Just as the title says what are some of the best cortisol reducing supplements/PED’s.
Most people in my opinion whether natural or enhanced could really benefit from lowering their cortisol.
Besides Ashwaghanda what other supps are out there?
I'll be honest I feel this is a pretty faulty logic to start with. Could many do better with lowered stress? Probably. That doesn't directly mean they could do better with lower Cortisol though. I'd caution trying to lower Cortisol in a strong fashion just to lower Cortisol and ask why you want to lower it. If it is stress related actions that help lower stress may be more beneficial (behavioral change, reaction to stress, exercise, diet, sleep, etc.). We don't want to destroy Cortisol or eliminate stress, but more develop the ability to actively use these properly (Cortisol can be beneficial in acute scenarios the long term highs of it may be the issue).
Sorry don't want to go too off topic, I just see this often with people on here wanting to lower Cortisol without thinking through why and if that will really help.
That said, and with that in mind, I think it can be beneficial in certain scenarios with different ingredients and products depending on the why and how you want/need to go about it. A lot of these will be stress related, as that tends to be a cause (or why people feel they Cortisol is high) and may not directly lower your Cortisol (if tested), but should make you feel better, recover better, and be beneficial.
On a scale of effects or how strongly they lower cortisol, from balancing to more so blocking:
Ashwagandha (particularly looking at Withanolide content and being more of a balancing ie lowering Cortisol if too high for daily levels, but even outside of Cortisol seems to decrease stress in both cognitive and physical modalities)
Tongkat Ali (typically seen in testosterone boosters but has shown decreases in both Cortisol and objective levels of stress)
Phosphatidyserine (possible acute lowering of training related Cortisol increases)
b-AET
Reduce XT (w/e this active is I don't know off the top of my head)
Emodin (inhibits conversion of cortisone to cortisol, albeit poor bioavailability)
Again don't take that list as a hard direction of strength nor that "stronger is better", but maybe it can help narrow down which type would work best for you. Also again not comprehensive, there is a ton of other stress/cortisol/anxiety/etc type ingredients that may work for some as well.
As far as products here are some I've personally enjoyed and/or see lots of people note they enjoy:
SNS Stress and Anxiety Support: Not directly formulated for Cortisol control, but the combo of Ash, Rhodiola, Bacopa, and Theanine all have stress (and some Cortisol) improvement backing, as well as cognitive and performance benefits.
Morphogen Morphocalm/Core Hard Extreme: Similar enough I lumped together. Higher dosed PS, Ash, Theanine, DIM, and a few other things different between them, they both are a little stronger for stress, Cortisol reduction, and some performance as well.
EndoAmp: Huge PS + Alpha-GPC doses. Strong nootropic, performance, and during exercise hormonal modulator.
b-AET (Invicutus or AET-50): No personal experience, but tons of great feedback and if I wanted something a bit "stronger" for Cortisol would probably be one of my top choices.
SNS Reduce XT: Seemingly been around and recommended forever, which stands to say probably pretty effective for a stronger attack as well.
What if I workout earlier in the day?
1/2 in the morning and 1/2 preworkout still? Or should I space them out more?
I'd take it all pre. The high dosed PS studies use it prior to training for most benefit and that Alpha-GPC dose should provide a strong Nootropic benefit with potential for HGH and strength/power benefits during training.
so temptingso tempting
so tempting