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Sustain — Midday Momentum

Keep the engine running clean. Sustain provides the metabolic support and adaptogenic resilience your brain needs to maintain output through the afternoon — when most people hit the wall.
By midday, your morning neurochemical advantages begin to fade. Cortisol starts its descent, neurotransmitter precursors deplete, and cellular energy systems strain under accumulated demand. Sustain addresses each of these vulnerabilities — not with stimulants, but with the substrates and modulators that let your biology sustain itself.

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What Sustain Delivers

Afternoon Resilience

No 2pm crash. No mental fog after lunch. Steady cognitive output when others fade.

Stress Adaptation

Cortisol modulation that prevents the afternoon anxiety spike without blunting healthy stress response.

Metabolic Support

Mitochondrial optimization for sustained ATP production. Energy at the cellular level.

Mental Stamina

The ability to maintain complex thinking late into the workday, not just early morning.

Mood Stability

Balanced neurochemistry that prevents the irritability and negativity bias of afternoon fatigue.

Physical Endurance

Crossover benefits for physical performance — the same mitochondrial support that powers your brain powers your body.

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The Afternoon Problem

Most cognitive stacks focus on morning activation and ignore the harder problem: maintenance. Here’s what happens after noon:
1

Cortisol Decline

Cortisol falls from its morning peak, reducing alertness and mobilized energy. This is natural — but the drop can feel like hitting a wall if not managed.
2

Neurotransmitter Depletion

Morning cognitive work depletes acetylcholine, dopamine, and their precursors. Without replenishment, afternoon thinking feels effortful.
3

Mitochondrial Strain

Hours of sustained neural activity tax mitochondrial ATP production. Reactive oxygen species accumulate. Efficiency drops.
4

Blood Sugar Fluctuation

Post-lunch glucose dynamics can trigger drowsiness, brain fog, and the infamous “food coma” — especially with high-carb meals.
5

Circadian Dip

The post-lunch circadian trough (1-3pm) creates a natural low point in alertness, independent of food intake.
Sustain targets each of these mechanisms with precision compounds.

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Complete Ingredient Breakdown

What it does: The premier adaptogen for stress resilience and cortisol modulation. KSM-66® is a full-spectrum root extract standardized to 5% withanolides — the most clinically-studied ashwagandha on the market.Why this dose: 300mg is the clinically-validated dose showing significant cortisol reduction (-27% in stressed adults) without sedation. Higher doses don’t improve efficacy and may cause drowsiness.Clinical evidence:
  • Cortisol: -27.9% reduction in chronically stressed adults (Chandrasekhar 2012)
  • Anxiety: -56% reduction in GAD-7 scores (Pratte 2014)
  • Cognition: Improved reaction time, task performance (Pingali 2014)
  • Endurance: +13% VO2max improvement in athletes (Choudhary 2015)
Mechanism pathway:
Withanolides → 11β-HSD1 inhibition → ↓ Cortisol regeneration
           → GABAergic modulation → ↓ Anxiety
           → Mitochondrial support → ↑ Endurance
           → Thyroid optimization → ↑ T4 (if low)
Timing advantage: Midday ashwagandha catches cortisol as it descends, smoothing the transition rather than fighting a peak. This avoids the over-sedation some experience with morning dosing.
What it does: A stimulating adaptogen that combats fatigue at its source — optimizing stress hormone response while supporting dopaminergic and serotonergic function. The perfect complement to ashwagandha’s calming adaptation.Why this dose: 200mg of a quality extract (standardized to 3% salidroside, 1% rosavins) hits the sweet spot for anti-fatigue effects without the jitteriness some experience at higher doses.What makes Rhodiola unique:
  • Anti-fatigue: Reduces perceived exertion and mental fatigue
  • Stimulating adaptogen: Provides energy, unlike sedating adaptogens
  • Fast-acting: Effects noticeable within 30 minutes
  • Mood support: Modest antidepressant and anxiolytic effects
Research highlights:
  • Improved attention, cognitive function during stress (Darbinyan 2000)
  • Reduced mental fatigue during night shifts (Shevtsov 2003)
  • Enhanced physical performance and reduced RPE (De Bock 2004)
  • Antidepressant effects comparable to sertraline (Mao 2015)
Adaptogen synergy: Rhodiola (stimulating) + Ashwagandha (calming) = balanced adaptation. You get the energy without the edge, the calm without the sedation.
What it does: Transports long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria for beta-oxidation (energy production) while also serving as an acetyl group donor for acetylcholine synthesis. It’s both a metabolic and cognitive compound.Why this dose: 500mg provides meaningful mitochondrial and cognitive support. Higher doses (1-2g) are used therapeutically but can cause restlessness and are unnecessary in a balanced stack.Dual mechanism:
                    ┌→ Mitochondria → β-oxidation → ATP
ALCAR → Carnitine ─┤
                    └→ Acetyl-CoA → Acetylcholine synthesis
Key benefits:
  • Mitochondrial: Enhanced fatty acid oxidation, especially in brain
  • Cognitive: Acetyl donor supports cholinergic function
  • Neuroprotective: Reduces oxidative stress in neurons
  • Mood: Antidepressant effects in multiple trials
Research highlight: ALCAR has shown cognitive benefits in age-related decline, chronic fatigue, and depression — suggesting it addresses fundamental energy deficits rather than masking symptoms.
Afternoon advantage: As glucose utilization efficiency drops in the afternoon, ALCAR’s support of fatty acid metabolism provides an alternative fuel pathway for the brain.
What it does: Essential electron carrier in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (Complex I → III). Without adequate CoQ10, ATP production bottlenecks regardless of substrate availability.Why Ubiquinol: The reduced form (ubiquinol) is directly usable, while oxidized CoQ10 (ubiquinone) must be converted first. Ubiquinol has 3-8x better bioavailability, especially as we age when conversion efficiency declines.Why this dose: 100mg of ubiquinol significantly raises plasma and tissue CoQ10 levels. Higher doses are used for specific conditions (heart failure, migraines) but 100mg optimizes healthy mitochondrial function.Electron transport chain role:
NADH → Complex I → CoQ10 → Complex III → Cytochrome c → Complex IV → ATP
              ↑
         FADH2 → Complex II
Benefits:
  • Energy: Direct ATP production support
  • Antioxidant: Prevents lipid peroxidation in membranes
  • Cardiovascular: Supports heart mitochondrial density
  • Statin users: Repletes CoQ10 depleted by statins
Statin interaction: Statins inhibit the mevalonate pathway, reducing endogenous CoQ10 synthesis. Anyone on statins should supplement CoQ10 — Sustain provides a meaningful dose.
What it does: Stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis via PGC-1α activation — literally increasing the number of mitochondria in your cells. Also functions as a potent redox cofactor with antioxidant properties exceeding vitamin C.Why this dose: 20mg is the dose used in human cognitive trials showing improvements in memory and attention. It’s also the threshold for measurable increases in mitochondrial biogenesis markers.Unique properties:
  • Biogenesis: Only supplement proven to increase mitochondrial number
  • Redox cycling: Can perform thousands of catalytic cycles (vs. single-use for most antioxidants)
  • NGF support: Stimulates nerve growth factor (synergy with Lion’s Mane in Boost)
  • Cognitive: Improved memory and attention in human trials
Research highlight (Itoh 2016):
  • 20mg PQQ daily for 12 weeks
  • Significant improvement in cognitive function tests
  • Enhanced cerebral blood flow on imaging
  • Synergistic effects when combined with CoQ10
Long game: PQQ’s mitochondrial biogenesis effects take weeks to manifest. Acute benefits come from redox support; structural benefits build over months.
What it does: A phospholipid critical to cell membrane structure, particularly abundant in neural tissue. Supports membrane fluidity, neurotransmitter release, and cortisol modulation.Why this dose: 100mg provides the cortisol-blunting and cognitive benefits seen in research. Higher doses (300mg+) are used therapeutically but aren’t necessary in a comprehensive stack.Cortisol modulation mechanism:
  • Phosphatidylserine dampens HPA axis hyperactivity
  • Reduces cortisol response to acute stressors
  • Particularly effective for exercise-induced cortisol
  • Complements ashwagandha via different pathway
Cognitive benefits:
  • Supports acetylcholine release
  • Maintains membrane fluidity for receptor function
  • May slow age-related cognitive decline
Research highlight: PS supplementation has shown benefits in both young adults under stress and older adults with age-related memory concerns — suggesting it supports fundamental membrane biology.
Source matters: Modern PS is derived from soy or sunflower lecithin. Early studies used bovine brain PS (no longer available). Plant-derived PS shows similar benefits with no contamination risk.

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How to Use Sustain

Timing

Take with lunch, ideally between 11am-1pm. This catches the descending cortisol curve and provides metabolic support before the afternoon circadian dip.

With Food

CoQ10 and PQQ absorb significantly better with dietary fat. A lunch containing olive oil, avocado, nuts, or fatty fish is ideal.

Consistency

Adaptogenic and mitochondrial benefits build over 2-4 weeks. PQQ’s biogenesis effects require 8+ weeks. Daily use maximizes long-term adaptation.

Stacking

Sustain is designed to follow Boost (morning) and precede Recover (evening). The adaptogens won’t interfere with Recover’s sleep support.

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What to Expect

  • Subtle smoothing of afternoon energy dip
  • Reduced post-lunch drowsiness
  • Rhodiola’s anti-fatigue effects noticeable within hours
  • No dramatic stimulation — this is support, not a push

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The Afternoon Advantage

While Others Crash...

The average knowledge worker loses 2-3 hours of productive capacity to afternoon fatigue. Meetings after 2pm are notoriously unproductive. Post-lunch focus is a struggle.

You Sustain

Sustain users report maintaining morning-level cognitive output through 5-6pm. That’s an extra 3+ hours of high-quality work — the equivalent of an extra workday each week.

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Synergies Within All Systems Go

Boost → Sustain Handoff

Boost’s cholinergic activation creates demand that Sustain’s ALCAR and phosphatidylserine help meet. Ashwagandha smooths any cortisol overshoot from morning intensity.

Sustain → Recover Handoff

Sustain’s adaptogens prepare the HPA axis for evening wind-down. By preventing afternoon cortisol spikes, Recover’s sleep compounds work more effectively.

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Sustain vs. Stimulants

Afternoon coffee, energy drinks, or additional stimulants:
  • Borrow energy from tonight’s sleep
  • Create dependency and tolerance
  • Spike cortisol when it should be declining
  • Disrupt circadian rhythm
  • Crash follows the boost
Caffeine timing: If you use caffeine, keep it before noon to avoid sleep disruption. Sustain is designed to replace afternoon caffeine, not stack with it.

All Systems Go Overview

See how Sustain fits into the complete daily optimization system.

Boost

The morning formula that sets up the day Sustain maintains.

Recover

Evening restoration that completes the daily cycle.
Endurance beats intensity. Anyone can sprint for an hour. Sustain lets you maintain for eight. In knowledge work, that’s the difference between good and great.