The 15 Best Supplements to Increase Your Energy [+ Why They Work]

Too many of us rely on the jolt of caffeine to get us through our rigorous schedule. While a cup of coffee might not be bad for you, five or six throughout the day can cause damage to your heart.

We also build up an immunity to its effects, making us need more and more caffeine to survive the day!

Worse than coffee is energy drinks full of heart-pounding thermogenics that combined with caffeine are even more dangerous. They contain double the caffeine of coffee and tons of sugar.

The Journal of the American Heart Association reports that energy drinks raise blood pressure and change the heart’s electrical activity.

Are they effective at delivering energy?

Sure, but the side effects don’t make it worth your while.

Wouldn’t you prefer natural, long-lasting energy that feels healthy, not superficial?

Some supplements can work with the anatomy of your body to give you a little pep in your step with no jittery side effects.

Most of the supplements that made this list are adaptogens, which is just a fancy word for herbs for energy. But others are simple nutrients necessary for efficient bodily function.

Let’s get started!

1. Muira Puama Bark Extract

This adaptogenic herb is also known as potency wood, while its scientific name is ptychopetalum olacoides.

This herbal supplement’s active ingredients include alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and diterpenoids, all of which are potent antioxidants.

The potency wood tree grows in the Amazon rainforest, where they harvest the bark and extract its distinct compounds. These are made into a powder or a tincture. You can also simply buy Muira Puama bark shaved and bagged.

This supplement can do more than just increase your energy levels.

It effectively treats ED (erectile dysfunction) and increases libido in women. It also shows promise to potentially help treat Alzheimer’s.

This tree bark has anti-stress properties, as well as what this article is all about — delivering powerful adaptogenic and anti-fatigue properties.

2. Asian Ginseng Root

There are several varieties of ginseng that may help energize your life.

Asian ginseng, also known as Panax ginseng, has the most proven benefits compared to American ginseng.

Ginseng’s antioxidants, polysaccharides, and oligopeptides, fight oxidative stress, preventing many major illnesses, including cancer.

Ginseng also combats chronic fatigue. It provides so much energy to the body that it can even enhance physical performance.

This root has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to boost the immune system, improve brain function, and so much more.

3. L-Citrulline

L-Citrulline is an amino acid generated by the synthesis of glutamine and arginine. This amino acid helps your body produce more ATP, which is a powerful energy production and transportation molecule.

L-Citrulline is ideal as a pre-workout supplement for its energy-boosting properties. It also reduces post-exercise soreness and fatigue.

4. L-Arginine

Another amino acid that can give you more energy is L-Arginine. This compound is involved in the production of energy from glucose. This means that the more L-Arginine you have in your body, the more fuel you can get from your food.

L-Arginine is also a critical component in producing more citrulline and nitric oxide, two nutrients that boost energy levels.

5. Organic Beetroot Powder

Beets are one of the only natural sources of nitrate, and taking them in powder form is an easy way of boosting that crucial compound in your body.

The supplementation of beetroot powder improves exercise endurance when taken before your workout.

It can also improve circulation by increasing nitric oxide levels. An increase in nitric oxide in the blood helps deliver all its vitamins and minerals to different parts of the body.

These include vitamin C, magnesium, folic acid, and folate, to name a few.

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6. BCAAs

BCAAs, branch chain amino acids, are essential amino acids the body uses when performing intense physical activity. These three amino acids, leucine, valine, and isoleucine, are rapidly absorbed by the body for fuel.

BCAAs also block tryptophan, another amino acid that makes you sleepy and fatigued during a workout.

BCAAs improve metabolism by stopping muscle breakdown during your workouts. With a greater muscle mass, you have a faster metabolism than someone with less muscle since muscle utilizes more energy in its maintenance.

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7. B Vitamins

There are eight B vitamins in total. A handful of them are beneficial in keeping you from feeling tired.

B1, otherwise known as thiamine, B2, otherwise known as riboflavin, and B5, also known as pantothenic acid, convert food into energy.

B12 provides energy to the brain to combat mental fatigue in particular.

8. Green Tea Leaf

Green tea can be a refreshing drink in the summer as an iced tea or warm the body in the winter when steeped in boiling water. But this is much more than just a tasty drink.

For centuries, people have used green tea as an ayurvedic beverage (an ancient Indian holistic healing system). This is because it provides wellness for both mental and physical health.

Green tea contains low levels of caffeine that don’t cause jitters. The caffeine in green tea has a synergistic reaction with the L-Theanine content for a smoother improvement to brain function than coffee or another energy drink.

Green tea can also boost your metabolism by causing an increased resting energy expenditure.

9. Spirulina

Spirulina is an alga(e) whose high GLA and polysaccharides content provides increased energy levels when ingested.

Spirulina also naturally contains high levels of B vitamins, which, as already discussed, helps boost energy levels even more.

The chlorophyll content of spirulina gives it a bright green color and accelerates ATP production in the body.

Spirulina is also one of the most nutritionally dense superfoods on the planet.

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10. Iron

Many times, the culprit behind your lack of energy is the lack of iron in your blood. When this is the case, anemia can also become a real-life problem.

Supplementing with iron helps provide oxygen and cellular energy through the increased hemoglobin production necessary to transport these nutrients.

Iron supplementation helps to cut down on fatigue by at least half if iron levels are low.

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11. Maca

Maca, a plant native to Peru, also known by its scientific name, lepidium meyenii, is often sold in powder form as a libido or stamina booster.

Studies show that this powder can increase athletes’ endurance and improve and conserve adult brain function as they age.

12. Tribulus Terrestris Fruit Extract

Another natural supplement often used in Ayurvedic medicine is the Tribulus Terrestris fruit. This plant goes by many other names, such as the puncture vine, goat’s head, and Gokshura.

The chemical compound saponin is the critical ingredient in this plant. It’s responsible for the delivered health benefits, which are many.

According to one overview of its proven health benefits, this fruit can increase libido, treat urinary tract infections, lower blood sugar in people with diabetes, improve immunity, and even help cure depression.

13. Yohimbe Bark

This bark increases energy levels in the body by promoting nitric oxide production and release. It causes vasodilation and increases blood flow, which delivers energizing vitamins and oxygen to the cells throughout the body.

There are plenty of synthetic drugs used in healthcare that perform the same effects, but it is always better to use natural herbs when possible.

14. Super Tongkat Ali Leaf Extract

Also known as longjack, or Eurycoma Longifolia, the Super Tongkat Ali leaf is known to be a potent combatant of stress hormones to help you level out. These stress hormones can wreak havoc in the body.

One study shows that this extract blocks cortisol release in individuals undergoing intense stress. High cortisol levels cause fatigue, weight gain, and brain fog. With the reduction in cortisol, you can have more mental alertness and natural energy.

Studies also show that supplementation with this plant extract also improves energy utilization, production, control, and efficiency throughout the body.

15. 5-HTP

5-HTP is an amino acid that produces serotonin. Serotonin helps treat depression. Those who suffer from depression know all too well how much that disease sucks the energy out of you.

5-HTP also improves sleep quality by producing more melatonin. A better night of sleep will always do wonders for your energy levels and cognitive function the next day.

Other Herbal Supplements with the Possibility to Boost Energy

A few herbs that didn’t quite make the list of the best herbs could be considered honorable mentions. They do bring a few key benefits to the table but might be less effective than the fifteen above.

Of course, our bodies’ biochemistry can make certain adaptogenic herbs more effective to us than the general public. When searching for energy to get through the day, leave no stone unturned.

These six additional herbal supplements might just do the trick for you. You can also seek an herbalist’s help to discover which would be the best herbs for you.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is a popular herbal supplement known for its ability to help you deal with stress. But there are many other key advantages that this adaptogenic herb can deliver that boost your health and wellness.

It lowers cortisol levels, treats anxiety and depression, and even has anti-inflammatory properties that help cut down many other diseases’ symptoms.

Ashwagandha also shows promise in eliminating cancerous cells.

If your low energy levels are mostly due to emotional and mental issues, ashwagandha may be an excellent addition to your daily supplementation.

Rhodiola Rosea

Similar to ashwagandha, Rhodiola has been used in its native regions to help treat stress, anxiety, and the fatigue that comes with it.

This herb may help improve brain function and even boost physical performance.

This herb may also have anti-cancer properties.

Eleuthero or Siberian ginseng

Although this herb is also known as Siberian ginseng, it isn’t truly in the ginseng plant family.

Eleuthero is a stimulant, which means that it stimulates your nervous system into action, giving you more energy to take care of your daily responsibilities.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps are a type of fungi that are parasites of insect larvae. As unattractive as that sounds, the slender stems of these organisms contain some potent healing compounds.

The Chinese have been harvesting and drying these for centuries as medicine. They may have anti-aging properties and boost exercise performance.

They are also anti-inflammatory, especially great for your heart and for those who have diabetes.

Gotu Kola

The benefits of this ayurvedic herb are mostly cognitive. It is an anti-anxiety, anti-depressive, brain healing herb that may also reduce swelling, improve circulation, and help you get a good night’s sleep.

It also seems to help heal wounds, scars, and joint pain.

Schisandra Chinensis

For centuries, this fruit-bearing vine was known for its medicinal properties in what is now Eurasia.

The plant’s berries are known to help with stress and depression, detoxify the liver, help ease the symptoms of menopause, and protect the brain from cognitive decline with age.

There are so many herbs, plants, and amino acids that help increase your body’s energy levels without causing harm to your heart.

Most come with added benefits such as boosting the immune system, reducing stressors and blood pressure, and controlling blood sugar and the nervous system.

Finding the right herbal supplements to help you reach your best energy levels can be a challenge. We design many of our products with this goal in mind.

Check out our Nitric Oxide Booster, which contains five of the ingredients on this list.

Another viable product of ours created with the highest quality energy-enhancing ingredients is Energy and Metabolism Herbal Complex. This adaptogenic blend of herbs contains eleven plants, vitamins, and amino acids to deliver the boost you need.