HVMN Sprint
Positives
- Will definitely give you an energy kick
- Theanine should counteract some caffeine side effects
Negatives
- Simple caffeine supplement
- Ginseng has no meaningful nootropic properties
- Theanine + caffeine stacks can be bought for much cheaper than this!
Summary
HVMN Sprint did not impress us. It is just a glorified caffeine supplement. Caffeine/theanine stacks are common; they are cheap, available from most supplement stores, and usually all very similar. HVMN Sprint has some Ginseng added, but this doesn’t do a great deal. Not a nootropic, and not a very interesting energy stack.
HVMN Sprint Review: What is it supposed to do?
HVMN is without question one of the biggest names in nootropics. Originally called Nootrobox, this brand was one of the first to try to take brain supplements “mainstream” – their initial range of performance optimization products had an enormous, lasting impact on the industry. They have since rebranded themselves as HVMN and expanded their product range to cover every aspect of human optimization.
HVMN Sprint is their focus and energy stack. So what does it do exactly?
According to the website, HVMN Sprint gives users the following core enhancements:
- Heightened alertness
- Increased focus
- Greater relaxation without sedation
- Decreased fatigue
HVMN Sprint is described as a “nootropic for energy”. So this is not a comprehensive, full-spectrum brain supplement. HVMN Sprint is clearly designed for infrequent use – a quick, sharp focus and energy boost when you need to slog through a mountain of work.
We prefer to use complete brain supplements – so long as all the other aspects are taken care of, caffeine works just fine for a quick energy and motivation boost. But many people love supplements like this, so we’ll judge it accordingly.
Does HVMN Sprint really work? What kind of side effects might it cause? Is it the best option for increasing energy, focus, and clarity? Find out by reading our full HVMN Sprint review below!
HVMN Sprint Ingredients
Here is the HVMN Sprint formula as it is shown on the bottle:
We’ll quickly run through these ingredients and explain what each one does – according to the manufacturer at least – for your cognitive performance. If you want to ask any follow-up questions, please post them in the comments section at the end.
Theanine
Theanine is an amino acid. It is found in high concentrations in black tea, and in smaller amounts in green tea. The main reason people supplement with theanine is to alleviate stress and induce sleep. The clinical data is pretty conclusive on that one; theanine does reduce sleep latency and promote deep, restful sleep.
It is used in nootropics to counter-balance the effects of caffeine. Theanine and caffeine work synergistically with one another; theanine takes the edge off the worst effects of caffeine – the jitters, anxiety, insomnia – while heightening its beneficial effects.
Caffeine
You’re all probably familiar with caffeine’s nootropic effects. If you’ve ever had a few cups of coffee in quick succession, you’re probably familiar with its side effects too. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant. It heightens alertness, sharpens focus, and reduces the perception of fatigue. But it also causes anxiety, hypertension, and in large doses, a “scatter brain” effect. Caffeine should be taken seriously and used sparingly.
Panax Ginseng Stem & Leaf Extract
We’re not entirely convinced that ginseng is an effective nootropic agent. Lots of people report a calming, relaxing effect from ginseng supplements. But we don’t put much stock in anecdotal evidence. There have been a few clinical trials looking at ginseng, but the results have been far from conclusive. We’ve not seen any hard evidence that ginseng has significant effects beyond improving energy, vitality, and general, subjective wellness.
Our take on the HVMN Sprint formula
All-in-all, this isn’t the most impressive energy supplement we’ve ever come across.
While HVMN Sprint does pack a powerful caffeine and theanine kick, it doesn’t do much beyond that. Caffeine and theanine are pretty standard ingredients for an energy supplement. You can purchase a very similar stack for about $10 from most supplement stores.
Granted, 200mg of caffeine is a very high dose. If you ignore the side effect risks this poses, you have to admit that this is a generous serving. The fact that the caffeine and theanine doses have been matched is great too. We think that theanine should be dosed at a 2:1 ratio to caffeine, but 1:1 is acceptable.
However, this is still nothing special for an energy stack – particularly for one that claims to be able to “enhance focus” and “promote calmness”. We see no real reason to believe that HVMN Sprint can do these things better than any other caffeine and theanine stack (or better than a cup of coffee and a black tea for that matter).
Ginseng has never done much for us. We’re not convinced by the scientific literature on that ingredient either.
All things considered, this is an unimpressive brain supplement. It is explicitly for boosting energy levels, but there are better supplements out there for doing that!
Side Effects: Is HVMN Sprint safe? Will it cause side effects?
Like most energy supplements, HVMN Sprint contains a large dose of caffeine.
Don’t make the same mistake lots of people do; assuming caffeine is a mild stimulant with few side effects. In reality it is an incredibly powerful stimulant – a few hundred milligrams can have a massive effect on you, both physically and mentally.
200mg of caffeine is quite a lot. We don’t care how high you believe your tolerance to be. Side effects at this dose will include:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Hypertension
- Heart palpitations
- Jitters
- Sweating
- Difficulty focusing
Chronic use of caffeine supplements is related to much more serious health effects, such as an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, insomnia, and dependency.
The theanine will temper many of these effects, but they are still highly likely to occur at 200mg of purified caffeine.
In Conclusion – Is HVMN Spring any good for energy & focus?
In our professional opinion, this supplement is severely limited as a nootropic energy booster.
We have taken into account the fact that HVMN Sprint does not claim to be a complete brain supplement; it only claims to boost focus and mental clarity in the short term.
However, even when judged against these limited goals, it still comes up short of our expectations.
The main ingredient is ginseng, and we are not convinced that ginseng is a potent nootropic. It seems to promote overall vitality and subjective wellbeing. But it does not have cognition-enhancing properties. At least none proven by clinical investigations.
So HVMN Sprint is effectively just a caffeine and theanine stack.
Such supplements are commonplace. They are usually very cheap and readily available from your local supplement store. If you really want to enjoy the benefits of these two substances, you could always just drink more coffee and tea.
HVMN Sprint will make you feel more awake, alert, and significantly less fatigued. But it will not do a great deal for focus, concentration, mental clarity, or working memory.
For those things, you need a more powerful supplement with real, proven nootropic agents.
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Brian Johnson is a former academic researcher, psychologist, and tireless proponent of bio-hacking. Brian has dedicated all of his time since leaving academia and private practice to promoting the benefits to be obtained from the application of biotechnology and bio-hacking supplements. He has years of experience with nootropics, as well as prebiotics, probiotics, and other natural nutritional supplements. He has published scholarly research on natural nootropics; you can find his papers on his Google Scholar page.
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