What Is MindDrive And Why I Became Involved With Testing The Product.

 

The body is an efficient machine that requires fuels to operate.  Gatorade was created in response to the exhaustive work that an athlete's muscles must endure in game activity.  The next generation of Gatorade is MindDrive. 

The body's network of the brain muscle connection requires neurotransmitters that keep the body's neuromuscular function optimal.  Depletion of these neurotransmitters cause fatigue, both mental and physical.  Therefore, as important as water and carbohydrates are to muscles, so is the supply of neurotransmitters to mental and physical activity.

 

Physical exertion depletes neurotransmitters.  Stress and anxiety also deplete these same neurotransmitters.  In everyday life, we either are overusing our brain activity, our mind, or physically overexerting ourselves.  As our body requires food and water, so does it require the nutrients for our neurochemicals that maximize our brain capabilities - brain boosters as they were called in the 1980's.

 

Many products have tried to encompass all aspects of nutritional needs into one product, or tablet.  The capsule size or powder limits the necessary concentrations of the essential elements of specific nutrients for these neurotransmitters. 

The challenge for our team was to create the most effective and efficient combination of natural vitamins and neurotransmitter precursors that the body could absorb and make a quick utilization of this combination without any side effects or adverse effects.  The product needed to be non-hormonal, non-caffeinated, and without any complex herbal or Oriental combinations. 

The less ingredients, and the more specific natural nutrients ensured safety across all age groups and no risk of any reactions to other medications or affecting disease conditions.  MindDrive was developed with strict supervision and extensive testing. 

 

MindDrive's development success was made on providing the body with two neurotransmitter nutrients.  These two neurotransmitters are Acetylcholine and Serotonin in appropriate measures. 

Therefore the precursors are the main ingredients with the addition of Vitamin B's that help in the conversion of these precursors into actual neurotransmitters in the body.  MindDrive only provides the basic building blocks of your bodies natural neurotransmitters and adds the necessary vitamins to convert these building blocks within your own body. 

Your body takes these basic nutrients and vitamins and converts them into their natural state.  MindDrive only supplies the necessary raw materials, whereas the body knows what to do to these building blocks for replenishing its used neurotransmitters.  An analogy is placing logs into a fire.  The longer one adds logs to the fire, the longer we experience the warmth and the light of its use.  As Gatorade fuels the body with basic sugars, water and electrolytes, the body utilizes them to replenish what was lost in dehydration and muscle energy uses.

 

As physical activity burns your calories, dehydrates and depletes your neurotransmitter, stress and anxiety can also over utilize your store of neurotransmitters.  An athlete knows that anxiety inhibits performance.  The student knows that test anxiety affects their concentration and learning.  Anxiety and stress are inhibitors of clarity of memory. 

In a simplified model, stress and anxiety stimulate your "flight or fight" adrenal gland that releases adrenaline.  This adrenaline is like the Pac Man of the video game that eats the available neurotransmitters of your brain and nervous system.  The person under prolonged stress and anxiety experiences extreme physical fatigue.  The medical model is more complex than Pac Man, as in addition to consuming available neurotransmitters, this adrenaline stimulates a release of a brain chemicals the destroys the production of new neurotransmitter.  Many prominent healthcare specialists find stress and anxiety more destructive to our body's systems than any physical exertion or toxin.

 

Caffeine is a stimulant used by many people to stimulate brain and physical activity.  For a brief period, this effect is felt, but short lived.  Unfortunately, this surge of disorganized energy has a negative effect on the body's organized neurotransmitters. 

L-Phenylalanine is a precursor to norepinephrine (noradrenaline).  This is the neurotransmitter that wakes you up and helps you to stay alert and aware.  Caffeine causes the brain to burn up norepinephrine, and it’s that depletion that leads to caffeine jitters.  Epinephrine (adrenaline) is created by the adrenal glands.  Chronic stress leads to chronically high levels of adrenaline which the body is not designed to handle, and also causes neurotransmitter depletion.

Other athletes who function more on instinct and maximal muscle activity don't recognize the improvement they can have if they create a state of mental clarity and focus.  Few individuals are born or developed in having mental clarity and focus with exceptional athletic muscular ability, with precise eye-hand coordination.  The athletes that hold this combination are the exceptional athletes of their sport.

 

In any type of learning, mental, cognitive, or physical, the greater the degree of mental calmness, the better the ability to grasp the lessons.  Anxiety and agitation are to be avoided as they potentate the "flight or fight" response that interferes and inhibits learning.

 

With a state of mental calmness and clarity, a person reaches a heightened state of confidence and quickened learned memory.  This learned memory, when involving a physical movement is commonly referred to as brain-muscle memory or simplified "muscle memory".  Practically speaking, the term "muscle memory" is a misnomer.  "Muscle memory" is a term overused and erroneous.  Muscles do not have "memory", but respond only to neurotransmitter stimulation. 

The sequencing of muscle firing allows for specificity of movement.  Repetition of specific movements allow for brain-muscle repeatability, which people term "muscle memory".  Dr. Donohue is quoted as saying, "Practicing effects changes in the part of the brain that controls muscle movement.  Muscles move into greater ease and more fluidity." 

This implies that the brain instructs muscles to move.  After extensive practice this brain memory sensitizes the muscles to act by instinct and habit, a form of "muscle memory."  This underlying brain-muscle memory principle is dependent on the availability and coordinated use of neurotransmitters of this neuromuscular pathway.  This neurotransmitter pathway is the basis for the replenishment provided by essential nutrients and vitamins of MindDrive.

 

MindDrive ingredients are only the basis of the fuel for the brain-muscle activity.  These nutrients and vitamins do not influence memory, erase previous memory or change emotions.  The ingredients of MindDrive allow for the brain to be in a situation of enhanced focused learning with emotional calmness and clarity. 

This state allows for the development of more specific brain blueprinting of learned tasks for both cognitive and physical ability and repeatability.  The traditional way of repeatable learning was exhaustive practice.  Unfortunately, introducing fatigue, new instruction and change in equipment in athletic skill creates more confusion and loss of natural skill and most important the confidence to repeat the same skill performance. 

Factors of fatigue, mental confusion, anxiety, frustration all are important factors that interfere with nervous system-muscle action accuracy.  On the other hand, optimal skill performance requires complete control over mental, emotional and cognitive focus and clarity.  This focus and clarity creates the blueprints of an athlete's preparation and accuracy in skill and timing.

 

MindDrive ingredients clinically provide the body with the availability of up to 6 hours of needed neurotransmitter precursors.  This is extremely critical as John Hopkins's has studied the development and incorporation of new learned memory. 

Neuroscientist at John Hopkins found that the first 5-6 hours of practicing a new motor (muscle) skill for the necessary brain activity for the brain to shift the new information from its short term memory to the area of the brain responsible for more permanent memory of this new skill. 

These researchers found that a person initially learned a task in a region of the brain called the pre-frontal cortex.  The brain then required a period of 5-6 hours to redirect this learning sequence from the pre-frontal cortex to its more permanent learned memory centers which are the pre-motor cortex, the posterior cortex and the cerebellum (area of balance and coordination). 

The critical time to properly encode this new learning is the 5-6 hour time frame.  The clearer the state of mind, avoidance of frustration, anxiety, fatigue, the more accurate the proper encoding. Lack of available neurotransmitter nutrients, the potential of encoding is decreased.  Avoidance of stimulants such as caffeine allows for greater availability of create neurotransmitters. 

Stimulants and caffeine destroy our healthy neurotransmitters, such as a turbo jet engine burns available fuel.  Recently researchers also discovered that the brain can develop new brain cells in the area of the brain involved in learning and memory. 

If the proper setting of learning with availability of nutrients are provided, this leads to increased learning and memory capabilities.  Advanced scientific and medical MRI have confirmed the brain's ability to have areas specific to learning and planning physical movement.

 

MindDrive helps clear the mind for learning.  Coaches and teachers have found increased rates of absorbing new learning and athletic skill.  The athlete or student found that the less variability within the lesson, the greater the reproducibility of the learned skill, with improved ability to ingrain this skill in brain muscle memory.

 

Inability to grasp new lessons or physical skill creates frustration, anxiety and stress.  Researchers found that stress and tension produce hormones within our body that release Acetylcholine destroying chemical that depletes out needed neurotransmitters as well as destroys an area of the brain that is critical in learning and formation of memory--the Hippocampus.  This destructive Acetylcholine chemical is called Acetylcholinesterase. 

Acetylcholinesterase is the inhibitor of learning.  Acetylcholinesterase breaks down the good Acetylcholine and eliminates its beneficial effects, especially on the Hippocampus. That part of the brain then creates and converts learning into stored memory.  One natural herb, Huperzine A has been used for hundreds of years and has now been proven to reduce the concentration of Acetylcholinesterase.

 

MindDrive contains Huperzine A, as well as Choline a precursor of Acetylcholine.  A natural medicinal plan Eriffonia simplicifolia hold the natural precursor of Serotonin, 5-HTP which allows our body to quickly convert 5-HTP into usable Serotonin. 

The natural benefits of turmeric and decaffeinated green tea help protect the brain from neuro antioxidants that deplete brain chemicals.  The B Vitamins, vitamin B1, B5, B6, B12 along with folic acid help in the conversion in the development of these natural neurotransmitters.  Again, the increased availability of these neurotransmitters in the brain and neuro-muscular pathways allow for improved brain-muscle communication and formed learned memory.

 

Putting MindDrive to the test, two studies were done in regards to athletic performance in golf.  The first study at University of South Florida under the director of the High Speed Camera Biomechanics Laboratory, Dr. Murray Maitland PT, PhD analyzed golfers with 40 positional markers during their golf swing. 

The participants were of a varied golf skill level.  40 markers were used to asses and measure repeatability of the body's joint angles and club performance.  Pre-testing without MindDrive allowed for baseline objective performance measures.  This was followed by taking two MindDrive capsules and retesting after one hour of taking MindDrive. 

The results were objective and credible.  All golfers improved in their swing consistency and club performance.  The more unskilled, golfers showed the greatest improvements in performance and consistency of biomechanical movement.

 

Another study was performed at Carlsbad California, using TaylorMade's proprietary MATT, (Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade), in assessing biomechanics and club performance. 

This study was more extensive with a larger group of participants and over a period of two weeks.  As in the University of South Florida study, participants were tested without MindDrive for their baseline measures.  After recording their baseline data, these participants were given MindDrive and their golf swings were again analyzed. 

This first analysis again confirmed the Univ. of South Florida results of improved biomechanical consistency and improved center hits.  These participants were given MindDrive and instructed to practice their swing with MindDrive 30 minutes at least three times a week for two weeks.  After two weeks, they returned to the MATT laboratory and were retested. 

Results showed objective improvement in 80% of the participants in golf performance.  Golf performance in both studies looked at the 3 dimensional measurements of arm, elbow, shoulder, torso, pelvis and leg movements.  Quantification of angles of body and joint alignments were determined along with swing planes. 

Quantification of clubhead speed and ball path flight was recorded.  The consistency and accuracy of clubhead, ball impact location on the club was analyzed.  Finally, the hand speed, ball flight characteristics and distance measures were compared. 

Additional feedback was positive, most experienced notable improvement in their jobs or hobbies, with improved clarity, focus and endurance.  No participant in either study had any side effects.  Some participants were on medications without any adverse effects being reported.

 

More recently, I have introduced MindDrive to many athletes of elite skill as well as individuals of various professions, therapists, scientists, students, and laborers.  Most all found benefit and have requested more product as their mental and physical abilities were enhanced. 

A common finding of improved mental and physical stamina was reported.  A few found only a slight benefit, but coincidentally, these individuals were being treated with prescription medications that altered brain chemistry that already enhanced serotonin balances. 

None, and I repeat none experienced any side effects or reactions with their prescription medications, as this was one of my initial primary concerns. 

As a result of this extensive analysis and having tried MindDrive myself and my family, I feel confident that this product should be tried and used. 

My parents who are quite elderly have noted improved overall memory, especially short term memory as they were concerned about developing dementia.  For all these reasons, I believe and have confidence in this product--MindDrive works.  Try it for yourself.

 

Taras V. Kochno MD

Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Medical Director of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation International

Bradenton, Florida