Best Energy Supplements to Buy in 2025

One of the questions that comes up often in 2025 on Nootropics Expert^® is what is the best energy supplement to increase or restore energy and motivation.

I think the question comes up because one of the easiest and first things we humans do to produce energy quickly is grab a cup of coffee or an energy drink.

And this doesn’t feel right for most athletes or biohackers.

The thing is the caffeine in coffee or an energy drink that we associate with an energy boost is not truly a boost in energy at all. It’s simply a decrease in sleepiness.

Caffeine is an adenosine antagonist. Adenosine naturally increases during the day as a byproduct of energy production in mitochondria by adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

As adenosine builds up in your system, your body and brain receive signals to start shutting down for the day. Caffeine simply delays this signal.

So to get a real energy boost we need to do more than delay sleep in 2025. We need a stack of dietary supplements like the perfect nootropic stack that will increase energy.

Criteria for Building an Energy Supplement

For the strongest energy supplement, we need a nootropic stack that will:

• Increase ATP energy production in mitochondria
• Avoid the use of stimulants for energy
• Provide clean energy with no crash
• Optimize the use of nutrients from food for natural cellular energy
• Be natural and legal, safe to use every day
• Use verifiable and pure compounds

The following are some supplement suggestions you can use to help your physical and mental stress while boosting your energy. Let’s make 2025 your most productive year ever.

Notice that caffeine is NOT on this list of energy supplements.

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Energy Supplement Ingredients

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

Athlete and dieters love L-Carnitine because of its fat-metabolizing benefits. The thing is, the carnitine version of this amino acid is difficult for your body to absorb. Studies show only 18% reaches your bloodstream.

But when you add an acetyl group to make Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR), studies show using it daily for 50 days will boost blood carnitine levels by 43%.[i]

ALCAR is a required cofactor for cell energy production and is especially critical for muscle energy metabolism and function. Long-chain fatty acids cannot cross mitochondrial membranes without the help of Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

ALCAR helps transport fatty acids into mitochondria where they’re needed for energy metabolism. Fueling your cells “power plants” boosts physical and mental energy.

As ALCAR shuttles fatty acids into mitochondria, it helps create the fuel that is burned for energy. And then as ALCAR shuttles fatty acids out of mitochondria, it flushes out toxic byproducts.

ALCAR also donates an acetyl group to form Acetyl CoA. Required for the synthesis of acetylcholine which boosts alertness, focus, memory, and fluid thought.

Researchers in Italy found that Acetyl-L-Carnitine stimulates the growth of new neurites. Which increases signaling between cells throughout the central nervous system.[ii]

A double-blind, randomized controlled trial with ALCAR and 1,204 people showed a significant effect on attention, mental performance, memory and higher mental functions.[iii]

And ALCAR has been shown to reduce fatigue in patients dealing with chronic fatigue syndrome.[iv]

Coenzyme Q10

CoQ10 is a fat-soluble vitamin-like coenzyme required for energy flow and transfer in each of your cells.

The majority of CoQ10 is found within mitochondria within each cell. It is part of the electron transport chain and participates in cellular respiration which generates energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

When oxidized CoQ10 (ubiquinone) accepts an electron from another molecule in the chain, it becomes Ubiquinol. And when Ubiquinol donates an electron it becomes ubiquinone. This state of equilibrium is necessary and how your body benefits from CoQ10.

When in Ubiquinol-form, CoQ10 acts as an antioxidant and scavenges free radicals within mitochondria. Protecting mitochondria and your cells from oxidative damage.

Normal aging, environmental stressors, and statin drugs all deplete levels of CoQ10.

So if you are dealing with brain fog, slow thinking, poor memory, depression, or migraines it could be because of mitochondrial dysfunction due to low CoQ10.

Supplementing with CoQ10 has been shown to reduce declines in mitochondrial function. And increase cAMP levels, activate KREB and AMPK. All functions negatively affected by aging.[v]

And CoQ10 boosts mitochondria genesis. Helping to make even more new mitochondria for more energy production.[vi]

But keep in mind that for use as an energy supplement, regular CoQ10 has poor bioavailability. Because it naturally comes in crystal-form with molecules too large to pass across cellular membranes. And it’s fat-soluble which complicates its transport through your digestive system.

To compensate for the poor absorption of CoQ10, manufacturers have tried breaking up or melting CoQ10 crystals, using surfactants like oil to keep it dissolved, and adding other ingredients which cause side effects in some people.

The best option is a Coenzyme Q10 supplement made by BioActive LLC called MicroActive^® CoQ10. It’s made by combining each CoQ10 molecule with beta-cyclodextrin, a natural compound made from potato starch that increases the solubility of CoQ10.

The patented form of MicroActive^® CoQ10 has been shown in clinical trials to be much more bioavailable than other forms of Coenzyme Q10. And doubles CoQ10 blood levels in everyone tested after just 3 weeks of supplementing this nootropic.[vii]

PQQ

PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) is an enzyme cofactor active in every one of your body’s cells including your brain. And has the unique ability to stimulate the creation of new mitochondria.[viii]

Mitochondria’s role is to convert the food we eat into energy that powers cells to perform at peak function.

Your brain has more mitochondria per cell than any other area of your body. More mitochondria means more energy. Resulting in quicker thinking, better memory, elevated alertness, and less mental fatigue.

PQQ also helps boost the growth of new mitochondria by increasing the production of nerve growth factor (NGF). Which also assists in brain cell repair, maintenance, and regeneration.

And PQQ is an extremely powerful antioxidant. For example, PQQ can carry out 20,000 catalytic conversions, compared to only 4 for Vitamin C.[ix]

PQQ works in synergy with CoQ10 for dramatic improvements in mental and physical energy.

Look for BioPQQ^® which is a patented from of PQQ. And the most bioavailable, nature-identical, and evidence-backed form of PQQ available today.

R-Lipoic Acid

R-Lipoic Acid is the form of lipoic acid naturally occurring in your body. And is a cofactor for mitochondrial enzymes involved in carbohydrate energy production.

R-Lipoic Acid increases acetylcholine production by activation of choline acetyltransferase, and increases in glucose uptake. This process supplies more Acetyl-CoA for the production of acetylcholine.[x]

R-Lipoic Acid is both water- and fat-soluble allowing it to work inside and outside of cells.

R-Lipoic Acid also regenerates other antioxidants which are depleted by the ongoing fight with free radicals in your cells. It allows you to use the antioxidants Vitamin C & E, glutathione and CoQ10 already in your body over and over again.

In fact, R-Lipoic Acid is so efficient at what it does, it boosts the energy in your cells while reducing inflammation and getting rid of heavy metals.

R-Lipoic Acid is used throughout your body. It helps increase insulin sensitivity which reduces the threat of diabetes.

And it reduces the chances of metabolic syndrome which is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and weight gain.

I recommend the patented, sodium salt form of R-Lipoic Acid called Bio-Enhanced^® Na-RALA. It is a purer form of alpha lipoic acid and has been shown to have a higher absorption rate compared to other forms of ALA.

Best Energy Supplement Stack for 2025

I used to get each one of these energy-boosting nootropics separately. Because I found it took all four supplements reviewed on this page for a consistent, daily, boost in energy along with a healthy diet.

And then came Performance Lab^® and their new line of supplements in 2018.

Performance Lab^® Energy contains all these ingredients in two vegan-friendly NutriCaps^® capsules. And they include BioPerine^® to help boost absorption even more.

After five years of personally using this stack I can vouch for its authenticity. This stack helps increase energy levels, gets blood flow going, avoid physical fatigue and when used daily, I can work all day long without getting fatigued.

And even better – no crash later in the day like you get from using stimulant-based energy drinks, and you still get a ton of health benefits .

If you need more energy to accomplish what you want to in 2025, try the nootropic supplements reviewed in this post.

And if you want to save some money then get them in a unique, pre-formulated energy stack called Performance Lab^® Energy.

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