Athletes, body builders, weekend warriors, and anyone who is routinely physically active know that mental focus is a key component of peak performance. It’s just as essential as physical training. In competitive sports, the constant need for mental stamina is even more demanding. This is true, no matter the sport.
A certain amount of physical activity enhances mental function, but as it becomes more intense, it places a higher demand on the brain. Unlike muscles, the brain does not store energy. The brain needs a consistent form of nourishment to continually generate the mental acuity it needs to meet the moment’s needs. Citicoline is a critically important nutrient that the brain requires to support the mental energy, memory, focus, motor speed, and attention it needs to complete not only routine daily tasks, but to perform at competitive levels as well.
Unfortunately, this nutrient is not always available at the levels the brain needs, especially as individuals age, or are exerting themselves both physically, and mentally. Supplementation is required by a clinically studied form of citicoline to provide a competitive edge as athletes and gamers play hard to get to the top of the leaderboard. In recent years, consumers are more health conscious, and better educated, and thus are looking for science-driven ingredients that can address multiple needs.
What is citicoline, and what does it do?
Citicoline is a naturally occurring nutrient found in the brain. It increases an important substance called phosphatidylcholine that is critical for healthy brain function. Cognizin® Citicoline is a clinically studied form of citicoline that can supply the brain with the nutrition it needs to stay sharp.
The brain is constantly being attacked by various factors of our lifestyle including environmental pollution, internal toxicity, stress, and a lack of proper diet and nutrients. Citicoline may help combat the ravages of these effects by stimulating the nervous system process to maintain optimum sustainability of the molecular environment of the brain enabling a body to retain its ability to think cognitively and improve focus and attention.
Cognizin® Citicoline has been studied and report:
- Clinical trials have shown citicoline is effective for combating the effects of certain neurodegenerative processes.1, 4
- Scientific studies have indicated that citicoline is an effective aid for maintaining normal cognitive function with aging.1, 4
- Additional studies point to the ability of citicoline to act as an antioxidant in preserving normal healthy visual function.1, 5
- Citicoline protects neural tissue from the ravages of free radical damage.1
One study on Cognizin® Citicoline's effect on focus and attention started with middle-aged women taking 250mg of Cognizin® daily1, 2, and exhibited a decrease in omission and commission errors, thus exhibiting how citicoline can support focus and attention when performing physical tasks.
You can read more about this study here.
Motor speed and the rise in gaming
Inside the world of gaming, participants often spend long hours in front of a screen utilizing a variety of their cognitive skills, all the while managing stress and staving off fatigue. The cognitive health supplement category has seen unprecedented growth7, 8 over the past few years, and while an aging population looks for products that support memory and mental acuity, younger consumers are becoming more aware of what they need to improve their ability to win with using these cognitive functions and maintain their alertness as well.
Citicoline has many different mechanisms of action that provide a path to multiple brain health benefits. Gamers seek them all to ensure that they can reach peak performance and see their name at the top of the leaderboard too.
Numerous studies have shown Cognizin® Citicoline to improve performance in many areas of mental focus and overall cognitive health. One study in particular has shown Cognizin® Citicoline’s effect on motor speed and attention in adolescent males.1, 3 The study started with adolescent males taking 250mg or 500mg of Cognizin® daily, and then exhibited improved attention and a significant increase in psychomotor speed compared to placebo.
Researchers noted significant improvements in key areas of performance. You can read more about this study here.
Gaming is not just for the young
Playing video games is no longer a past time exclusively enjoyed by the young. As generations have grown up with video games as a normal part of life, the age of the average gamer has also increased.
According to the Newzoo Global Games Market Report, in July of 20216, 38 percent of video game players come from the 18 to 34 age demographic, and 42 percent are over age 35. Citicoline provides support to any age for motor speed, focus, and attention. You can download the eGamer Advantage eBook to learn more.
Citicoline and energy
Energy reserves play a critical role in healthy brain function. The first vital benefit of Citicoline is its ability to help support the brain's energy producing centers. While the brain makes up only two percent of a person’s body weight, it consumes roughly 20 percent of the body’s energy when at rest.
When performing difficult mental activities, the brain needs even more energy. Clinical research indicates that citicoline supports the health of mitochondria, the powerhouses within cells that actually produce the brain’s energy.1 Healthy mitochondrial function results in higher levels of ATP - the body’s main energy storage molecule—in brain cells.
Citicoline product applications
Cognizin® Citicoline is suitable for use in many different types of product applications. The versatile nature of its applications makes it perfect for manufacturers of sports nutrition, health and wellness products, Food For Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), and nutritional supplements. Clinically researched ingredients are what esports and gaming enthusiasts reach for when they are seeking a competitive edge. Now is the time for product formulators and manufacturers to dominate the nootropic product game with Cognizin® Citicoline.
Cognizin® Citicoline was awarded the 2022 Nutraingredients Ingredient of the Year in Cognitive Function.
Consider adding this science-driven, award-winning ingredient to your next product formulation. For details visit cognizin.com.
References
1. The statements regarding Cognizin® Citicoline have not been approved by the European Food Safety Authority or the European Commission.
2. McGlade E. et al. Improved Attentional Performance Following Citicoline Administration in Healthy Adult Women. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 2012;3:769-773.
3. McGlade E, et al. The Effect of Citicoline Supplementation on Motor Speed and Attention in Adolescent Males. Journal of Attention Disorders. 2015; 1557-1246.
4. Qureshi ND, I, et. al. Citicoline: A Novel Therapeutic Agent with Neuroprotective, Neuromodulatory, and Neurogenerative Properties, 2010; Natural Medicine Journal. 2(6); 11
5. Grieb, P, et. al. Citicoline: A Food Beneficial for Patients Suffering from or Threated with Glaucoma, 2016; Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00073
6. Global Games Market Report 2021; Newzoo; July 1, 2021; Insider Intelligence, 268500.
7. Shmidt, C; at Euromonitor at SupplySide West 2015; Nutritional Business Journal Market Report 2015 and Euromonitor global market growth between 2010 and 2015.
8. Choquette, J; Natural Products Insider. Market outlook positive for cognitive health products, October 6, 2020.
