Viagra for your Brain!

Date: Mon, Sep 22, 2008 Professional

With the last article of the "Stress Less for Poker Success" formula finished, it's time to move onto performance enhancements supplements.

This is probably the most controversial yet misunderstood segment of the dietary supplement industry. When you hear performance enhancement, two things probably come to mind: steroids and sexual aids. The nutraceuticals I'm about discuss fall into neither of those two categories!

We're beginning our journey into MENTAL performance enhancement supplements. Because the niche for these products is extremely small, the mainstream supplement industry has almost completely ignored this category. Why? Ask a guy which of the following three things he'd like to increase the size of: brain, bicep, or "the little guy", and 99% of them will probably have brain come in a distant third.

However, I can attest that there are nutraceuticals available that increase mental performance. I personally used them while I was in pharmacy school. I don't give them all the credit, however I did graduate in the top 10% of my class and was inducted into the Rho Chi Honor Society while attending less than 20% of my classes! I've also seen health care professionals benefit from them as well as students. They're legit.

I'll post my first article later this week. The first ingredient is rightfully nicknamed "brain viagra."

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If you're looking for a cure, you're already too late....

Date: Thu, Sep 18, 2008 Professional

I thought the following book may be of interest to some of you, especially if you're taking the cholesterol statin drugs.

Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol



I have yet to read this book in its entirety. However, I've read several excerpts along with some reviews from some medical professionals I highly respect. This side effect of statins is nothing new. In fact, there areseveral books out documenting their dangers. However, this is one seems to be particularly interesting and convincing.

If you look way down on the side effect profile of any of the statin drugs, you'll see memory impairment along with trouble concentrating as potential side effects. If you're on these medications, it's probably a better alternative to go with Niacin, especially if you have a low HDL or high triglyceride level. Bad news is Niacin is a lot more expensive than the generic statins.

Remember, the brain is largely composed of fat. Every cell in your body has a membrane composed of fatty acids. If you lower cholesterol too much and interfere with cholesterol production, you take the chance of disturbing these membranes. An impaired membrane leads to an impaired cell. Brain cells are particularly sensitive to this.

I just thought this little tidbit would be helpful to some of you.

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Online football contest coming soon

Date: Thu, Sep 18, 2008 Professional

As I've said from the very beginning, cerebral poker is purely for informational purposes only. My one and only goal is to shed some light on nutraceuticals that improve mental performance. For far too long, these secrets have been hidden from the general public. I've personally benefited from them, and have seen hundreds of other people benefit from them. In fact, the large majority has been students and medical professionals. Because poker is largely "cerebral", it only made sense that you too could benefit from them.

Because of the immediate success of this blog, I landed a deal with Bluff magazine. The compensation that I receive from Bluff will used to fund contests for you, the reader of Cerebral Poker. I have not finished the details yet, however it looks as if I'm going to have an online NFL football contest.

Basically, I'll post the odds to the NFL games on Friday morning. You'll have until Saturday at midnight CST to pm me your picks. You can pick as many or as little games as you'd like. For each game you get right, +1. For each game you get wrong, -1. The person with the highest points for that week will wina buy-in for a$10-20 online tournament. I'll also have a game of the week where you'll have to guess the ending score. That's strictly for tie-breaking purposes. At the end of the season, the overall winner will win a $100 buy-in for a tournament.

Like I said, the details have not been worked out just yet. Hopefully, by the end of next week, I'll have everything complete. I'm still trying to determine what online poker sites, how to transfer the money, etc. You will have to have to be a member at cardschat.com though. It's a simple registration. You can find a link at the bottom left of my blog.

It's not a ton of money. However, it should be fun. The NFL is great to bet on. If you have any suggestions, please post them here. I'll keep you posted on the details. Thanks

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The final ingredient.....

Date: Thu, Sep 11, 2008 Professional

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for… the last piece to the puzzle. It’s time for the final ingredient in the “Stress Less for Poker Success” formula.

However, this one is going to be a little different. It’s not going to follow the same format as before. Why? Because, I don’t want to bet my reputation on this ingredient. Not because I don’t believe it works, but because of the dietary supplement industry’s greed.

The final ingredient is…. Ginseng.

I’m sure you remember the Ginseng/Ginko craze a couple years ago. These two herbals were supposed to rid the world of idiocy. They made it to a place where very herbals have ever seen: the mainstream media. After the mainstream media got a hold of these two herbals, their popularity exploded. I had 3 or 4 people every day come in looking for ginko or ginseng. It was crazy.

However, like most things, where there’s good, there’s also bad. The market quickly flooded with low quality, knock-off products from people who were looking to get rich quick. These products quickly diluted the high quality ones, making it almost impossible to find one that works. Needle in a haystack while blind-folded comes to mind. Quickly the tide turned, and both herbals lost their popularity.

The consumer didn’t stand a chance. Heck, even the medical professionals had a hard time trying to figure out what was what. One study would show a cognitive enhancing effect. Then the following month, another study, completed the exact same way, show absolutely no benefit. No one could agree on anything except standardization and quality are extremely important.

That’s why I’m labeling this supplement: try at your own risk. I still don’t know if there’s been any improvement in the quality of ginseng products available. It’s truly a shame because it does work.

I’ve read the studies that have shown benefit. I’ve also read the studies that haven’t shown benefit. In my opinion, ginseng works. You just have to find the right type. There’s too many different species, too many different dosages, too many different everything to make any kind of valid conclusion.

American ginseng has been shown to reduce fasting plasma glucose levels and HbA1c levels in diabetic patients in multiple clinical trials. This is a great benefit to have especially if you have erratic blood glucose levels.. See energy drink article.

Panax ginseng has been shown to improve cognitive performance in patients with Alzheimer’s, young, healthy patients, and rats. Some of the studies are actually very convincing.

Pananx ginseng has also been shown to relieve chronic stress through multiple mechanisms. Several studies have proven this, especially a very good one in rats that I’ll post later. In fact, the Chinese have used it for treating mental and physical fatigue for hundreds of years.

The evidence is overwhelming at times. However, for every study that’s shown benefit, there’s one that doesn’t show anything. That’s the dilemma. Like I said earlier, though I honestly believe ginseng does work, especially for chronic stress. However, you have to find one that works for you and you have to stick with it for awhile.

I personally haven’t had any luck. However, I know a fair amount of people that absolutely love ginseng, and swear by it. It’s a gamble that I’m sure you’ll look into..

So there you have it. That’s the “Stress Less for Poker Success” formula. Watch your game dramatically improve as all the stresses of poker are swept away by my concoction. Make sure to let me know if you use any of the ingredients I’ve recommended. Good or bad…

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Ashwagandha.... Bless You

Date: Thu, Sep 11, 2008 Professional

It’s time to finish the series on the “Stress Less for Poker Success” formula. We’re down to the final two ingredients. A stress-free life is just moments away. (How’s that for marketing)

The 2nd to last ingredient in the formula is…….

Ashwagandha, pretty cool name if you ask me
a.k.a. Withania somnifera

My best friends LOVES ranch dressing. In fact, he puts it on everything he eats. It’s quite disgusting if you ask me, but he swears it makes everything taste better.

That’s kind of what Ashwagandha does. (I guarantee no one has ever made that comparison before.) It tends to make everything work just a little better.

Take a look at what people have used it for:

• Arthritis
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Tumors
• Tuberculosis
• Chronic liver disease
• Anti-aging
• Infertility
• Aphrodisiac
• Fibromyalgia
• Hiccups
• Inflammation
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Immune system dysfunction
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Backache
• Hypothyrodism

That’s quite the range of medical conditions. I guess though, if it’s been used for 3000 years, you’re going to find a whole host of uses for it. You must admit, that list is impressive.

Overview
Once again, it’s another herbal from the Ayurvedic medicinal system. Like I alluded to above, it’s been used for over 3000 years for entire list of ailments. Even though it lacks sufficient human clinical trials, it has 3000 years of real-world feedback!

How it works.
Tough one. There’s really no easy answer for this. Because it’s been used to treat so many different medical conditions, scientists have yet to agree on one single mechanism of action. Each time they study it for a different condition, they find a new way it works.

For stress, they consider it an adaptogen. It mimics certain hormones in the body. When those hormones are present in high concentrations, Ashwagandha will block their receptors thereby preventing them from working. When those very same hormones are present in low concentrations, it will bind to their receptors and mimic their actions. Impressive! Some animal studies have actually shown that it lowers the cortisol in the body during times of stress.

As far as cognitive function goes, it has some pretty amazing animal studies supporting it. One study showed that Ashwagandha can actually rebuild neural networks by regenerating axons and dendrites of nerve cells. Another study showed that it has anticholinesterase properties, similar to that of the Alzheimer’s drug Aricept. Yet another study showed that it has anti-depressive effects similar to the prescription antidepressant imipramine, and has anti-anxiety effects similar to the anxiety medication Ativan. Remember though, these studies were all done on animals. However, they’ve led to further investigation into Ashwagandha possibly be used to treat Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease.

The majority of the latest research though is focused on its anti-tumor effects. In animal studies and cell cultures, it’s shown a potent anti-tumor effect similar to that of some chemo drugs. In fact, this has led some oncologists to recommend Ashwagandha as adjunct therapy for cancer treatment.

How Much
The suggested dosage is between 300-500mg standardized to 1.5% withanolides once daily. Like always, it’s best to find the right dosage for you. It has an excellent safety profile, even in large doses. The most common side effect is GI upset.
Pregnancy warning: Don’t use if you are pregnant.

Like all herbals, it contains many different active ingredients. The two most important seem to be withaferin A and withanolide D. It’s easiest just to look for the percentage of withanolides.

Why I Like it
Even though I hate ranch dressing, I like Ashwagandha. It is missing adequate human trials. I wish it had some more hard evidence supporting its use. However, 3000 years of real-world feedback is hard to argue with.

The animal studies are impressive, very impressive. If it just lives up to half the results the animal studies of shown, it will definitely be one of the top nutraceuticals. Seriously, the ability to regenerate neural networks along with having anticholinesterase activity. That’s an Alzheimer’s dream drug!

It’s been used for so many different medical conditions, and has been shown to have so many different beneficial effects in animals, it makes it hard for me not to use this drug.

Why for poker players
Simple. Your overall health. Poker players don’t live the healthiest of lifestyles. Staying up until 4 A.M. playing online poker can do some damage by itself. It’s definitely a step in the right direction.

The main advantage though is the potential Ashwagandha has. Just look at some of the purported benefits it has, especially to a poker player

• Its anti-stress effects, especially lowering cortisol
• Its ability to cause relaxation like Ativan without the coginitive dysfunction
• Its ability to reconstruct synaptic pathways that have been damaged by stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, etc
• Its ability to block the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, leading to more acetylcholine for the brain
• Its ability to act as a powerful antioxidant, protecting the brain from harmful free radicals

How impressive is that? If it can replicate those benefits in humans, watch out!

Go ahead give it a try. I’ll post some studies later and also get my last article of this series completed.

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UFC taking over WSOP

Date: Thu, Sep 11, 2008 Professional

I had to post this. I'm a huge fan of the UFC. I've probably watched almost every ppv event, except maybe 2 or 3, the last 6 years or more. I still remember the days of no rules and tournaments...
Side note: My brother-in'-law's brother is the manager at Matt Hughes' new HIT Squad..

The Iceman playing some poker...

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Fish oil's dominance continues

Date: Thu, Sep 11, 2008 Professional

The following report just came out a couple weeks ago… In case you missed it, I’ll post it here.

I know what you’re thinking. T.J., why should I care about fish oil and heart failure? Even though I think this is a landmark study for nutraceuticals, its importance goes far deeper than just heart failure.

The sole purpose of this blog is to enlighten everyone on the effectiveness of nutraceuticals. For years they have been overshadowed by prescription drugs, and tainted as miracle cures. They’ve lost their respect with the general public. More importantly, they’ve lost their scientific basis because of get-rich quick idiots.

This study shows, even though it was small difference, that fish oil was slightly superior to Crestor, one of the most profitable and expensive cholesterol medications available, for heart failure patients. Big pharma (the drug companies) took a big hit here. First Vytorin went down in a fiasco, and now a simple over-the-counter supplement seems to be slightly superior to one of their big guys. Don’t get me wrong. Nutraceuticals won’t cure everything. We need prescription drugs. However, they are effective in a number of circumstances. Don’t let the media and big pharma fool you.. I’ve still yet to find a prescription medication that’s superior to diet and exercise. Not even close….

By the way, the study was printed in the Lancet, one of the most prestigious medical journals today.

First is the report and then the abstract of the actual study

Fish oil outperforms statin in heart failure study
The Associated Press
Sunday, August 31, 2008

MUNICH: Fish oil supplements may work slightly better than a popular cholesterol-reducing drug to help patients with chronic heart failure, according to new research released Sunday.

Chronic heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently through the body.

With few effective options for heart failure patients, the findings could give patients a potential new treatment and could change the dietary recommendations for them, said Dr. Jose Gonzalez Juanatey, a spokesman for the European Society of Cardiology, who was not connected to the research.

"This reinforces the idea that treating patients with heart failure takes more than just drugs," Juanatey said.

The study findings were published online in the medical journal The Lancet on Sunday. They were simultaneously announced at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Munich.

"With a lot of these patients, you have no other choice," said Dr. Helmut Gohlke, a cardiologist at the Heart Center in Bad Krozingen, Germany. "They've tried other treatments and are at the end of the road."

Italian researchers gave nearly 3,500 patients a daily omega-3 pill, a prescription-formulation pill derived from fish oils, produced by Norway's Pronova BioPharma.

But doctors said people should get the same benefits from taking cheaper options like fish oil supplements - or just eating more oily fish like salmon.

Roughly the same number of patients were given placebo pills. Patients were followed for an average of four years.

In the group of patients taking the fish oil pills, 1,981 died of heart failure or were admitted to the hospital with the problem. In the patients on placebo pills, 2,053 died or were admitted to the hospital for heart failure.

In a parallel study, the same team of Italian doctors gave 2,285 patients the drug rosuvastatin, also known as Crestor, and gave placebo pills to 2,289 people. Patients were then tracked for about four years. The doctors found little difference in heart failure rates between the two groups.

Comparing the results from both studies, the researchers concluded that fish oil is slightly more effective than the drug because the oil performed better against a placebo than did Crestor.

"It's a small benefit, but we should always be emphasizing to patients what they can do in terms of diet that might help," said Dr. Richard Bonow, chief of cardiology at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago and past president of the American Heart Association.

Both studies were paid for by an Italian group of pharmaceuticals including Pfizer, Sigma Tau and AstraZeneca.

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish like salmon and tuna have long been proven to offer health benefits like protecting the heart and brain, though scientists are not exactly sure how.

Bonow said that because cell membranes are made of fatty acids, fish oils may help to replace and strengthen those membranes with omega-3.

Fish oils are also thought to increase the body's good cholesterol levels, as well as possibly stabilizing the electrical system in heart cells, to prevent abnormal heart rhythms.

In contrast, statins act on the body's bad cholesterol, which may not have a big impact on heart failure.

Previous studies that investigated the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids have largely been observational, and have lacked a direct comparison to a placebo. It has also been unknown whether taking fish oil supplements would be as good as eating fish.

"This study changes the certainty of the evidence we have about fish oils," said Dr. Douglas Weaver, president of the American College of Cardiology.

Weaver said that guidelines in the United States would probably change to recommend that more heart patients eat more fish or take supplements.

"This is a low-tech solution," he said, "and could help all patients with cardiovascular problems."


Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Gissi-Hf Investigators .

BACKGROUND: Several epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can exert favourable effects on atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease, including arrhythmias. We investigated whether n-3 PUFA could improve morbidity and mortality in a large population of patients with symptomatic heart failure of any cause. METHODS: We undertook a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 326 cardiology and 31 internal medicine centres in Italy. We enrolled patients with chronic heart failure of New York Heart Association class II-IV, irrespective of cause and left ventricular ejection fraction, and randomly assigned them to n-3 PUFA 1 g daily (n=3494) or placebo (n=3481) by a concealed, computerised telephone randomisation system. Patients were followed up for a median of 3.9 years (IQR 3.0-4.5). Primary endpoints were time to death, and time to death or admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00336336. FINDINGS: We analysed all randomised patients. 955 (27%) patients died from any cause in the n-3 PUFA group and 1014 (29%) in the placebo group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.91 [95.5% CI 0.833-0.998], p=0.041). 1981 (57%) patients in the n-3 PUFA group and 2053 (59%) in the placebo group died or were admitted to hospital for cardiovascular reasons (adjusted HR 0.92 [99% CI 0.849-0.999], p=0.009). In absolute terms, 56 patients needed to be treated for a median duration of 3.9 years to avoid one death or 44 to avoid one event like death or admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons. In both groups, gastrointestinal disorders were the most frequent adverse reaction (96 [3%] n-3 PUFA group vs 92 [3%] placebo group). INTERPRETATION: A simple and safe treatment with n-3 PUFA can provide a small beneficial advantage in terms of mortality and admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons in patients with heart failure in a context of usual care. FUNDING: Società Prodotti Antibiotici (SPA; Italy), Pfizer, Sigma Tau, and AstraZeneca.

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I haven't forgotten.....

Date: Mon, Sep 8, 2008 Professional

I haven't forgotten about the blog. I'll be updating it twice this week with the final two ingredients for the "Stress Less for Poker Success" formula. I took the weekend off to spend time with my family so I have a little catching up to do. Don't worry. I'll have some more articles up this week...

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Energy drinks= Oh so bad for your brain

Date: Tue, Sep 2, 2008 Professional

"What limits willpower? Some have suggested that it is blood sugar, which brain cells use as their main energy source and cannot do without for even a few minutes. Most cognitive functions are unaffected by minor blood sugar fluctuations over the course of a day, but planning and self-control are sensitive to such small changes. Exerting self-control lowers blood sugar, which reduces the capacity for further self-control. People who drink a glass of lemonade between completing one task requiring self-control and beginning a second one perform equally well on both tasks, while people who drink sugarless diet lemonade make more errors on the second task than on the first. Foods that persistently elevate blood sugar, like those containing protein or complex carbohydrates, might enhance willpower for longer periods." - "Tighten Your Belt, Strengthen Your Mind" Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt

Once again, the importance of maintaining a stable blood sugar level is emphasized. I hate to keeping hating on the energy drink companies. Like I said they have their place. However, poker is not it. Higher-level mental functioning, which takes place frequently in poker, is extremely sensitive to your blood sugar levels. Those extreme fluctuations in blood sugarfrom energy drinks and other quick acting carbs are detrimental to your poker game.

Poker is almost entirely mental. That's why I love it. You'll never find a "dumb" poker player.In fact, if I'd start a business, I'd look for poker players as employees. Granted, they'd have to maintain self control. However, their analytical skills along with their gut feeling and ability to read people, I'll bet on them everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

If you're serious about improving your game, you need to pay attention to your nutrition. Time and time again, research and the real world has shown how much damage bad nutrition can have on your mental performance. Don't let something you have control overbe a detriment to your game. There are too many other uncontrollable variables. Nutrition should not be one.

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L-theanine studies

Date: Tue, Sep 2, 2008 Professional

I wanted to get these studies posted as soon as possible. Like I said in my last post, I firmly believe l-theanine will be the next “energy drink ingredient.” All of the studies listed below were done within the last 2 years, with the majority of them being in 2008. Thus, the research is relatively new.

If you have some money lying around, like $20-30 grand, investing in an energy drink that contains caffeine and l-theanine, along with a mix of short and long-acting carbohydrates should bring you a nice ROI. I guarantee it’d beat the socks off Red Bull in any test. Cha-Ching! Makes you think, doesn’t it?

I highly recommend this supplement for poker players, especially if you regularly consume caffeine or other stimulants. The studies below speak for themselves. L-theanine and caffeine combo is definitely superior to caffeine alone.

The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood.
Owen GN, Parnell H, De Bruin EA, Rycroft JA.
Unilever Research and Development, Colworth House, Sharnbrook, Bedford, UK.

The aim of this study was to compare 50 mg caffeine, with and without 100 mg L-theanine, on cognition and mood in healthy volunteers. The effects of these treatments on word recognition, rapid visual information processing, critical flicker fusion threshold, attention switching and mood were compared to placebo in 27 participants. Performance was measured at baseline and again 60 min and 90 min after each treatment (separated by a 7-day washout). Caffeine improved subjective alertness at 60 min and accuracy on the attention-switching task at 90 min. The L-theanine and caffeine combination improved both speed and accuracy of performance of the attention-switching task at 60 min, and reduced susceptibility to distracting information in the memory task at both 60 min and 90 min. These results replicate previous evidence which suggests that L-theanine and caffeine in combination are beneficial for improving performance on cognitively demanding tasks.

L-theanine and caffeine in combination affect human cognition as evidenced by oscillatory alpha-band activity and attention task performance.
Kelly SP, Gomez-Ramirez M, Montesi JL, Foxe JJ.
Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Program in Cognitive Neuroscience and Schizophrenia, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA.

Recent neuropharmacological research has suggested that certain constituents of tea may have modulatory effects on brain state. The bulk of this research has focused on either L-theanine or caffeine ingested alone (mostly the latter) and has been limited to behavioral testing, subjective rating, or neurophysiological assessments during resting. Here, we investigated the effects of both L-theanine and caffeine, ingested separately or together, on behavioral and electrophysiological indices of tonic (background) and phasic (event-related) visuospatial attentional deployment. Subjects underwent 4 d of testing, ingesting either placebo, 100 mg of L-theanine, 50 mg of caffeine, or these treatments combined. The task involved cued shifts of attention to the left or right visual hemifield in anticipation of an imperative stimulus requiring discrimination. In addition to behavioral measures, we examined overall, tonic attentional focus as well as phasic, cue-dependent anticipatory attentional biasing, as indexed by scalp-recorded alpha-band (8-14 Hz) activity. We found an increase in hit rate and target discriminability (d') for the combined treatment relative to placebo, and an increase in d' but not hit rate for caffeine alone, whereas no effects were detected for L-theanine alone. Electrophysiological results did not show increased differential biasing in phasic alpha across hemifields but showed lower overall tonic alpha power in the combined treatment, similar to previous findings at a larger dosage of L-theanine alone. This may signify a more generalized tonic deployment of attentional resources to the visual modality and may underlie the facilitated behavioral performance on the combined ingestion of these 2 major constituents of tea

L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state.
Nobre AC, Rao A, Owen GN.
Unilever Food and Health Research Institute, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, Postbus 114, 3130 AC Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water. Tea is known to be a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants. However tea also contains a unique amino acid, L-theanine that may modulate aspects of brain function in humans. Evidence from human electroencephalograph (EEG) studies show that it has a direct effect on the brain (Juneja et al. Trends in Food Science & Tech 1999;10;199-204). L-theanine significantly increases activity in the alpha frequency band which indicates that it relaxes the mind without inducing drowsiness. However, this effect has only been established at higher doses than that typically found in a cup of black tea (approximately 20mg). The aim of the current research was to establish this effect at more realistic dietary levels. EEG was measured in healthy, young participants at baseline and 45, 60, 75, 90 and 105 minutes after ingestion of 50mg L-theanine (n=16) or placebo (n=19). Participants were resting with their eyes closed during EEG recording. There was a greater increase in alpha activity across time in the L-theanine condition (relative to placebo (p+0.05). A second study replicated this effect in participants engaged in passive activity. These data indicate that L-theanine, at realistic dietary levels, has a significant effect on the general state of mental alertness or arousal. Furthermore, alpha activity is known to play an important role in critical aspects of attention, and further research is therefore focussed on understanding the effect of L-theanine on attentional processes.

The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood.
Haskell CF, Kennedy DO, Milne AL, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB.
Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Division of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK.

L-Theanine is an amino acid found naturally in tea. Despite the common consumption of L-theanine, predominantly in combination with caffeine in the form of tea, only one study to date has examined the cognitive effects of this substance alone, and none have examined its effects when combined with caffeine. The present randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced crossover study investigated the acute cognitive and mood effects of L-theanine (250 mg), and caffeine (150 mg), in isolation and in combination. Salivary caffeine levels were co-monitored. L-Theanine increased 'headache' ratings and decreased correct serial seven subtractions. Caffeine led to faster digit vigilance reaction time, improved Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVIP) accuracy and attenuated increases in self-reported 'mental fatigue'. In addition to improving RVIP accuracy and 'mental fatigue' ratings, the combination also led to faster simple reaction time, faster numeric working memory reaction time and improved sentence verification accuracy. 'Headache' and 'tired' ratings were reduced and 'alert' ratings increased. There was also a significant positive caffeine x L-theanine interaction on delayed word recognition reaction time. These results suggest that beverages containing L-theanine and caffeine may have a different pharmacological profile to those containing caffeine alone.

L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses.
Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja LR, Ohira H.
Nagoya University Department of Psychology, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan. s050308d@mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp

L-Theanine is an amino acid contained in green tea leaves which is known to block the binding of L-glutamic acid to glutamate receptors in the brain. Because the characteristics of L-Theanine suggest that it may influence psychological and physiological states under stress, the present study examined these possible effects in a laboratory setting using a mental arithmetic task as an acute stressor. Twelve participants underwent four separate trials: one in which they took L-Theanine at the start of an experimental procedure, one in which they took L-Theanine midway, and two control trials in which they either took a placebo or nothing. The experimental sessions were performed by double-blind, and the order of them was counterbalanced. The results showed that L-Theanine intake resulted in a reduction in the heart rate (HR) and salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) responses to an acute stress task relative to the placebo control condition. Moreover, analyses of heart rate variability indicated that the reductions in HR and s-IgA were likely attributable to an attenuation of sympathetic nervous activation. Thus, it was suggested that the oral intake of L-Theanine could cause anti-stress effects via the inhibition of cortical neuron excitation.

The neuropharmacology of L-theanine(N-ethyl-L-glutamine): a possible neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing agent.
Nathan PJ, Lu K, Gray M, Oliver C.
Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Center for Brain and Behaviour, Monash University, Australia. Nathan@med.monash.edu.au

L-theanine (N-ethyl-L-glutamine) or theanine is a major amino acid uniquely found in green tea. L-theanine has been historically reported as a relaxing agent, prompting scientific research on its pharmacology. Animal neurochemistry studies suggest that L-theanine increases brain serotonin, dopamine, GABA levels and has micromolar affinities for AMPA, Kainate and NMDA receptors. In addition has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects in animal models possibly through its antagonistic effects on group 1 metabotrophic glutamate receptors. Behavioural studies in animals suggest improvement in learning and memory. Overall, L-theanine displays a neuropharmacology suggestive of a possible neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing agent and warrants further investigation in animals and humans

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Poker players take note

Date: Mon, Sep 1, 2008 Professional

I find the following article that may be of interest to poker players... It looks like ifyou lack in self control, you may want to avoid dieting, window shopping, or anything else that takes self control so your poker game doesn't take the fall. Also, like I said before, the authors confirm that complex carbohydrates and protein are definitely superior to simple sugars when it comes mental performance... Stable blood sugar!

Take a look. Interesting and quick read.
Self control and poker

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Rhodiola rosea: A Soviet Secret from the Cold War

Date: Mon, Sep 1, 2008 Professional

Here is an extremely interesting article about the origin of Rhodiola rosea. It's by far the most intriguing article I've read about the herb. I think it just may be a lot more potent than we Americans think.....

Secrets from the Cold War

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Too much caffeine? Try l-theanine

Date: Sun, Aug 31, 2008 Professional

It’s time for the 3rd ingredient in the “Stress Less for Poker Success” formula. After this one, only two more ingredients to go before you have the perfect formula for a stress free life. Ah, you can almost feel the relief already.

Before I dive into the third ingredient, I just want to give you a quick recap on the first two ingredients.

Personally, I use Rhodiola rosea only during times of intense stress. I’ll typically begin using it two to three days before the expected stress and continue using it 3-5 days after it has ended. It probably has one of the largest amounts of clinical evidence supporting its benefits in terms of nutraceuticals. In my opinion, it’s an excellent, well-studied nutraceutical.

Bacopa is considered my long-term stress supplement. I use it 365 days a year. It helps to neutralize the stress of everyday life. On top of that, it also has some cognitive-enhancing abilities. What it lacks in clinical evidence, it makes up for in real-world feedback. You can’t argue with a supplement that’s been used for hundreds of years in Ayurvedic medicine.

L-theanine

I think it’s blindly apparent that we live in an energy-addicted world today. It seems that we can’t get enough energy. We have Red Bull which quickly became a billion dollar drink. Then there was 5 Hour Energy, for those that thirsted for energy yet wanted to avoid caffeine. Now there’s umpteen different energy drinks along with hundreds of different energy pills. We’re definitely a society that’s overdosed on energy. C’mon people, relax a little.

That’s exactly what the dietary supplement industry is predicting for the next couple of years: a complete reversal. Now longer will we search for energy, but we’ll NEED relaxation. Thus, they predict that supplements that affect GABA, a relaxing neurotransmitter, will be the next big craze. What caffeine is to energy, GABA is to relaxation. Ativan, Xanax, Restoril, etc all work via GABA receptors in the body. Heaven knows, those prescription drugs are already a hot item.

This is why you’ll probably hear a lot more about L-theanine in the next couple of years. In fact, don’t be surprised if a major energy drink begins adding l-theanine to its mix. Get used to seeing “enriched with l-theanine for a relaxed energy.”

Background

L-theanine is an amino acid most commonly found in tea. In fact, the relaxing effect of tea is primarily a result of l-theanine.

Mechanism of action

It works through a variety of mechanisms. However, the 4 that are most important to us are:

• Its ability to increase the levels of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA activity. These three neurotransmitters are extremely important for relaxation, mood, and energy.
• Its ability to increase alpha brain wave activity. Alpha brain waves are thought to correlate with a relaxed, yet alert state in humans.
• Its ability to counteract some of the negative stimulant effects of caffeine. In fact a couple studies have shown that a combo of l-theanine and caffeine is superior to caffeine alone with regards to mental performance.
• Its ability to block the harmful effects of excitatory neurotransmitters that can destroy brain cells.
• Dosage
  The typical dosage is 200mg taken anywhere from 1-3 times daily. I’ve found this to be almost exactly what I need. I may need a little larger dosage if I’ve taken a lot of stimulants during the day. However, always titrate to a dosage that works for you. It’s extremely safe so you won’t have to worry about overdosing.

Why I like it

It’s extremely safe and well-tolerated. That’s always of the utmost importance.

Just like Rhodiola rosea, I don’t use this every day. Typically, I’ll only use it during times of intense stress or when I’ve consumed a large amount of stimulants. I’ve found it to be one of the few supplements to counteract the negative effects of stimulants. It works.

In addition, even though there have only been one or two studies to show this, it supposedly has some cognitive-enhancing abilities. As we all can agree, this is a benefit we’re looking for.

Why for poker players

Compared to every nutraceutical I’ve talked about thus far, l-theanine probably will be most beneficial to poker players. Why? I’ve noticed poker players are energy junkies. Caffeine, Red Bull, Ritalin, etc are commonly used, especially by the on-line players. Energy. Energy. Energy. Take a capsule of l-theanine, and not only do you block the negative effects associated with stimulants, but you also improve their cognitive-enhancing abilities. That’s called synergy.

Poker players have to remember that being over-stimulated is just as bad as being mentally fatigued. Both can cause mental mistakes. Playing energized and overzealous is inferior to playing relaxed and focused. Relaxation is the missing ingredient for the endless amounts of energy products available today. Please remember, the energy drinks and products on the market today are designed for physical energy (working out or waking up after a long night) not for mental energy. It’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

In addition, the typical energy supplement further increases your stress response. The goal behind these products is to get you in that flight-or-fight mode, aka stress. Thus, you’re putting an additional amount of stress on your mind. Not good. Remember, stress kills brain cells.

Relax a little man. It may just be the answer you were looking for. Balancing relaxation with stimulation is the key to success at anything that requires mental performance.

As always, I’ll post the studies in the next couple of days.

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Exciting News

Date: Sun, Aug 31, 2008 Professional

Look for Cerebral Poker in the September issue of Bluff Magazine.

I just received word from Bluff that Cerebral Poker's first article will appear in the September issue as well as being mentioned on the cover. This is extremely exciting news. Hopefully, you'll continue to be able to read Cerebral Poker not only online but also in print.

Once again, I must thank you because without the success of this blog, I wouldn't have even got an offer to write for Bluff. Thanks.

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