Racetams are used for cognitive enhancement, and each racetam affects the amount of acetylcholine in the brain differently.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in the brain which requires choline as a precursor. Choline is either produced endogenously (inside the body) or ingested from dietary sources. The best sources of choline include organ meats (like liver) and eggs, and it is also found in some cruciferous vegetables and fish.
The brain uses acetylcholine to transmit messages and communication with the neurons in the brain. It is found in a high concentration in areas which the brain uses for memories and learning processes. Improving the levels of acetylcholine in the brain causes an increase of cognitive functioning. Most of the racetams affect the acetylcholine in the brain and that is party of why they enhance cognition, memory, and learning.
- Piracetam potentiates the effects of acetylcholine
- Aniracetam causes more acetylcholine to be released
- Oxiracetam enhances the enzyme that works to synthesize choline (choline-acetyltransferase)
- Phenylpiracetam makes the acetylcholine receptors in the brain denser
- Coluracetam causes an increase in choline indirectly by supporting the conversion of acetylcholine through a process known as High-Affinity-Choline-Uptake (HACU)
- Pramiracetam works similarly to Coluracetam through the HACU process
As you can see, each of the racetam compounds affect acetylcholine. Due to the amount of interaction between racetams the acetylcholine in the body, it is very easy to deplete the stores of acetylcholine. When the acetylcholine is depleted, the body will try to make more from the choline that is available, but this constant demand when taking racetams can lead to a deficiency in choline which has some side effects.
A common side effect of choline depletion with racetam use is headaches, which are commonly known as “racetam headaches.” These headaches are a sign that the body doesn’t have enough choline to make an adequate amount of acetylcholine to keep up with the demands from the use of racetams. Whether or not you suffer from these headaches, if you are using racetams, you will be pushing your body to use acetylcholine in unprecedented amounts. For this reason, supplementing with choline while you are using racetams is a wise choice.
This is commonly called a supplement or biohacking “stack.” Taking choline with racetams can be achieved with any of the choline supplements. There are several types of choline available for supplemental use:
- CDP-Choline (Citicoline) is a popular and efficient stack with racetams
- Alpha-GPC has been documented to keep levels of choline steadier than CDP-choline
- Choline Bitartrate is the least expensive salt form of choline
Whichever source of choline you choose to stack with your racetams, your body will thank you. Racetams are amazing tools for enhancing cognitive functioning and memory, but few people are aware of why it actually accomplishes those things. Even fewer users have done the research to understand how it influences the acetylcholine in the brain. Learning to use nootropics to help you reach goals, while also educating yourself about how to keep your brain and body fueled properly for the mechanisms, is a recipe for success.
