Do Nootrobox’s GO CUBES live up to the hype, and will they replace your morning cup of Joe? Read on to get our full review, including whether they gave us a mental boost and how the flavor stacked up against real coffee.

[Get our exclusive discount coupon on Nootrobox products here.]

The Ingredients

Per cube; typical serving size is 2 cubes. Nootrobox is a company that values transparency in its supplements, so they list all ingredients and ingredient amounts.

Caffeine – 50 mg

The world’s most popular stimulant, caffeine is one of the more common ingredients in nootropic stacks because of its ability to reduce fatigue and enhance concentration and energy. Two cubes of GO CUBES is equivalent to roughly one cup of coffee (100 mg).

L-Theanine – 100 mg

A calming amino acid, l-theanine has been shown to enhance the effects of caffeine while reducing the jitters some people experience with caffeine consumption. This caffeine/l-theanine ratio is common in nootropic supplements.

Vitamin B6 – 10 mg

Vitamin B6 is involved in the production of neurotransmitters. When taken with phenylalanine, vitamin B6 can improve cAMP levels, and dopamine synthesis.

GO CUBES Nootrobox Ingredients Label

Vitamin B12 – 30 mcg

An essential nutrient, B12 plays an important role in numerous bodily functions, including neurological function and development.

Folate – 500 mcg

Often referred to as Vitamin B9, folate (a slightly different form than folic acid) is vital to neurological development in infants as well as a process called methylation for all adults.

This is a pretty high amount of folate for a supplement, as the upper dosage recommended is normally around 400 mcg, and there’s some evidence a high amount of folate could mask a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Go Cubes Nootrobox Pack

Glucuronolactone – 125 mg

Glucuronolactone is a common ingredient in many energy drinks, largely based off claims it can help “detoxify” the body and liver. Current research suggests few benefits to cognition or energy. This compound also found in Nootrobox’s SPRINT supplement (full review here).

Inositol – 125 mg

A compound with some anxiety reducing properties in amounts generally much higher than what’s found here. Also found in Nootrobox’s SPRINT supplement.

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) – 25 mg

Vitamin B3 acts within the adrenal system to synthesize a number of sex- and stress-related hormones, along with serotonin, a neurotransmitter acting on the central nervous system and the GI tract. Some people experience a harmless “flush” when taking niacin-containing supplements.

Other Ingredients: Corn syrup, sugar, water, pectin, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, sodium citrate.

Usage Guidelines

We made coffee you can put in your pocket. GO CUBES are perfect for your purse, backpack, or briefcase. They’re the easiest way to always have coffee on hand with no mess & no stress.

Serving size: 2 pieces

GO CUBES Review on Flavors

GO CUBES come in three flavors: Pure Drip, Mocha, and Latte. There’s a mix of these in each pack (4 cubes), and while they’re slightly different colors, it’s tough to tell exactly which one you’re getting before you bite into them.

Overall, our testers enjoyed each flavor of GO CUBES, citing Mocha as the strongest flavor and very chocolate-y, Latte as relatively mild, and Pure Drip as the straightest coffee flavor of all (tasting a bit like a darker roast, not unlike Starbucks’ normal iced coffee).

What Our Testers Say

“I probably have the lowest caffeine tolerance of any BrainWiz tester, so I really appreciate knowing EXACTLY how much caffeine I’m getting, that’s one reason I don’t drink coffee that often, because it varies so much from cup to cup depending on the beans, roast, etc. I like the taste of coffee, though, and GO CUBES was definitely convenient. When I do drink coffee, I often pair it with 100 or 200 mg of L-Theanine, and I appreciated that they did this for me here. I’ll take GO CUBES with me when I do need a caffeine boost and want more control over exactly what I’m taking.”

“I’m a coffee snob, and GO CUBES will never replace coffee for me. But...they’re interesting. I think you start absorbing some of the caffeine while you’re chewing (probably sublingual), so you feel an almost immediate kick, then another as you digest. The flavors were all good, though I normally take my coffee black, and these were a bit too sweat for me to have every day.”

“I didn’t get as excited as some outlets about these. They’re not going to replace coffee for everyone, if only because they taste more like candy and have sugar in them. But they were convenient and they were pretty tasty, and the flavor profiles seem like they took a lot of work. The boost felt mostly like caffeine and l-theanine, not a ton beyond that, but they fit easily in a backpack, which my iced coffee does not.”

“It’s worth having a pack or two of GO CUBES at your desk. Sometimes coffee won’t be available. Sometimes it won’t be convenient, or you want to know exactly how much caffeine you’re getting. GO CUBES solve that, but they’re never going to replace a morning cup.”

BrainWiz Tips

• Nootrobox’s GO CUBES are sweet, and if you’re watching your sugar intake, save these for after a workout or just go with black coffee, these are definitely not calorie neutral, especially considering you’ll probably have between two and four cubes in a sitting.
• Our testers were impressed with GO CUBES flavor, and they do pair well with breakfast if you’d rather chew your coffee than drink it.
• A full pack is 200 mg of caffeine, more than you’ll find in some energy drinks. Stay aware of your caffeine intake when taking GO CUBES and other nootropics.

Supplement Summary

Just like SPRINT and RISE, Nootrobox’s GO CUBES sets out to bring transparency to a brain boosting industry; in this case, they’re trying to disrupt coffee as opposed to nootropic supplements proper. And they partially succeed: These gave us a good, jitter-free boost with the added nootropic ingredients to compliment caffeine. And with GO CUBES, it’s clear exactly how much caffeine you’re getting in every serving. They also fit in well with Nootrobox’s other supplements, including RISE, which is one of the top research-backed, caffeine-free, and transparent nootropic stacks we’ve ever tried.

We look forward to seeing what Nootrobox comes up with next, and we hope it’s a sugar-free version of GO CUBES. For us, they’re a sweet treat, but they’d be even more useful to more people without the sweetener.

Read our interview with Nootrobox’s co-founder and CEO Geoffrey Woo here.

The post GO CUBES Review: Is Chewable Coffee Better for Your Brain? appeared first on Brain Wiz.

The company manufacturers a line of science-backed nootropics that include the adaptogen and choline-rich RISE, caffeine-containing SPRINT, and sleep-boosting YAWN.

Our testers have generally liked these supplements, which are among the most consistent we’ve reviewed. (Read our reviews for RISE and SPRINT, and find out what our testers thought about each supplement.)

Who Founded Nootrobox?

Nootrobox was founded by Geoffrey Woo and Michael Brandt, both Stanford graduates with degrees in Computer Science. Woo serves as CEO, while Brandt serves as COO. Read our interview with Geoffrey Woo here.

The company’s two “Medicine & Science” staff members are Sumeet Sharma and Robert Chen, both MD/PhD candidates. It’s important to note that while these employees have impressive pedigrees, it doesn’t seem like Nootrobox has and full PhDs or medical doctors on staff at this time. We anticipate that may change in the near future as the company grows its research branch.

Investors in Nootrobox include Andreessen Horowitz, Marissa Mayer, Mark Pincus, Dr. Connie Chen, and Keven Chou.

What Makes Nootrobox Different?

And Nootrobox seems to have a heavy focus on quality; the company states they’re focus is squarely on “safe, long-term cognitive enhancement.” Nootrobox is also very transparent when it comes to ingredient labeling and dosage; none of their supplements contain “proprietary” blends or mystery ingredients, and they list the amounts in each serving. That’s a welcome feature in a space where many brands protect their exact formulations at the expense of the consumer.

We’ve reviewed dozens of the most popular nootropic supplements on the market, and Nootrobox’s supps predominantly contain ingredients that have given our testers few, if any, side effects with generally consistent benefits. While their stacks aren’t the most “innovative” on the market, yet, you know what you’re getting, and they’re generally among the first supplements we recommend to beginners looking to test the waters of nootropics and brain enhancement.

Where Is Nootrobox Made?

Currently, it doesn’t seem like the company owns its own manufacturing facilities, though their site’s FAQ claims their supplements are made in FDA-registered and independently audited GMP labs in the United States.

What’s in Nootrobox’s Future?

We expect Nootrobox will be using an influx of investment capital to research and scale production for new supplements in their line. A chewable coffee product from the company, GO CUBES, is currently in pre-release after a successful crowd funding campaign.

The post Who Is Nootrobox, the Company Behind RISE, SPRINT, YAWN, and More? appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Read our review of Nootrobox’s RISE nootropic here and SPRINT nootropic here.

The company’s two main nootropics are RISE, a combo of well-researched adaptogenic and cholinergic compounds, and SPRINT, which features the potent caffeine + l-theanine combo for sustained energy and no crash. We’ve reviewed each independently, but we’ve also been trying the two in tandem.

The company generally suggests taking RISE as the baseline, everyday brain booster, with SPRINT added in when you need an extra, well, boost. Read below to see what we thought of the pairing.

What Our Testers Say

“I really liked RISE but wasn’t the biggest fan of SPRINT on its own. However, when I took them together (RISE in the morning, SPRINT after lunch when I generally lag in energy), I liked what I felt. I’ve found out I really like the combo of rhodiola + Alpha-GPC + caffeine + theanine before, and stacking these two puts those compounds in a much more convenient package (as opposed to reaching for them individually and adding in coffee).”

“RISE keeps me calm and level-headed in the face of work stress, and it’s gradually becoming one of my go-to’s for regular use. I haven’t felt like I’m building a tolerance to it, and generally I think the effects are cumulative for me; I felt better the second week of taking it than the first, and so on. Adding SPRINT in is a nice touch, but I’m a coffee person, so generally I’ve got enough caffeine on hand to keep me going. I can see how it’s convenient, though.”

“I’m still a little skeptical that SPRINT lasts 6 hours for me, but it’s definitely at least as potent as coffee, and I like the addition of theanine, among other things. I took both these supplements on my last trip, when it would be tough for me to keep on my regular schedule or get coffee I liked, and they kept me productive and focused. A good combo for convenience and impact. Not compounds you can’t get elsewhere, but if you don’t like mystery ingredients or amounts, this is probably a good way to get started in nootropics.”

“I got the most benefit out of taking both RISE and SPRINT together with breakfast. One really hard days I needed coffee or another serving of SPRINT after lunch, but I’ve found this combo a solid way to start my mornings.”

Supplement Summary

Overall, our testers found the RISE + SPRINT combo convenient and reliable, though not overly innovative. That’s almost a relief, as the nootropic supplements space is filled with “proprietary” formulas we’ve tried and hated. We’re excited to see what Nootrobox releases next in their product line, and we hope they maintain the same level of transparency moving forward.

If you’re looking for another potent stack that includes Nootrobox’s RISE supplement, consider combining it with MagTech for an all-day boost in productivity.

Interested in RISE or SPRINT? Save 10% off all Nootrobox products with the exclusive BrainWiz Nootrobox coupon.

The post Stacking Nootrobox’s RISE and SPRINT: Is It the Ultimate Combo? appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Image Credit: Andreessen Horowitz

But there’s one piece of information you won’t find in news reports on the deal. And it’s something you have to learn from a lot of testing and comparisons of the market’s leading smart drugs. We’ve reviewed Nootrobox’s products before, and their current lineup is hopefully just the tip of the iceberg. Our testers were enthusiast on their RISE and SPRINT supplements, though their ingredient combos aren’t entirely new in the space. To be fair, Nootrobox is pretty transparent with their ingredients, labeling, and dosages, which we appreciate. As far as transparency, we place them alongside all-natural or earth-grown blends from some other manufacturers, which are also well sourced and transparent.

Illustration by Morgan Schweitzer

Nootrobox seems eager to use at least some of their new funding to research new stacks and products. Nootrobox’s blog announcement comes at a time when nootropic manufacturers are making big leaps forward in taking their products from niche supplements to worldwide popularity; increasing product diversity and creating supplements that stand as unique will be crucial in that push. We’ll be monitoring the company (and its competitors) closely, testing out the latest products to see which are actually pushing the envelope on quality and effectiveness.

The post Why the World’s Top Venture Capitalists Just Bet Big on Nootropics appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Click here for the best price on SPRINT by Nootrobox.

Meant as an “as you need it” energy boost to compliment RISE, SPRINT takes a caffeine-theanine pairing (which we’ve seen as a combination in larger stakes and as a potent standalone in supplements like Smart Caffeine) and adds some ingredients we find much less common on the nootropic market. Are these additions Nootrobox’s true secret sauce? Read on for our full SPRINT review.

Sprint by Nootrobox Ingredient Label

Interested in SPRINT? Save 10% off all Nootrobox products with the exclusive Brain Wiz Nootrobox coupon here.

The Ingredients

Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), 60 mcg

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble essential vitamin directly related to brain health, including memory and actual brain mass. A number of studies have noted positive associations between vitamin B12 intake and memory tests.

Vitamin B6, 20 mg

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble essential vitamin, involved in the production of neurotransmitters. Studies show that when taken in conjunction with Magnesium, B6 improved school attention in children diagnosed with ADHD.

L-Theanine, 200 mg

L-Theanine is an amino acid known to support a calm mood without inducing sleepiness. When used in conjunction with caffeine, it has been observed to reduce error rates while performing tasks.

Glucuronolactone, 185 mg

A metabolite of glucose, glucuronolactone is a common ingredient in many energy drinks, largely based off claims it can help “detoxify” the body and liver. However, there is very little research regarding the effects of the compound within the human body, and any performance or “detoxifying” ties are in need of significantly more research. Current research suggests mild, if any, benefits to cognition or energy.

Inositol, 185 mg

Most of this compound’s neurological properties, including reduced anxiety and mood regulation, are relatively mild and tied to much higher dosages than are present in this supplement (normally starting around 6 grams, over 30x what’s found in SPRINT).

Caffeine, 100 mg

Caffeine is a stimulant acting on the central nervous system. One of the better-researched mental and physical performance enhancers, caffeine is proven to have acute effects on cognitive function and mood when used in conjunction with L-Theanine.

Other Ingredients: Vegetable hydroxypropyl, methylcellulose capsule, rice flour, calcium carbonate, silicon dioxide.

Usage Guidelines

We suggest one capsule with a tall glass of water. Lasts 4-6 hours. If RISE is your daily nootropic i.e. your daily mental vitamin, SPRINT is your nootropic to get your mental state to high gear.

What Our Testers Say

“After trying SPRINT a few times, I compared it on alternating days with a straight-up caffeine and l-theanine pairing, and I couldn’t tell much difference. It is handy, and as far as these ingredients go, it’s a legit and transparent combination.”

“I liked this supplement overall. I do appreciate that they list exact ingredient amounts, especially since I sometimes take nootropics with coffee and it’s good to know how much caffeine I’m getting. I’m not sure the boost lasts the 4-6 hours Nootrobox claims it does, but it did help me power through some difficult work periods.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m less enthusiastic about caffeine than some others, maybe it’s because the supplement didn’t work well with my physiology, but I didn’t feel particularly clear or focused on this above and beyond what a good cup of coffee would get me.”

“I felt a boost of energy from SPRINT. I felt focused and pretty sharp, though I did find myself wanting another dose after lunchtime (I took the first serving in the morning with breakfast).”

Read what happened when we stacked SPRINT with RISE, another Nootrobox nootropic.

BrainWiz Tips

• Take with breakfast to ease absorption, especially if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
• Avoid taking with other stimulants or supplements containing stimulants like coffee or guarana.
• Cycle a few days on with a few days off to reduce the body’s natural inclination to build caffeine tolerance.
• It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor or a medical professional before starting a new supplement regimen. Though common, caffeine is still a stimulant, so start slowly if you’re sensitive to such substances.

Supplement Summary

SPRINT by Nootrobox got us excited with some more rarely seen ingredients on top of a tried-and-true base pairing. Is it incredibly innovative and new? Not really. Is it a reliable stack with transparent labeling and ingredients? After our review of SPRINT, we’d say so. Our testers generally felt it gave them a clean energy boost, similar to standard caffeine-theanine pairings. The addition of B vitamins is nice, but if you’re eating a balanced diet or taking a multivitamin (or other nootropic stack), they’re not adding much you don’t already have.

Still, if you’re looking for an incredibly simple, beginner’s nootropic stack, SPRINT is one we’d recommend for clean, straightforward energy and focus without jitters or a caffeine cash. And if you’re looking for a powerful, broad-spectrum combo of nootropic ingredients, combining SPRINT with RISE is a potentially strong option from this California startup.

The post SPRINT by Nootrobox Review: True Innovation Or Bad Value? appeared first on Brain Wiz.