Olympus labs ELIX1R does look very well formulated as mentioned above. I personally put together my own, but realize that it might be more of a pain for some people to do it that way. Also, as you will note below OL's ELIX1R already contains many of my personal staples:
1.) CDP-Choline: I realize many prefer Alpha-GPC (a close 2nd for me), but I am acutely aware of more benefits when I am dosing CDP. Again, can't go wrong with A-GPC here either, but choose one or the other for a choline source.
2.) Bacopa: Get a standardized extra and dose between 300-600mg per day. This is a staple for me.
3.) Ashwagandha: This I take primarily for decreased stress and overall well-being. I just plain feel better when I'm taking it and as a result, I am more productive. I suggest taking Sensoril or KSM-66 (my personal favorite).
4.) Oxiracetam or Aniracetam: This one is more of a personal preference and finding what works best for you. I have found that oxiracetam works best for my pursuits, but I have helped friends setup stacks and some prefer Aniracetam.
5.) Phenylpiracetam (As needed): This is not something I take more than 1-2 x/week, but when you need an extra kick in the pants this does the trick. Definitely not something I would suggest using as a crutch, but it is sure nice to have it there.
6.) Stimulants: I'll leave this a bit more wide-open, as I know many people have their own preferences here. I'm not opposed to using a pre-made "fat-burning pill" or something that you enjoy here. I personally like a caffeine/theanine combo and potentially throw in sulbutiamine for some extra kick.
Good post!
I also make my own blend, but I have to admit it can be a bit of a pain in the ass at times, haha.
CDP-Choline is also my favorite choline source. Alpha-GPC is nice as well, but I give the edge to CDP, if only because I've seen some relevant studies showing cognitive benefits with as little as 250mg. When I don't use CDP, I tend to use choline bitartrate, which is a cheaper choline source than CDP or GPC, but is still pretty good, and it also has at least 1 study showing some cognitive related benefits, as well as other potential athletic/body composition benefits. If you're looking to keep costs down, but you still want a choline source (especially if you're taking a racetam), bitartrate isn't a bad choice.
Bacopa and ashwagandha are staples for me as well. I aim for 165-176mg bacosides (300-320mg of a 55% extract), and 30mg withanolides (600mg of a 5% extract), although doses as low as 9mg withanolides (600mg of a 1.5% extract) have been shown to be effective at reducing anxiety. KSM-66 is very nice.
I typically stick with plain-old piracetam as my racetam, but perhaps that is because I mostly use it for my classes, which tend to be very math/physics oriented (civil engineering major), while aniracetam is (anecdotally at least) touted as being better for creativity/writing type activities. Again, piracetam has a few studies showing benefits in healthy individuals, which is nice, and helped me figure out how to dose it (2.4g 1-2x daily).
I really like caffeine + theanine, and adding ornithine HCL is even better IMO.
Rhodiola is another great ingredient for reducing fatigue (and it has acute exercise benefits). Doses as low as 1.4mg salidroside have been effective in studies, although higher doses (9mg salidroside) have also been used successfully, although 13.5mg salidroside wasn't significantly more effective than 9mg, so there's no real need to go beyond that dose, especially if cost is an issue.
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