If you’re a student athlete, you know the grind is real. One minute you’re buried in textbooks, the next you’re under a barbell. We both understand that mental fatigue can wreck your training, and physical exhaustion can drag your brain through the mud. But have you thought about study supplements athletes can leverage? Or better yet, a pre-workout for studying?
The fact of the matter is that student athlete nutrition is something you can’t neglect if you want to get good grades and still hit PRs. As someone who was a student athlete throughout my high school and college career, I found out the hard way. Luckily, I discovered some of the best supplements for studying and working out, and learned how to balance training with exams.
Now, as someone who not only writes content for massive brands (like GAT Sport) but is a certified strength coach and sports nutritionist, I get to put what I’ve learned and researched over the years into my clients (some are college athletes) to help them flex their brain and biceps.
But let’s not get it twisted, your brain and biceps aren’t competing for resources—they’re allies. Here’s the biohacker’s guide to academic and athletic dominance.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new supplements into your current regimen.
The Student Athlete Dual Performance Juggling Problem
Exams and practices don’t care about your “recovery window.” Like most student athletes, your late-night study sessions probably bleed into early-morning workouts. By the time you hit the gym, your brain feels like it’s running on fumes.
Your mental fatigue is affecting your training, and your physical exhaustion is impacting your studies. Balancing both feels impossible, leaving you trying to juggle everything but really not excelling in anything.
The truth is, your mind and muscles are connected, and optimizing both is the real performance edge. But how do you optimize both? Through study supplements athletes can leverage (much like a pre-workout for studying and training), as well as the need to get your student athlete nutrition dialed in.
The Science of Dual Performance
If I told you that your biceps and brain are integrated and not separate systems, you’d probably scratch your head and question my intelligence.
And while you can still question my intelligence, the thing you need to realize is that when your muscles are tired, your mental sharpness can decline. Likewise, when your mind is foggy and unclear, your workouts can suffer. They go hand-in-hand.
That’s why researchers are looking at supplements that bridge both worlds.[1] For example, creatine isn’t just for strength gains and lean muscle growth anymore.
RELATED: Is Monohydrate Still the King of Creatine?
Research has shown that creatine can support memory and cognitive processing.[2] And amino acids, which we typically use for muscle recovery, also play important roles in neurotransmitter production.
Essentially, you no longer have to choose between academics and athletics. You can actually fuel both.
Can pre-workout help with studying?
Yes, you can use a pre-workout for studying (if it’s the right kind). The key is choosing a formula that boosts energy and focus without sending you into crash mode.[3]
That’s where Nitraflex Sport studying makes sense.
Not only can you see the benefits in the gym when using Nitraflex Sport, but also when studying and doing homework.
What you can experience with this powerful and carefully formulated pre-workout is balanced and steady energy that helps you attack your to-do list, whether that’s heavy squats, a brutal session on the playing field, or an important math exam.
The GAT Sport Student Stack
If you’re wondering about the best supplements for studying and working out, here’s the stack designed to get you through exam week, your rivalry game against a strong team, and PR attempts in the gym without missing a beat.
The combination here is the ultimate solution on how to balance training and exams, thanks to dual-optimization supplementation for mind and muscle.
Nitraflex Sport – Balanced Energy for Study and Training
Most pre-workouts aren’t formulated with students in mind. Nitraflex Sport is different. It provides energy and focus for your toughest lifts, but without the overstimulation that would fry your brain before a test.
I like to tell people to think along the lines of clean energy that won’t give you the jitters or shakes while you’re maximizing physical or cognitive power.
Creatine Powder – Cognitive and Physical Power
When people hear the word “creatine,” they think immediately of strength and muscle. While they aren’t wrong, creatine also plays a role in brain energy metabolism.[4][5]
What that means is sharper thinking, better recall, and the stamina to power to push through both workouts and study sessions. Creatine Powder is the definition of mind-body synergy.
Nitraflex Hydration – Calm Focus and Recovery
Cramming and training both drain you, and without realizing it, you haven’t been drinking or rehydrating. That’s where Nitraflex Hydration steps in.
With L-theanine for calm focus and electrolytes for recovery, Hydration is the reset button your brain and body need.[6]
Flexx EAAs – Brain and Muscle Recovery
Exams and workouts stress your system. Trying to juggle both at the same time is enough to fry the system completely. When you are required to perform to the best of your ability, recovery is non-negotiable.
Flexx EAAs gives your muscles the amino acids they need to rebuild, while also feeding your brain the nutrients it needs for neurotransmitters.[7] Recovery isn’t just a physical aspect, it’s also mental.
How to Balance Training and Exams
Being a student athlete doesn’t mean sacrificing one arena for the other. With the right stack, you can show up to your exams sharp and still crush it in the gym and on the playing field.
Fueling your body fuels your brain. And supporting your brain supports your body. It’s a loop, and you can hack it with the right student athlete nutrition, as well as training and study supplements athletes need to perform at a high-level day in and day out.
The Best Supplements for Student Athletes? Try the GAT Sport Student Stack
When it comes down to it, you could spend $500 a month on the best supplements for studying and working out, but we have four key products you should focus on if you want to figure out how to balance training and exams.
Add these four products to your cart for the ultimate GAT Sport student stack:
- Nitraflex Sport for balanced energy for studying and training
- Creatine Powder for cognitive and physical benefits
- Nitraflex Hydration for calm focus and recovery
- Flexx EAAs for brain and muscle recovery
No longer do you need to choose between academic success and athletic championships. With the GAT Sport Student Stack, you have the option to buy one or all to complete your own personalized stack.
The next time exam week collides with peak training, you’ll be prepared. Because your brain and biceps? They’re on the same team.
References
1. Avgerinos, Konstantinos I., et al. “Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Cognitive Function of Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Experimental Gerontology, vol. 108, 2018, pp. 166–173.
2. Prokopidis, Konstantinos, et al. “Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Memory in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Nutrition Reviews, vol. 81, no. 4, 2022, pp. 416–427.
3. Shields, Kevin A., et al. “The Effects of a Multi-Ingredient Cognitive Formula on Alertness, Focus, Motivation, Calmness and Psychomotor Performance in Comparison to Caffeine and Placebo.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 11, Suppl. 1, 2014, p. P45.
4. Xu, C., et al. “The Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 12, 2025, Article 1570800.
5. Gordji-Nejad, Ali, et al. “Single-Dose Creatine Improves Cognitive Performance and Induces Changes in Cerebral High-Energy Phosphates during Sleep Deprivation.” Scientific Reports, Feb. 2024.
6. Shields, Kevin A., et al. “The Effects of a Multi-Ingredient Cognitive Formula on Alertness, Focus, Motivation, Calmness and Psychomotor Performance in Comparison to Caffeine and Placebo.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 11, Suppl. 1, 2014, p. P45.
7. Dora, Kento et al. “Essential amino acid supplements ingestion has a positive effect on executive function after moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.” Scientific reports vol. 13,1 22644. 19 Dec. 2023.
