November 20, 2024
Andrew Huberman’s Supplement Stack Is Dense – But Will Make You Superhuman
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Andrew Huberman Supplement Stack
A giant stack of pills to take each day might turn you off, but we reckon if you get it right, there’s the potential to dramatically improve your overall health and performance. While some people believe you can get all you need from quality nutrition, others want that extra leg up and opt for a supplement stack to put a rocket up your health metrics.
Like many others, we’ve found countless golden nuggets from the teaching of Andrew Huberman on the Huberman Lab as well as features on various other podcasts Youtube videos. Over the countless hours of listening and absorbing the Huberman wisdom, we have documented the Stanford University professors biohacking supplement stack, which is impressive and daunting at the same time.
I personally have no issues taking on a long list of daily supplements, vitamins and minerals, and if you think you might be missing something, there may just be one supplement on this Huberman supplement list that could be worth adding to your life. Take it or leave it, it’s only what one of the biggest wellness experts takes.
What is a Supplement Stack?
While Huberman admits that single-ingredient formulas are the best way to “build a rational approach to supplementation” in finding out what works best for you, there are also several combination ingredient formulas and supplement stacks he has come to, that provide a synergistic benefit and effect.
Related Article: 8 Best Protein Powders Australia in 2024
Essentially, supplement stacking is the act of taking two or more supplements together, at the same time, to provoke a synergistic benefit from the supplement combination. There is generally a specific goal for a supplement stack when supplement stacking.
For example, a common gut health stack would include supplements like L-Glutamine, Prebiotics, Probiotics, Collagen Peptides, or Zinc. A common sleep stack might include things like GABA, L-Theanine and Magnesium Glycinate, whereby these supplements produce a stronger or more beneficial benefit for sleep when taken together.
In this article, we’ll be focussing on some supplement stacks and combinations that have been mentioned by Huberman and his podcast guest as supplement stacks that might be worth considering, of course, be sure to seek medical clarification to be sure these are safe for you to use particularly if you have existing medications that may interact negatively.
Brain Health and Focus
Huberman is an absolute genius who seems to be able to have a superhuman recall of information, so I’ll have what he’s having if it will push even remotely closer to that level of intelligence and understanding. Huberman has a long list of brain and focus related supplementation recommendations, some of which he recommends cycling on and off like Ashwaganda.
Fish Oil
Huberman has discussed the benefits of “Omega 3 fatty acids for relief from symptoms of depression to the level of prescribed SSRIs”. He doesn’t make reference to the particular type of Krill Oil or Fish Oil that he takes, however, there is an indication that a 1000mg dosage of Fish Oil or EPA is beneficial.
Omega-3 fatty acids and the key role of the gut microbiome in supporting (or hindering) our mental and emotional states. There is no doubt Fish Oil is a very common daily supplement and it gets a regular mention from ol’ “Hubs”, who takes Thorne Super EPA as his Omega-3 of choice.
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Ashwaganda
Ashwaganda is a commonly used adaptogenic herb that is well known for its energy and vitality promoting properties and as a stress management supplement. Huberman suggests that he includes Ashwaganda in his supplement stack as one he cycles on and off of, to “help reduce cortisol…and effects of stress”, which his talks about in depth in the Tools For Managing Stress and Anxiety.
Both Huberman and Tim Ferriss also discuss the benefits of Ashwaganda on the Potent Supplements and Adaptogens Podcast. “Because it lowers cortisol, it should probably be taken late day, not early day, because you want cortisol to be lower in the evenings”, says Huberman.
Alpha-GPC
It is widely accepted that sleep is the ultimate cognitive enhancer and quality sleep is the most certain way to improve brain health including learning and memory. In saying that, Huberman is a major proponent of some brain health supplements like Alpha-GPC, which he suggests he takes 4 times per week.
“I think Alpha-GPC has real effects that are supported by quality peer reviewed studies, including some studies looking at offsetting age related cognitive decline”, he discusses, mentioning that he occasionally takes 600mg of Alpha-GPC to get the benefits of focus without increasing arousal of the sympathetic arm of the nervous system.
For added effect, pair Alpha-GPC with espresso or yerba mate!
Phenylethylamine
Chances are if you are eating dark chocolate you might already be getting some of this. However, a couple of squares of Lindt chocolate aren’t enough to consider a supplemental level, of which Huberman says he takes up to 500mg per week or on occasion when long bouts of work and focus are required.
Phenylethylamine has been used for athletic performance, obesity, focus, depression. It is a hormone like substance that is naturally occurring in brain and body. “There is one compound… that increase dopamine, and that’s something called PEA [Phenylethylamine] … I personally take PEA from time to time as a focus and work aid in order to do intense bouts of work. Again, I don’t do that too often. That might be once a week or once every two weeks.”, as Huberman describes.
L-Glutamine
I have taken L-Glutamine on and off for years mostly to assist gut issues and gut repair. Glutamine is a highly used and highly recommended health supplement that can cover benefits for a wide range of areas of wellness including gut, immune health, cognitive, mood and more.
“I’ve been taking Glutamine since I was in college, and glutamine also seems to have some possible cognitive enhancing effects.”
Why it’s such a handy supplement to add to your stack is that glutamine acts as primary fuel in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps your body’s immune system fight viruses and bacteria.
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L-Tyrosine
In a discussion on the Kevin Rose Show, Huberman says that every once in a while he will rely on 500mg of L-Tyrosine.
This is an amino acid found in food. It is in meats, nuts, some plant based foods. This is the precursor to some other molecules that make dopamine. Huberman describes the fact that some people make so little dopamine that they require prescriptions of dopamine.
“Dietary L-tyrosine supports the healthy production of things like dopamine”, says Huberman. Keep in mind there can be an L-tyrosine crash which can involve a crash, lethargy and brain fog the next day, so don’t take this chronically.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most widely studied supplements out there. “It is generally accepted that its supplementation increases creatine storage and promotes a faster regeneration of adenosine triphosphate between high intensity exercises. These improved outcomes will increase performance and promote greater training adaptations.”, according to a study.
While you probably already take this one, it is worth the confirmatory nod from the guru himself, who says he take 5mg of Creatine Monohydrate in the morning or post-workout. Interestingly though, he does not take it necessarily for the exercise performance benefits, and more so for the benefits it provides to brain health and cognitive function.
Boost Testosterone
Low testosterone (T), is something plaguing much of the population, men and women alike. Below is a list of natural supplements mentioned by Dr. Huberman that may help to naturally increase testosterone levels, which can have a huge effect on overall health including energy levels, motivation, muscular hypertrophy, libido and more.
Tongkat Ali
“You want the Indonesian variety”, recommends Huberman, which you get if you buy the Momentous Supplements Tongkat Ali. Tongkat Ali frees up more testosterone, increases energy, feelings of wellbeing and libido. It is recommended to not take this close to sleep, but rather earlier in the day.
Tongkat Ali is suitable for both men and woman, despite being a supplement recommended to boost testosterone. There is a misconception that women want to reduce testosterone and men want to reduce oestrogen. Both of these are important for both sexes, and Tongkat Ali support these important hormones. Taking a 400mg of Tongkat Ali daily, early in the morning is what he recommends.
A 2021 study found that supplementing with Tongkat Ali may enhance testosterone production, while another study indicated that, “Stress hormone profile (salivary cortisol and testosterone) was significantly improved by TA supplementation, with reduced cortisol exposure (−16%) and increased testosterone status (+37%)”.
Fadogia Agrestis
Although human studies are more limited with Fadogia Agrestis, rodent studies indicate similar testosterone boosting qualities as Tongkat Ali. In a Joe Rogan Podcast, Huberman discusses the benefits of Tongkat and Fadogia together saying “It stimulates the testes to make more testosterone…to give a significant boost in free testosterone. Fadogia is usually taken in 600-700mg dose and…will actually make the testes grow”.
Huberman makes reference to testosterone in that it “makes effort feel good”, which means that supplementing with testosterone boosting supplements like these two will provide a synergistic benefit in pumping you up to be able to lift bigger, put in longer hours, work harder, and do more!
Better Sleep
Since sleep is perhaps the most important thing to optimise, I definitely pay the most attention to sleep supplement recommendations. Contrary to one of the most commonly used sleep supplements, Huberman does NOT use Melatonin in his sleep cocktail. Huberman says in a podcast with Andy Galpin, “I myself take a sleep cocktail – Magnesium, L-Theanine, and these sorts of things”
A note on dependency, Huberman admits that there is value in having a “supplement holiday and varying frequency of supplement intake” in order to reduce the factor of dependency and reliance on supplements for sleep and also for stimulation and energy.
The idea is to be able to rely on your physiology to provide what is needed for good sleep, however the benefit of taking a supplement on somewhat of a cycle to aid in improving sleep is beneficial.
L-Theanine
I’ve lost count of the amount of time that I have heard Huberman talk about and recommend using L-Theanine for sleep in various sleep cocktails and sleep stacks.
In fact, in his podcast the Sleep Toolkit: Tools For Optimising Sleep, he specifical mentions that the three main supplements that fall in category of supplements that help to fall asleep and stay asleep are L-Theanine, Magnesium Threonate and Apigenin.
“100-400mg of Theanine, taken alone or in a stack, helps you to fall asleep…without grogginess”. You don’t necessarily need to take all three of these together in a stack, however there is anecdotal evidence that many people achieve a synergistic effect of taking these three supplements together.
Apigenin
Apigenin is related to Chamomile. It is a plant compound found in the skin of plants and has been found to have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antiparasitic properties. Here though, we are making specific reference to the benefits of Apigenin for sleep, and the reasons why Dr. Huberman pays homage to this supplement so many instances for its ability to provide a knock out sleep.
Huberman specifically recommends taking 50mg of Apigenin in the notes of his Toolkit for Sleep page, which has about 12 solid recommendations for getting a better sleep and sleep schedule.
I personally have found the best way to get all three of the most recommended sleep supplements is with a monthly subscription to the Momentous Supplements Sleep Pack, which includes all three for about $107USD/month when you use code GURU15.
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Magnesium Threonate or Glycinate
“Taking 145mg of Threonate can be beneficial for most people”, says Huberman. The ideal time to take these supplements for sleep is about 30-40 minutes before bedtime. Huberman describes these types of sleep supplement as “preferable to melatonin”, due to the interaction of melatonin with other hormone systems and because of the unreliable levels reported in most melatonin supplements.
GABA
One of the most effective supplements for sleep for me personally has been GABA. The neurotransmitter, GABA, is yet another sleep supplement that is taken by Huberman in addition to his big three sleep cocktail supplements. He suggests that he takes 2gms of Glycine and 100mg of GABA three to four nights per week. I find that what works best for me is to take GABA one night on, one night off, which seems to maintain the efficacy of GABA for helping me fall asleep and stay asleep very well even despite lower back pain flare ups.
Inositol
“I’ll take 900mg of inositol to the standard sleep stack, which greatly enhances my ability to fall and stay asleep, as well as greatly improving my ability to get back to sleep if I wake up during the night”, recommends Huberman. Not only that, he suggests that Inositol also has some fantastic benefits for reducing anxiety throughout the day.
Hydration and Electrolytes
Hydration is one of the foundations of health and indeed optimal recovery. While water is the go-to solution for hydration most of the time, sometimes it is not enough, especially during intense workouts or situations where electrolyte balance needs to be restored. This is where hydration supplements, electrolytes and essential amino acids come into play.
Electrolyte Powder
There is a huge and overwhelming selection of electrolyte powders, electrolyte drinks and electrolyte tablets out there, with some of the most commonly taken being Berocca, Nuun, Hydralyte and Voost.
While these common electrolyte brands don’t get a mention from Huberman, he does regularly note taking LMNT Electrolyte supplement which comes in an easy to use sachet form. LMNT contains 1000mg of Sodium, 200mg of Potassium and 60mg of Magnesium which are considered the big three in optimal hydration. In the podcast, Using Salt To Optimise Mental and Physical Performance, Huberman and Cole discuss how a proper balance of electrolytes can have positive effects on cognitive function, reducing stress and anxiety and improving recovery time.
Essential Amino Acids
It’s no doubt that Huberman is a beast and lifts weights multiple times per week. Throughout a few podcasts, Huberman mentions using ECAAs following training.
They play a crucial role in fundamental processes like protein construction, the creation of hormones and neurotransmitters. Amino Acids also contribute significantly to hydration, shaping and bolstering cellular functions such as fluid transport, absorption, and storage. This encompasses essential electrolytes and nutrients that are vital for the sustenance of human life.
In talking about a Rational Approach to Supplementation, Huberman mentions that EAA’s promotes muscle mass and enhances energy production, and they can also reduce muscle soreness, support muscle repair and recovery, support cardiovascular health and strengthen connective tissue.
While Huberman does not actually mention a specific BCAA or ECAA that he takes, there are plenty to choose from. Check out Kion Aminos which is a supplement made by Ben Greenfield and has been one of my favourite Amino supplements I have trialled as part of my supplement stack and found to be the best tasting aminos of any I have had.
Final Word on Huberman’s Supplement Stack
There are definitely a lot of supplements to take in here, and we are certainly not recommending you take them all. It’s more about making a conscious and informed decision about the best supplement stack for you.
If I was to suggest three main supplements to try for yourself out of those mentioned in this article it would be the Huberman Sleep Cocktail which includes Magnesium Threonate, L-Theanine and Apigenin. This has proved to be the most useful and profound supplement stack to improve sleep and have a huge downstream effect for so many other areas including mental health, mood, exercise recovery, reduced back pain and overall energy.
As always, please consult a medical professional to assess the suitability of any and all of the supplements we mention in the article for your own needs.
Jayce Love
Jayce has spent the last decade in the military as an elite Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver and has an ever growing passion for biohacking and recovery for peak performance. Jayce has accreditations in fitness and nutrition, cold water immersion, and regularly adopts human Guinea pig status to test out the latest tools, techniques, practices, gear and gadgets in the name of optimal fitness, recovery and wellness.