General:

  • Creatine - One of the best supplements you can take IMO
    • May enhance performance on demanding tasks related to IQ.[21][88]
    • Noticeable and statistically significant increases in strength and recovery times
    • For individuals who are sleep deprived creatine seems to consistently enhance executive function.[87]
      • Standard dose: 5g
  • Protein powder
    • Reduces workout recovery times
    • May assist muscle growth if protein intake is lacking
    • Can help with reaching caloric surplus required for muscle gains.
      • Standard dose: 30g of protein
  • ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin B6)
    • The zinc may help you blow big loads (lol)
    • Magnesium has shown some promise in treating/preventing depression [52]
    • Magnesium may assist with sleep [22]
    • Magnesium can help relax muscles and prevent muscle cramps resulting from lifting
    • Anecdotal reports of Zinc helping with libido, erectile dysfunction and testosterone production
      • Standard dose: Whatever the package says
  • L-Theanine
    • Reduces the negative aspects of caffeine - (anxiety, restlessness, jitters)
    • May assist with sleep
    • May increase brain concentrations of serotonin, dopamine and GABA.[249]
      • Standard Dose: 200mg L-theanine with 100mg caffeine
  • Rhodiola Rosea
    • Evidence to suggest Rhodiola rosea, reduces mental fatigue, physical fatigue and symptoms of depression.[30][31][32][227]
    • Anecdotal reports of improvements in athletic/weightlifting performance, libido, erectile dysfunction and testosterone production
      • Standard Dose: 350mg once in the morning (assuming 3% rosavins and 1% salidrosides)
  • Bacopa Monnieri
    • A 2012 review of 6 trials on Bacopa Monnieri noted large and statistically significant memory enhancing effects in older adults.[27] [28]
      • Standard Dose: 300mg assuming 50% bacosides once in the morning or 750mg assuming 20% bacosides
  • Ashwagandha
    • Ashwagandha seems to be a reliable anxiolytic (anxiety reducer).[89][90] Ashwagandha may also increase aspects of attention, but there's only preliminary evidence here.[91]
    • May help with sleep
      • Standard Dose: 300mg Ashwagandha root extract standardized to ~5% withanolides
  • Melatonin
    • May help regulate sleep cycle and body clock and has potential in treating DSPD [120]
    • Antioxidant
    • May aid digestion
    • May help improve sleep [121]
      • Suggested dose: 1mg
  • Probiotic
    • May have antidepressive effects from aiding the mechanisms of the gut-brain axis, thereby increasing serotonin availability
    • May improve gut microbiotia allowing for easier digestion and less gas/bloating whilst bulking
  • St Johns Wort
    • Natural herb which can serve as an antidepressant and mood enhancer
    • Some caution is advised - don’t take if already using SSRI’s and be careful with combinations. Probably don’t take it everyday unless you’re depressed, non-depressed users should only use it sparingly and when in a particularly bad mood.
    • Systematic review concluded St. John's wort seems to have similar efficacy to more traditional anti-depressants with few side effects.[36]
      • Standard Dose: 300mg thrice daily
  • Fenugreek
    • May have potential in increasing libido, strength and testosterone [44] [45]
  • Multivitamin
    • Self explanatory - you probably wont experience any noticeable benefits unless you have vitamin deficiencies but this will help address or prevent these deficiencies.

Alternative supplements which are riskier or of varying legality:

  • CBD
    • May assist in reducing anxiety [69] [70]
    • May reduce inflammation - reports of improvement in acne [71] [72]
    • Appears to have a good safety profile - however legal access is limited and so is long term research
      • Standard dose: 20mg
  • Kava
    • A systematic review of studies found Kava could effectively mitigate anxiety to a greater extent than placebo, with few adverse effects.[38]
    • May enhance some aspects of attention.[40]
    • May help you sleep
    • Appears to have a mostly positive safety profile although it may be toxic to the liver in some capacity, under certain circumstances, although a direct link between liver toxicity and kava use seems to be extremely rare. Heptatoxicity really only seems to happen with poorly produced kava consumed which is consumed with alcohol over long periods of time - lacking enough long term research on this.
      • Standard Dose: 400mg of kava with %30 kavalactones (the active ingredients) once or twice a day.

I suggest trying some combination of these out, according to your needs as they are very safe and can help with sleep, mood, anxiety, productivity, memory and attention. Extra caution is advised with St Johns wort, melatonin and kava. A good combination of these supplements should synergistically bolster memory, attention, sleep, wakefulness, approach/social anxiety, virility (and to some extent libido).

A lot of credit for this research goes to the Nootropics subreddit wiki