5. Potassium is an essential electrolyte that most people don’t get enough of.  The potassium gradient between the intracellular and extracellular space allows neurons to fire and muscles to contract. Potassium shortage can cause muscle weakness. Potassium leaves the body in a few ways, including sweat, which is why sports drinks usually contain potassium. These energy capsules give you some potassium, but people need so much of it that there wouldn’t be much room for anything else in there if your entire RDA of potassium were included.
6. Guarana Standardized Extract is responsible for most of the caffeine in these capsules.
7. Green Tea Extract contains a small amount of caffeine and a lot of antioxidant polyphenols. It’s been shown to simultaneously reduce oxidative stress and relieve fatigue symptoms in a mouse model of chronic fatigue.
8. Panax Ginseng is also known as Asian ginseng.  It has traditionally been given for longevity, and to combat fatigue.  Its anti-fatigue effect has been demonstrated in mice during exercise, and it can also reduce mental fatigue in humans who are working on tasks that tax their brains.
9. Eleuthero is also known as Siberian ginseng or Acanthopanax senticosus. It is used in herbal preparations to combat fatigue, and is quite popular in Russia.  Experiments with rats show that the animals can swim longer, and are more active after sleep deprivation, when treated with extracts from this plant.  Similar effects are seen in mice.
10. Rhodiola extract comes from the root of a flower that grows in high altitudes and cold climates.  In randomized control trials, it reduced stress-induced fatigue in participants, compared with a placebo, and in some studies, it mitigated depression.  The authors one review paper noted that, in the studies they looked at, more stuff went wrong in the placebo groups than the treatment groups, suggesting that rhodiola is safe in typical dosage amounts.
11. Licorice root contains antioxidants, as well as a compound called glabridin, which increases endurance during exercise.  Licorice also appears to have some antidepressant properties, which may be related to inhibition of serotonin reuptake.
12. Gotu Kola is used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine as a brain tonic, to rejuvenate the brain and improve intelligence and memory.
13. Yerba mate extract, like green tea extract, contains a small amount of caffeine and a lot of antioxidant polyphenols, but it’s a different assortment of polyphenols – mainly caffeoyl derivatives rather than the catechins that are found in green tea.  Variety is good, right? Yerba mate is also a natural source of pantothenic acid, one of those B vitamins important for maintaining energy levels.
14. Cayenne is a hot pepper that contains a fair bit of capsaicin.  The “SHU” on the label stands for “Scoville heat units,” a measure used to compare the amount of capsaicin in different peppers. Capsaicin has been shown to increase adrenaline and noradrenaline in rats, and to increase the amount of time they can swim before becoming exhausted.
15. Alpha Lipoic Acid supports normal mitochondrial function, reducing the production of free radicals during cellular respiration.  It also functions systemically as an antioxidant when present in sufficient amounts.  
16. CoQ10 is also known as ubiquinone or coenzyme Q10.  It is a component of the electron transport chain, essential for ATP production, and also has antioxidant properties.  It is obtained from dietary sources and synthesized in your body, but synthesis is a complex process, which nutritional deficiencies, genetic disorders, and some medications may interfere with.  At least 1200 mg per day can be taken safely.
17. Octacosanol is often taken to improve athletic performance.  It’s been shown to increase grip strength and improve reaction time.  Experiments in rats also demonstrate improved endurance with dietary octacosanol supplementation. 

References