Dr. Rhonda Patrick was on The Huberman Lab Podcast recently, walking through her personal supplement routine, and three things made her list specifically for the brain: omega-3s, magnesium, and creatine.
Notice what's not on that list — nothing new, nothing trendy, nothing you haven't heard of. That's the point. These three have decades of research behind them, and here's what most people miss: that research applies directly to anyone who is active, not just anyone trying to age well.
Omega-3s
Dr. Patrick has called omega-3 fish oil one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory tools in her routine — in her words on the podcast, something that can "modulate the way you think, the way you feel, and the way you age."
The mechanism: omega-3s reduce inflammation and keep cell membranes fluid — including the membranes your neurotransmitter receptors sit in. That's a big part of why omega-3 status is tied to mood and cognitive function.
For athletes, there's a performance angle too: omega-3s support the arterial lining, which affects how efficiently oxygen-rich blood gets to working muscle and to your brain..
We have two great options to try:
SwissRX Omega 3 is the concentrated dose. Most fish oil is poorly absorbed and brands don't tell you that — SwissRX rebuilds the fatty acids back onto their original triglyceride backbone before capping the capsule, a step most skip, and it meaningfully improves absorption. One capsule a day. Done.
Quicksilver Sashimi Omegas is the whole-fish approach. Instead of isolating two fatty acids, it delivers all 21 naturally occurring fatty acids from whole Norwegian salmon — six omega families, including the rarely included DPA, plus naturally occurring astaxanthin to keep the oil stable.
Magnesium
Magnesium runs over 300 processes in your body, and most people — athletes very much included — are short on it. Dr. Patrick's own routine leans on it for sleep and recovery.
Not all magnesium is equal, though. The less expensive option (magnesium oxide) is barely absorbed and famously rough on your gut. Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate bonds the magnesium to glycine, which your body absorbs far better, without the GI distress.
Why this matters for training: better sleep quality and steadier muscle function. And sleep is where the brain piece comes in — sleep debt and cognitive performance are directly linked. You can't out-supplement a bad night, but you can stack the odds toward a good one.
Creatine
Creatine built its reputation on strength and power. The newer research is all about the brain.
The mechanism is simple: creatine helps regenerate ATP, the molecule your cells run on. Neurons under high demand need that just as much as muscle fibers under load. Some of the research Dr. Patrick references is now testing creatine in cognitive decline.
For endurance athletes, here's where it gets interesting: creatine has been shown to support focus and decision-making late in a race — right when glycogen runs low and mental fatigue sets in.
Feed Lab Creatine Monohydrate is the exact 5g research dose, NSF Certified for Sport, at $0.25 a serving.
