The Ultimate LEGAL Study Drugs

0:00 - Intro
0:11 - Disclaimer
0:18 - 3 Study Drugs
0:26 - Negatives
1:07 - Hunger/Fasting
2:16 - Nicotine Lozenges
3:17 - Caffeine
3:53 - Using multiple simultaneously
4:55 - More Negatives (Mania)
6:06 - Personal Experience
7:33 - Outro


Today I talk about the substances that have helped me perform at the highest levels when I have nothing but willpower left to give. These are the tools that I have used to enhance my human performance.

1. Nicotine Lozenges
2. Caffeine
3. Hunger

This video details my time with each and how they have positively impacted my life during very hard weeks at school.

Here are some videos about the sciences behind all of these drugs:

   • My 12 Hour Work Day (in 15 Minutes) [...  

   • Nicotine’s Effects on the Brain & Bod...   (51:29)

   • How Fasting Impacts Your Ability to F...  

I do not endorse the usage of any mind state altering drugs and this is not medical advice.

I stumbled across 2 videos on the innerwebs that peaked my interest around increasing deep focus states. I am accounting major so I have to study for very long periods of time and devote massive brain stores to singular tasks very often.

One Video by Alex Hormozi and 2 videos by Andrew Huberman

   • My 12 Hour Work Day (in 15 Minutes) [...  

   • Nicotine’s Effects on the Brain & Bod...   (51:29)

   • How Fasting Impacts Your Ability to F...  

From these videos I learned about the perfect study drug trifecta.

Alex, indulges in 2/3 of them to my knowledge and so does Andrew.

I’ve played with combination of all 3 and regularly use 2/3 of these

1 I only use when it is absolute necessary so that I do not become addicted

Both: Caffeine

Andrew: Fasted Work sessions

Alex: Nicotine Gum

My experience with some nuance:

If I am in a rigorous exam prep window I will use the combination of all 3 of these methods but that is for 1-2 weeks max, at a time.

I only drink coffee a few times/week when it’s not needed

I want to advocate for sleeping enough, using less substances of any kind. I try to only use performance enhancing substances when absolutely necessary.

Some semesters and week I get it. It is necessary. Currently I am balancing everything nicely and have not used any of these strategies.

Does it actually work?

Yes

Using these substances at the right dosages for you will absolutely increase your productivity but at what cost?

Mania: The defining characteristics of mania include increased talkativeness, rapid speech, a decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, distractibility, increase in goal-directed activity, and psychomotor agitation.

NIH Link: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB... defining characteristics of mania,directed activity%2C and psychomotor agitation](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB....

I can confidently say that I have not had any manic episodes at all. Via the use of drugs or otherwise but when I use all 3 of these in combination with each other for too long I start to have manic tendencies. It’s incredible for getting things done but to live in that state for weeks on end is intense. When I feel myself starting to exhibit these tendencies I will stop using all of the drugs. Take a few sober days and read, reflect. I’m not sitting around watching TV and I’m still working just as hard, my output is a little less because I allow myself more freedom and looseness.

The last thing I want to do is tell you to use drugs to get things done. I think that these products could be used as a way to sometimes get ahead in moments when you need to Sprint but these are not Marathon items. Using these things long-term to get things done if they become advice and a crutch. You will no longer be able to get anything done without these chemicals without using these substances and that's not good for you that's not good for your health but it also means you're less efficient person. What happens when you run out of nicotine gum and you're like oh I must go to the store. That's 45 minutes of your day now gone. Versus okay just do the rest of your week without nicotine gone and then when you need to go grocery shopping pick some up.