Nootropic Review: Notable Focus V2
What it is, How it works, Will I use it moving forward?
Notable Focus is a nootropic blend formulated by the one and only NootBro (@nootropicguy on X) that’s specifically designed to boost motivation and focus (who would’ve thought).
It contains 5 active ingredients, targeting the 2 primary neurotransmitters involved in focus and cognitive performance, dopamine and acetylcholine.
This formulation contains 3 of my all time favorite supplements, 1 of the most popular generally, alongside one that I’ve never even heard of, so I was really eager to try this out.
Ingredients
For the sake of brevity, I’ve decided to list a short description of each ingredient here. For those interested, you can find a full list of their mechanisms at the end of this post.
enXtra (300mg): A proprietary extract of Thai ginger that is proven in human studies to increase mental alertness
Sabroxy (500mg): A proprietary extract and nootropic derived from the bark of the Oroxylum Indicum tree that contains a minimum of 10% Oroxylin A, its premier active component
Polygala Tenuifolia (100mg): An herb that has been used medicinally in China for thousands of years and has nootropic properties
Ginko Biloba (80mg): One of the most used herbal supplements for brain health and cognitive function
L-Theanine (100mg): An amino acid found in tea well known for its calming effect. It’s commonly used to help ‘smooth’ out stimulants
Note: 1 serving is 2 capsules of powder
Collectively, this product contains several active ingredients that should increase focus, alertness, and learning/memory potential with a specific aim of increasing the activity of dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain.
My Subjective Experience
I have spent the last 2 months using this supplement regularly. My goal was to gain an understanding of how it affects me, and use it in a variety of scenarios at several doses to see if it lives up to the laundry list of beneficial mechanisms it seems to boast.
So… Does it perform as well as it should on paper?
In my experience, yes
In almost every way that I have tried it, Notable performs well and gives me a solid cognitive boost and slight to moderate stimulation to pair with it.
My primary use case for this supplement was to take it right before I wanted to be at my peak mental performance (a general nootropic context). I found its effects noticeable after ~15-30 minutes, lasting a good 4-5 hours. Importantly, it did not interfere with my sleep when taken as late as 6pm and going to bed by 10pm.
You can take Notable both orally and sublingually (dissolved under tongue), so I naturally had to try both at various doses. I’ll briefly describe my experiences with it before I cover how/if I will use it in the future.
Oral
This is the primary way in which I used Notable. It’s quick, easy, and I can take it in the lab without being that guy pouring exotic powders under his tongue.
I tried dosing 1-3 pills (.5-1.5 servings) and even splitting one full serving throughout the day (taking one pill in the morning and another after lunch).
My results were in line with about what you’d expect from a supplement like this:
One pill: Noticable smooth stimulation
Two pills: Obvious dopaminergic spike and meaningful drive
Three pills: The same as two pills, just enhanced further
When doses are split (usually one at 9am, one at 2pm), I get a nice boost after each dose. The dopaminergic drive is still there, just not to the level of a full dose taken at once. This is beneficial on days where I needed a small boost all day as opposed to a more pronounced stimulation for a shorter time. As I’ll touch on shortly, this became one of my favorite ways to utilize Notable.
I never felt the need to try two servings at once, 1.5 servings taken orally has been more than enough for me when I really want/need.
Sublingual
In theory (and my experience), this is the best way to take this supplement as it enhances absorption of the actives and increases its potency. However, there’s a lot of powder in each capsule and a full serving requires two.
Despite that, just one capsule taken sublingually is fantastic. Two taken sublingual (while it's a ton of powder) is even better.
You get much more potency than the same doses when taken orally. It can just be a pain to do so, and is not nearly as convenient as popping two pills.
I personally wasn't a fan of taking a full serving sublingual, although I tried on several occasions.
With Caffeine
A short note on my experience using Notable with caffeine.
It pairs exceptionally well with caffeine, and in my experience helps dial in and direct the energy that caffeine provides toward a task. As little as a cup of black tea is enough to enhance its efficacy even further, taking a half dose to the next level.
My Protocol Moving Forward
Notable has become my go to for times when I want/need a true cognitive boost (I might have even taken 1.5 servings before sitting down to write this). It provides me with a really smooth stimulation while simultaneously boosting focus, mood, and motivation a fair bit. I feel I perform mentally well on it, and will continue to use it in the future. My specific use cases and doses are outlined here:
For an all day focus/productivity boost (0.5 servings in the morning, 0.5 servings in early afternoon)
For short bouts of focus and work (1 full serving, 0.5 servings w/ caffeine, 0.5 servings sublingual)
For shorter intense bouts of focus and work (1.5 servings taken orally)
These are the doses I found to work best for me. If you choose to try Notable, I recommend you start with the lowest dose and taper up as wanted/needed.
To avoid tolerance/dopamine downregulation I limited my use of Notable to 3-4x a week maximum
Conclusion
Throughout my testing with it, Notable has been an extremely effective nootropic and leads to a profound dopaminergic spike that you can really feel within 30 minutes. Its utility and overall efficacy has made it something that I am constantly reaching for when I find myself needing a mental boost.
This doesn't make it perfect though. My primary critique is that one serving only contains 100mg of L-Theanine. Personally, I would've liked to see this doubled to 200mg as a way to help smooth out the stimulation that this supplement provides (this is more of an issue at higher doses)
A nootropic being too effective isn't the worst complaint to have though.
Overall, Notable is an excellent nootropic supplement and I prefer it heavily over a simple dose of just Sabroxy, my former favorite nootropic of all time. While Sabroxy alone gives me an increase in raw motivation, Notable seems to provide me with a directed and focused motivation. For that reason, it has been my go to nootropic lately.
If you’re interested in trying Notable, you can get it linked here. Use code “neuron” at checkout for a discount.
Ingredient Mechanisms of Action
enXtra:
Dopamine Reuptake inhibition
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition
Adenosine Receptor antagonism
Increase BDNF via dopamine and acetylcholine
Sabroxy Mechanism of Action:
Dopamine reuptake inhibition
Increase BDNF via dopamine
Polygala Tenuifolia:
Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine reuptake inhibition
Monoamine Oxidase inhibition
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition
NMDA Receptor antagonism
Increase BDNF via monoamines
Ginko Biloba:
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition
Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor
Increases dopamine in the prefrontal cortex (Norepinephrine transporter reuptakes DA in the PFC)
Increase BDNF via acetylcholine and dopamine
L-Theanine:
AMPA antagonism
Supplementary Info
Product name: Notable Focus
Route of Administration: Both oral and sublingual
Height and Weight for dosage comparisons: 6’2, 190lbs