Optimise performance by boosting your Neurotransmitters

It was 3pm, and I was struggling - despite having only a handful of tasks to punch out, I couldn’t summon the effort - fatigue was setting in.  

All was going well earlier in the day - the offsite workshop I facilitated in the morning was challenging and emotionally draining, however it finished with the client experiencing a breakthrough, and a great result for their team.  

my usual workshop fuel - caffeine / carbs / glucose / hydration - was just not enough

For some reason today though, my usual workshop fuel - caffeine / carbs / glucose / hydration - was just not enough. I was completely exhausted. Even another coffee and a fistful of chocolate wasn’t going to help me out of this hole.

Neurotransmitters - the key for performance

If you have ever experienced mental fatigue, sugar cravings, or the afternoon fuzzies, then you’ll know what this is like. It can feel debilitating when you have work to do, but just can’t summon up the energy. If you’re facing this energy / performance deficit day-after-day, it will become a major source of stress, and if left unchecked, will eventually lead to burnout.

if left unchecked, will eventually lead to burnout

The good news is that there is a source of cognitive energy that most people are unaware of - inside your head is a supercomputer made up of billions of neurons that rely on neurotransmitters for 24/7 optimal performance (yes, your brain is processing when you sleep).

Every one of us has our own unique balance of neurotransmitters - the 4 main being Dopamine, Acetylcholine, GABA, and Serotonin - that shape our emotions, our behaviour, and how we respond to stress.

What happens when we have deficits

Unfortunately, due to a range of factors (lifestyle, diet, stress, conditioning), most of us develop imbalances and deficits in these neurotransmitters which can drastically impact our cognitive ability, emotional stability, and enjoyment of life.

That’s why, after a high energy and emotionally taxing 6 hours of workshop facilitation, my own neurotransmitter deficit caused me to hit a wall later that day. And so, while in most instances I can get a short term boost in energy through caffeine and glucose, this is not a good long term strategy.

If you are experiencing mental fatigue on a regular basis, or feel that you are falling into the ‘burnout spiral’, I highly recommend taking an active approach towards optimising your Neurotransmitters.

How to optimise your Neurotransmitters

The 5 Fundamentals:

First things first - any set of “Performance Optimise” recommendations will have at its foundation the four fundamentals (1) good sleep (7-9hrs, >80% efficiency), (2) Exercise, (3) balanced diet and hydration, and (4) active recovery (rolling HRV rebound above the mean) - and so please start at this list before you do anything else! This will help your body restore any neurotransmitter deficiencies through your own inbuilt natural mechanisms and homeostasis.

the four fundamentals (1) good sleep, (2) exercise, (3) balanced diet and hydration, (4) active recovery

Tests and supplements

Unfortunately there isn’t a gadget or wearable (yet), that can help you measure your neurotransmitters at the press of a button. There are a handful of non-invasive tests that can be administered by a specialist or a naturopath (DUTCH Complete, NAET), however these are not specifically designed for neurotransmitters alone, and can be quite costly. 

The most effective low cost option I have used is a symptom based questionnaire to determine for neurotransmitter imbalances. I recommend Dr Eric Braverman’s Personality Type Assessment (www.bravermantest.com) - it will help you find deficiencies in Dopamine, Acetylcholine, GABA, and Serotonin, and then recommend a series of supplements (some OTC, others require a prescription) that you can use to help restore any deficiencies. 

My approach

After taking the Braverman test, I printed the list of supplements and went to my local Pharmacy with a big bag, and a notepad. Some of the boosters can be found as single supplements (ie Vitamin B12, Ginko, Omega 3), though others only come as an ingredient with a multi or powder (ie Passionflower extract, Acetyl-l-carnitine). Once you have your batch, you can ask the pharmacist (or naturopath) is it a daily or intermittent supplement, and what time of the day is ideal for each - ie in the morning, after a workout or meal, or at night before sleep.

I recommend taking a gradual approach. At first, I was swallowing fistfulls of supplements and drinking litres of concoctions, only to find myself with the jitters day and wide awake at 2am. Hence, I found it helpful to adopt an experimental controlled approach to the different supplements, testing one, then another, then another, every few days. So take it slow and get the advice and guidance of a good naturopath if you don't want to be your own human guinea pig.

It is also important to note that it does take some time for the results to show - ie you’re not going to sip some Ashwagandha tea in the morning and be magically transformed into a 10 year younger invincible version of yourself! It can take weeks, months even, for your body and brain to restore and grow with the support of supplements and the 4 Fundamentals. So, be patient!

My Results

Since finding an equilibrium in my supplements, and when combining with the 4 fundamentals, I have definitely noticed the boost in cognitive energy (especially on the long and taxing days) and have experienced an improvement in my overall wellbeing and mental health (through reduced anxiety).

Lately, with a little knowledge and experience, I have been taking an approach like that of an Ultra runner or Triathlete, shifting the balance of my supplements to complement the changing intensity of my work and schedule.

While this does take quite some effort, it is certainly a much more sustainable approach than the usual quick fixes, and will help give you an extra boost in whatever domain you are seeking to perform.