The effects of Citicoline in sports supplements

What is it?

Citicoline (CDP-Choline) is a potent brain-boosting and brain-healthy nutrient that boosts mental energy, concentration, and memory.

What does it do?

Citicoline can protect against the effects of various lifestyle such as pollutants, intrinsic toxins, poor diet and lack of nutrients that affect brain health.

Specifically, Citicoline can increase the synthesis of acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine, two of the most important neuroprotective compounds that help regulate memory, cognitive function and brain health.

In addition, citicoline supplementation improves concentration by increasing the available energy produced by the brain. Citicoline increases the activity of mitochondria, the energy source for ATP cells. In turn, increased ATP is beneficial to the health of the neurotransmitter, which is essential for sustained concentration.

Choline is an essential nutrient found in a variety of foods; one of the foods with the highest choline content is eggs. Choline has many effects on the whole body and brain. It is an important intermediate molecule for methylation. It is converted into trimethylglycine (one of the major methyl donors in our body) in the mitochondria of cells which supports our liver health as well as a wide range of physical functions, including promoting healthy cardiovascular function (by supporting homocysteine levels) and positive mood (by supporting SAMe levels).

In addition totrimethylglycine, choline also can be converted to acetylcholine that is an important neurotransmitter. Choline reacts with coenzyme acetyl-COA, which causes the transfer of acetyl groups from Coenzyme acetyl-COA to choline via an enzyme called choline acetyltransferase. Acetylcholine regulates many functions in our body and brain and one of the most prominent functions of it is to regulate muscle contraction.

Let's do an experiment: make your hands into fists and relax it again. This seems a very simple task. However, if we look at this from the perspective of molecular biology, It is quite complex and subtle. Here's a brief description of how acetylcholine is involved in contracting muscles to form a fist:

A. A signal from the brain travel along neural pathways to your hand

B. This signal triggers the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction

C. Acetylcholine attaches to nicotine receptors on smooth muscle fibers, causing the hand muscles to contract to form a fist

D. Acetylcholine is released from the receptor and is cleared by an enzyme called ACHE, which causes your clenched fist relax again.

This is a very delicate process because there must be a switch to relax and contract the muscles. This depends heavily on the release and removal of the acetylcholine. It has been found that inhibition of acetylcholinesterase to some extent can promote cognitive function. This led to extensive research into the function of acetylcholine in the brain. It also has been found that acetylcholine supports a variety of neural functions such as emotion, memory, learning, perception, sleep and wakefulness. Thus, increasing acetylcholine levels in the brain can support overall brain health and cognitive function.

When to take it?

To take advantage of the cognitive-enhancing properties of Citicoline, it is best to take 15-20 minutes before exercise or at the most challenging time of the day. Citicoline can be mixed with water or any other type of supplement. As an emerging supplement, the most effective dose of Citicoline is 500-2000 mg per day, usually divided into 2 separate 250-1000 mg doses throughout the day. The study also reported that larger single doses of 1,500-2,000 mg of Citicoline may be more beneficial when citiciline is taken before exercise or tasks with high mental demanding.

How long does it take effect?

Citicoline works as soon as it enters the bloodstream, usually 15-30 minutes after consumption. Users can experience increased mental alertness, focus, and concentration within this time. within the first 2 weeks, make consistent use of citicoline combined with a proper diet and training program, and then, you will find all the effect of citicoline, including cognitive effect, enhancement effect and so on.