A Supplemental Life: 5 Pilot Recommended Supplements for Mental and Physical Performance
7/13/202616 min
Season 2 Bonus Episode
Monday Briefing 12
This briefing focuses on daily supplements and digital tools designed to enhance a pilot's mental clarity, physical recovery, and stress management. We all want to study, test, fly, and exercise better, but in today's world we are inundated with influencers telling us this special substance is going to solve all our problems. Here are some Calm Cockpit suggestions on where to start, and how to cut through the noise. Top Five Recommended Supplements (w/Links)
- Creatine: Ranked as the top recommendation, it is highlighted for its mood-boosting potential and its ability to help build lean muscle and new neural pathways. While it can raise creatinine levels in blood tests, the host notes it does not necessarily indicate negative kidney function.
- Ashwagandha: This root-based supplement is used to lower cortisol and stress levels, effectively "rounding the corners" of high-stress situations. Users should be aware of potential initial stomach sensitivity.
- Nootropics (The Genius Brand "Consciousness"): Utilized specifically during high-intensity periods like check ride preparation or training, this formula contains ingredients like lion's mane and caffeine to boost focus and memory retention.
- Protein: Recommended for physical recovery and mental clarity, especially when integrated with a regular exercise routine.
- Green Drinks (Beyond Greens): A "superfood blend" used to supplement vegetable and nutrient intake for those who may not consume enough greens in their regular diet.
Supplementary Tools for Performance
- Binaural Beats: Using the Brain Wave app, these sounds are played through headphones to assist with focus, memory, and sleep by affecting brainwave patterns.
- Supplement Verification: The host uses the Supco app to scan supplement barcodes, which helps verify brand quality, check for natural ingredients, and identify potential negative interactions between different supplements.
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJon Niehaus· Host0:03
[upbeat music] Good morning and welcome to a new week, Calm Cockpit listeners. Happy Monday morning briefing episode from us here at the Calm Cockpit. I'm John Niehaus, normally your co-host. I am your host for this particular episode. I haven't gotten to do one of these in a little while, so I'm excited to be here with you. I took inspiration from Gita's last Monday briefing, where she talked about the top five apps that would be useful to non-pilots, and I wanted to share a list myself. Now, everything that is all the rage right now is supplements, right? Everybody's talking about, "Oh, I take this, I take that, it does this, it does that." And I wanted to share some of the things that maybe I've gotten on board with. And I want to sort of preface anything that I say by a couple things, sort of disclaimer here. I'm not a doctor. I can't claim to be a doctor, so what do I know anyways?