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Imagine a stadium full of screaming fans.

Zoom in on the contestants. They're sweating from the intensity of the competition. What could it be? Boxing? MMA? Basketball? Tennis? American ninja warrior?

Nope.

It's electronic sports, also known as eSports, and the “athletes” are headset-wearing, energy-drink-guzzling, smart-drug-popping gamers.

And this sport is booming.

Top eSports tournaments now draw audiences that rival the biggest traditional sporting events, and live streams online routinely attract more than 100,000 viewers. Companies like Coke, Nissan and Red Bull sponsor tournaments, and last year alone, over 205 million people watched or played eSports.

As a matter of fact, today's eSports tournaments rival practically any big sporting event. The League of Legends Championship sold out Staples Center in 2013, then sold out the 40,000-seat World Cup Stadium in Seoul a year later while drawing an online audience of 27 million — more than the TV viewership for the final round of the Masters. Videos of these online gaming sports has more YouTube followers than news, movies and education combined.

There's money in this too. Check out the graphic below from ESPN:

ESPN.com illustration

But eSports isn't just online fun and money. There are some serious health risks involved with this sport. There's drugs. There's drug testing. There is the potential physiological effects of having your senses constantly bombarded by blue light, blue tooth and Wi-Fi.

So, in today's podcast, were going to take a deep dive into the crazy world of eSports. My guest today is Zach Burks, founder of a nootropic and smart drug company called NuSups. Zach started his career serving the USA in the Army, then moved to business with the knowledge he gained, and now specializes in enhancing mental and physical performance in gamers.

In today's episode, you're going to discover:

-How the exploding world of eSports works behind the scenes…

-The physical fitness demands of playing eSports…

-The health and sleep implications of the constant exposure to Wi-Fi, bluelight, Bluetooth and the other electronic assailants eSports athletes face…

-The “under-the-radar” kind of smart drugs or supplements these athletes are using…

-The difference between supplements used as stimulants and supplements used for calming effects…

-How drug testing in eSports works…

-The best smart drug and nootropic stacks being used in gaming…

-And much more!

Resources from this episode:

–Zach's website NuSups (use discount code is “brainyben1” for 10% and free shipping on any order)

–The movie “Gamer”

-Ben's liver cleansing stack: MPX100 + glutathione + n-acetylcysteine + chlorella + Alphabrain

–Blue light blocking glasses

-Notes from Zach's recommended stacks (all available from NuSups – use discount code is “brainyben1” for 10% and free shipping on any order)

Every stack needs 1 Choline Source, and 1 Synaptic Booster, at minimum! (real hardcore stackers like to include fish oils, and other vitamins as a requirement, but this isn't necessary for a basic stack). Listed below are some common nootropics/smart drugs and their category + effect.

Synaptic Boosters:

Piracetam –

Increased Memory

Improved Learning

Greater Focus

Heightened Sensory Function

Reduced Anxiety/Depression

Improved Vasodilation

Reduced Brain Trauma



Aniracetam –

Improved Memory

Increased Learning Ability

Improved Cognitive Processing

Heightened Reflexes

Heightened Perception

Reduced Anxiety

Reduced Depression

Oxiracetam –

Increase in Memory

Enhanced Learning Ability

Better Sensory Perception

Advance Technical Thinking

Improved Focus

Noopept –

Powerful Racetam

Boosts Acetylcholine production

The best Nootropic for creating and recalling memories, and learning.

Increases Neuron Growth

Neuroprotective – helps restore damaged parts of the brain

Phenlypiracetam –

Helps consolidate memory

Facilitates learning processes

Enhances Alertness & Focus

Improves Physical Performance

Improves Mood

Pramairacetam –

Overall Improved Cognition

Higher Sensory Perception

Improved Working/Long-Term Memory

Increased Learning

Enhanced Focus

Advanced Logical/Technical Thinking

Unlocked Areas of Thought

Adrafinil –

Improved short term memory

Improved attention and concentration

Enhanced clarity of thought

Normalization of sleep patterns

Less mental fatigue

Higher quality of self-awareness

Raised levels of optimism and enthusiasm for day to day life

Freedom from depression

Alpha GPC –

Increased learning

Improved memory

Heightened sensory perception

Increased focus

Improved motor skills

Pyritinol –

Improved memory

Faster Reaction time

Promotes Dopamine growth

Increased learning

Improved problem-solving skills

Enhanced sensory perception

ALCAR –

Powerful Anti-Oxidant

Boosts Acetylcholine production

Increases Learning, Mood, Clarity of Thought

Neuroprotective

Cognitive protectants below…

Centrophenoxine –

Choline Source

Fights Brain decline

Increases Learning, Mood, Clarity of Thought

Neuroprotective and boost Neuroplasticity

One of the safest supplements we sell

Citicoline –

Powerful Choline Source

Boosts Acetylcholine production

Increases Learning, Mood, and Clear Thoughts

Neuroprotective/Fights Brain Decline

L-Theanine –

Natural Nootropic

Boosts Alpha Brain waves

Boosts Neurotransmitters

Alleviates anxiety and stress

Neuroprotective/Fights Brain Decline

Noopept –

Powerful Racetam

Boosts Acetylcholine production

The best Nootropic for creating and recalling memories, and learning

Increases Neuron Growth

Neuroprotective – helps restore damaged parts of the brain

Piracetam –

Increased Memory

Improved Learning

Greater Focus

Heightened Sensory Function

Reduced Anxiety/Depression

Improved Vasodilation

Reduced Brain Trauma

Phenibut –

Anxiety reduction

Relaxation

Sleep induction

Reduced stress

Improved mood

Pyritinol –

Improved memory

Faster Reaction time

Promotes Dopamine growth

Increased learning

Improved problem-solving skills

Enhanced sensory perception

Choline sources

Alpha GPC –

Increased learning

Improved memory

Heightened sensory perception

Increased focus

Improved motor skills

ALCAR –

Powerful Anti-Oxidant

Boosts Acetylcholine production

Increases Learning, Mood, Clarity of Thought

Neuroprotective

A few example stacks with some average results listed below. Feel free to use this stack is you'd like the results listed.

Busy Mode:

20mg x Noopept

200mg x Phenylpiracetam

1gram x ALCAR

250mg x Adrafinil

This stack is something you will DEFINITELY feel. I call this the busy mode stack for one reason. The combination of Racetams and Adrafinil allow for complete focus as well as potential time dilation effects. You could tweak the amount of Adrafinil or Phenylpiracetam if this stack is too much for you: just lower the amounts by 50mgs.

Capital C(reativity) stack:

500mg x Aniracetam

150mg x Phenylpiracetam

300mg x Pyritinol

20mg x Noopept

150mg x L-Theanine

This stack is great for any artist or creative person who needs an extra boost for a project. This stack honestly bothers me sometimes because what happens to me is that I'll have 5 to 7 songs get stuck in my head a day: songs I haven't heard in years! Now obviously, this is highly personal and won't happen to everyone. But it's just a nice little way to explain the creative boost you'll get.

Do you have questions, comments or feedback about the exploding world of eSports, or anything else Zach and I discussed in this episode? Leave your thoughts below and either Zach or I will reply.

Also published on Medium.