Nootropics for LSAT - Getting into Law School the Smart Way

Hurray, you've graduated from college! But what's next? For graduates who've long dreamed about being a lawyer, there's a simple answer to that question: the Law School Admission Test — more commonly known as the LSAT. The test is a requirement for anyone seeking to work in the field of law, and it very well may be the key to getting into law school.

If you're one of the 60,000-plus hopeful applicants of any given year, you may want to consider supplementing your daily diet with nootropics for LSAT. With acceptance rates at the highest-ranked law schools dipping to as low as 10%, any extra edge you can get on the competition should be well-received.

These natural supplement options may help students preparing for the LSAT in a variety of ways, including the following:

• Enhancing learning ability and recall
• Improving brain health
• Energizing the brain for extended study sessions
• Maintaining focus and concentration

This guide covers a selection of nootropics tailored specifically for individuals preparing for the LSAT. Each one of the included nootropics offers distinct mental advantages that could spell the difference between a high and low score.

The LSAT Lowdown 

Preparing for an exam is absolutely critical for success — and even more so when the outcome of the exam could determine whether a person is allowed to pursue their chosen career.

First introduced in 1948, the LSAT has existed in its current form since 1991. It consists of 4 multiple choice sections that count toward the final score, 1 unscored experimental section, and 1 unscored writing section. The graded portion of the exam checks for proficiency in 3 main areas:

• Reading comprehension
• Logical reasoning
• Analytical reasoning

There are a number of challenges with the LSAT, the chief one being its long duration. Taking into account administrative paperwork and breaks, LSAT takers usually spend well over 4 hours sitting for the exam. The vast amount of content in the exam requires most students to spend as many as 300 total hours on prep work, which amounts to roughly 20 - 25 hours per week for a 3-month period.

Ultimately, the aim of the LSAT is to measure a student's ability to succeed in law school. It follows then, that hopeful testees would be wise to focus on boosting their proficiency in logic, reading, and verbal reasoning, not only to get into a top-tier program but to thrive throughout the course of their tenure there as well.

How Might Nootropics Help You Ace the LSAT?

The number of nootropic benefits that could potentially lead to better exam scores is vast and growing. However, there are a few standout effects that are particularly well-suited to the LSAT.

Learning and Recall Formation

From pinpointing flaws in arguments and constructing evidence-backed conclusions to comprehending the structure of a set of relationships, the LSAT demands a pretty expansive knowledge base.

Fortunately, several nootropics contribute to the learning process by supporting cognitive pathways that form new memories while also reducing the rate at which this information leaves the brain. Together, these effects could help students retain facts and strategies that they learn throughout the course of their long study period.

One of the primary compounds associated with memory is the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). Cholinergic nootropics may facilitate learning and memory retention by altering a couple of pathways:

• Increasing ACh synthesis: Some nootropics supply a high store of choline, a compound that is essential for the synthesis of acetylcholine.
• Decreasing ACh breakdown: Other nootropics can minimize the breakdown of existing acetylcholine by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase.

Enhancing concentration

Slogging through months of exam prep and the final 4-hour long test itself is no walk in the park, and sheer dedication may not always be enough to fit the bill.

To that end, various nootropics are capable of triggering the production or release of catecholamine neurotransmitters, which have long been linked to attention capacity. The most relevant neurotransmitters include the following:

• Epinephrine (adrenaline): stimulates the sympathetic nervous system — heightening brain function and memory.
• Norepinephrine (noradrenaline): mobilizes the brain and body for activity.
• Dopamine: serves as the central chemical messenger for motivation.

By regulating these catecholamines, certain nootropics may increase attention span and bolster concentration.

Stress Reduction

The LSAT is unquestionably a stressful exam due to its importance. The high-stress nature of finally taking the test can lead to an unexpected drop in score on test day, regardless of how well prepared a student may be.

A handful of nootropics have proved capable of reducing overall stress, which could arise from psychological reasons (i.e., anxiety), chemical factors (oxidative stress), or extreme temperature (very high heat). For the most part, these nootropics help alleviate stress by regulating the stress response activation pathway or preventing its over-activation.

How Does Studying For the LSAT Affect the Brain?

Recent clinical studies have shown that studying for the LSAT can significantly boost scores for the logical and analytical reasoning sections but result in hardly any improvement in the reading comprehension component.^<1>

Using a brain imaging exam, i.e., functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers were able to correlate this increase in scores to gains in neural connections within the brain. In other words, practicing reasoning tasks can elevate activity in specific regions of the brain, leading to better scores.

• Therefore, students may want to focus on studying for the logic and reasoning sections of the LSAT.

In multiple clinical trials, various groups of students who worked on refining their reasoning skills demonstrated significantly more accurate answers and faster response times to LSAT questions as more neural connections accumulated in the frontal parts of the brain.^{<2> <3>}

 

Studying for the LSAT led to statistically significant increases in scores for the reasoning section but not the reading comprehension section.

The Test-Taking Benefits of Nootropics

In case it wasn't clear enough at this point, studying is the only surefire way to improve LSAT scores. However, supplementing with brain-boosting nootropics for LSAT can help optimize the oft-draining process of studying. They can have an especially positive effect on the following areas:

• Concentration: attentive reading and learning in the midst of distractions.
• Learning: absorbing and retaining new information.
• Recall: remembering previously learned information.
• Stamina: enduring mental capacity.
• Mood: minimizing stress.

Though individual nootropics can have positive effects on studying, taking a combination of synergistic nootropics in a stack can augment their effect on the brain and produce even better results.

Mind Lab Pro® Nootropics for LSAT

Bacopa Monnieri

Highly regarded in the Ayurvedic community, Bacopa monnieri is an herbal adaptogen capable of delivering a wide range of nootropic effects:

• Improving cognition
• Supporting memory formation
• Reducing anxiety
• Protecting brain cells

Several clinical studies have shown that adults supplementing with Bacopa for several weeks achieved statistically significant improvements in scores for auditory-verbal learning tests, attention tasks, and recall exams, all the while experiencing reduced physiological measures of anxiety such as heart rate. ^<4> Other studies have demonstrated that people who took the herb retained new and old information for a much longer time than those who did not. ^<5>

These outcomes suggest that Bacopa could serve as a well-rounded supplement to enhance studying for the LSAT as well as ease students' nerves on test day.

More on Mind Lab Pro® Bacopa Monnieri

N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine

N-acetyl L-tyrosine is the premier form of supplemental L-tyrosine. This amino acid precursor replenishes the brain's store of catecholamine neurotransmitters, which, as previously discussed, are critical for effective brain function.

Studying for an exam as massive as the LSAT inevitably takes a toll on the mind, and this kind of mental stress rapidly depletes catecholamines from the brain. Supplementing with N-acetyl L-tyrosine enables the body to continue producing catecholamines at a sufficient rate — ultimately helping students maintain high levels of concentration and mental fortitude.

Though not recommended, late-night studying is extremely common among students. N-acetyl L-tyrosine is particularly well-suited to individuals who have a penchant for studying long after dark. A controlled clinical study affirmed that supplementation actually counteracted the mental impairments associated with nighttime work. ^<6>

What's more, research has shown that L-tyrosine offers a more pronounced benefit when taken for high-intensity cognitive tasks — such as those required for the LSAT — compared with more relaxed tasks.

More on Mind Lab Pro® N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine

Rhodiola Rosea

The flowering plant Rhodiola rosea is best known in alternative medicine as an aid for anxiety reduction. More recently, studies have indicated that this herbal adaptogen may also help brain function through several different mechanisms:

• Inhibiting the breakdown of neurotransmitters, including catecholamines
• Protecting brain tissue from oxidative stress
• Restricting levels of the stress hormone cortisol

Collectively, the bioactive ingredients in Rhodiola may be able to support brain function under stress, whether the stress derives from excessive studying or sleep deprivation.

In one clinical trial, researchers found that Rhodiola supplementation was associated with significant improvements in neuromotor test performance and mental energy in students when preparing for an exam. ^<7> Such potential benefits may be ideal for people studying for the LSAT.

More on Mind Lab Pro® Rhodiola Rosea

Citicoline

Consuming 20% of the body's total energy, the brain is a highly demanding organ. When performing a task that requires elevated mental focus, such as taking the LSAT, the body calls for top-of-the-line energy metabolism.

The compound citicoline is often referred to as a brain energizer for its ability to optimize energy production in the brain. Beyond this effect, citicoline may also benefit LSAT takers in a number of other ways:

• Donating choline, which is a precursor of both acetylcholine (associated with memory and mental processing) and phosphatidylcholine (a core component of brain cell membranes).
• Protecting brain cells through antioxidation
• Promoting healthy blood circulation in the brain

Research has confirmed that citicoline is capable of sharpening attention and mental performance on cognitive tests. ^<8>

More on Mind Lab Pro® Citicoline

L-Theanine

L-theanine, a constituent of green tea, may best be taken when undergoing full-length practice exams and on the day of the LSAT. This is due in large part to its ability to instill calm while simultaneously increasing mental focus and alertness. ^<10>

The underlying cause of this effect is a mixture of two fundamental mechanisms:

• Boosting the activity of alpha brain waves, which have long been tied to mood enhancement, mental clarity, and sharp thinking.
• Blocking glutamate receptors. Glutamate is responsible for excitatory signals. So inhibiting their activation helps mediate potential jittery side effects often triggered by stimulants like caffeine.

To take advantage of these benefits, students getting ready for the LSAT may want to consider opting for green tea, which contains L-theanine, instead of coffee as their daily source of caffeine.

More on Mind Lab Pro® L-Theanine

Conclusion

Mind Lab Pro® nootropics for LSAT facilitate peak exam performance by improving learning, memory, and alertness, as well as reducing test-day stress.

To be sure, nootropics cannot replace studying for the LSAT. Yet when combined with good study habits, they may markedly enhance an individual's preparation process and amplify the results. The Universal Nootropic™ Mind Lab Pro® activates a variety of natural biochemical pathways that can optimize the studying experience and ultimately help boost LSAT scores.