Supplements For Gamers: 4 choices for focus, sleep, and eye health

Whether you like to game as a hobby, or you are into competitive esports, you likely want to try and be at the top of your game when you are playing.

To game well, lots of focus, energy, hand-eye-coordination, and quick thinking come into play. Luckily, there may be some supplements that help support these integral features of optimal gaming.

Many people who play video games competitively, or just for fun, use caffeine to have energy late into the night, or to amplify their focus and cognition. However, there is only so much caffeine can help out with before triggering a caffeine crash or making you feel jittery. There may be better options to boost cognition and alertness before logging in.

Below, are a few supplements that may help support a great game (as well as your general health).

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a necessary hormone for optimal health that plays a role in bone health, mood, immune function, and may even help ward off certain types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Since feeling well and being in a good mood are necessary for a sustained and rewarding gaming experience, gamers (and everyone else) need to make sure they have healthy Vitamin D levels.

While your skin can produce Vitamin D from sun exposure, this needs to happen consistently and your geographical location may not even allow for enough sunlight daily to hit your goals. This may be a tricky feat for people who game competitively, where being inside gaming for long stretches of time is the norm. For this reason, it is important to get your Vitamin D in through your diet or supplementation.

Talk to your doctor in order to measure your Vitamin D levels and get a recommendation for a good supplement, if you are low. Depending on your levels, your doctor may recommend different supplement strengths or treatment approaches.

Ortho Molecular offers a good standard Vitamin D3 supplement that contains 1,000IU Vitamin D3 per capsule, which is generally a good strength for Vitamin D maintenance. Also, this product contains 180 capsules, so you can have a year's worth of Vitamin D covered with only 2 bottles.

You can order this 1,000IU Vitamin D3 supplement from Pharmedico Pharmacy: Here.

Omega-3s

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids that people can commonly become deficient in, as the body does not make these. Omega-3s are an integral part of a healthy brain regimen, and may help keep your cognition sharp as you age.

Since quick thinking is a big part of being a great gamer, staying on top of your Omega-3 levels is always a good idea.

If you are not a big fan of Omega-3 dense foods like certain fish, flax seeds, or chia seeds, you can consider taking an Omega-3 supplement.

Ortho Molecular is a good brand that carries an extensive Omega-3 supplement selection. Omegagenics Neuro 1000 is an omega-3 supplement with 750mg DHA and 250mg EPA in each softgel to help support cardiovascular, eye, and cognitive health.

You can purchase Omegagenics Neuro 1000 from Pharmedico Pharmacy: Here.

Healthy eye supplements

It's not just your wrists and brain that can feel worn out after playing games for a long time -- prolonged screen time and blue lights can put some severe strain on your eyes as well.

Supplements to support general eye health and wellness may be a great addition to a supplement regimen for a hardcore gamer. Ingredients like Lutein, and Zeaxanthin are great for eye health and can commonly be found in eye vitamin blends.

EyeProtect Basics from pure encapsulations is a good eye vitamin blend that contains Lutein and Zeaxanthin as well as vitamins C and E, Zinc, and Copper.

You can purchase EyeProtect Basics from Pharmedico Pharmacy: Here.

Also Read: 3 Supplements for Eye Floaters and General Eye Health

Melatonin

If you aren't sleeping well, you likely are not giving it your all when you are playing games. Not getting enough sleep, coupled with staying up late and throwing off your circadian rhythms can be a recipe for a lack of focus and stamina when you are awake.

Melatonin can be a very useful supplement to help you fall asleep faster and also help you reset your circadian rhythms if they have been thrown out of whack. As a bonus, melatonin is also a potent antioxidant.

Most people respond well to somewhere between 1mg-3mg of melatonin, taken about 30-60 minutes before you want to fall asleep. A sublingual rapid-dissolve tablet may kick in quicker. Dim the lights and relax after you take your Melatonin to allow it to start working.

Ortho Molecular Products makes a good general 1mg Melatonin capsule that you can use to help figure out the best dosage for you. 

You can purchase Ortho Molecular 1mg Melatonin capsules from Pharmedico Pharmacy: Here.

Written by: Jill Barat, PharmD