Head in the game: Choline, cognition support and the mental aspects of sporting excellence

In sport, aside from physical performance, mindset matters too. Across post-match interviews, pre-season training summaries, competition retrospectives and athlete memoirs we see the same sentiment emerge time and again: mental resilience and focus are often more crucial to success than physical performance. Given the subjective nature of terms like “mental toughness,” “concentration,” or “confidence,” consistent academic research on this topic is hard to find. Even so, the statistics paint a definitive picture. More than half of all athletes surveyed for one study cited mental resilience as crucial in their struggles against opponents, while coaches assign an even higher level of importance—82% of them calling it the most critical psychological factor for success.¹

Enter choline, an essential nutrient our bodies make in small amounts as part of a series of complex metabolic processes. Vital for everything from mood management to muscle control and memory, this lesser-known nutrient is the best friend of athletes—professional or amateur—looking to stay focused to win big. The hurdle here is that choline is in short supply naturally within the body, making high-quality supplementation a must.^2,3 Unfortunately, nearly 90% of people don’t get enough choline in their diet to meet daily needs, so there’s an Olympic-level opportunity for sports supplement producers to provide this science-backed cognitive booster sportspeople might not know they need.⁴

When Two Categories Collide: Cognitive Demand Across Competition

The boundaries between sports nutrition and cognitive supplements are dissolving rapidly. Athletes across every discipline and skill level are seeking support for cognitive performance. They’re after better hand-eye coordination, sustained mental stamina when fatigue sets in, and the mental flexibility to adapt tactics in real-time—all of which could be the difference between good and great.

The sports nutrition industry is responding, and the result is a market evolution that's rewriting the rules of performance supplementation. For example, we’ve seen large sports management firms partner with supplement companies,⁵ and ingredient manufacturers collaborate with sports teams⁶ and active lifestyle influencers to educate consumers about the nutrients that can give a cognitive edge to sporting performance. Famous athletes like David Beckham are even launching their own supplement lines. These cross-category collaborations signal a fundamental shift in how the industry views performance optimization.

And the numbers tell this story: the global nootropics market value is estimated to exceed $10 billion,⁷ and the market for choline supplements alone is projected to be worth $2 billion by 2032.⁸ For sports nutrition manufacturers, the message is clear: cognitive support ingredients like choline represent the next frontier in performance nutrition innovation.

Where Brawn Meets Brain: The Neuroscience of Performance

So why choline specifically? The answer lies in fundamental neuroscience—and one neurotransmitter that's essential to every athletic movement, from a powerlifter's lockout to a cyberathlete’s pinpoint accuracy. Choline is the precursor for acetylcholine, making it essential to the mind-muscle connection athletes rely on. Acetylcholine helps to coordinate the response of neuronal networks and transmit messages from the brain to the muscles.^3,9 Crucial cognitive tasks for success in competition—memorizing plays, maintaining focus under pressure, executing precise movements—all require acetylcholine. And that acetylcholine supply depends on choline intake.³

Clinical testing demonstrates that choline's nervous system support translates to measurable, real-world performance gains. For example, one placebo-controlled study showed that, in as little as 70 minutes, choline supplementation was linked to improved visuomotor performance, hand eye coordination and accuracy in a computer testing format.¹⁰

The challenge with choline is two-fold: the body can only make very small amounts of choline on its own, and dietary intake falls short for most individuals. This makes choline non-negotiable for smarter sports nutrition formulations that deliver on cognitive performance promises.

The Formulator's Playbook: Formulation Challenges and Smart Solutions

The science makes a compelling case for choline in sports nutrition, but formulation is where things get interesting. Getting this essential nutrient into consumer-friendly formats presents distinct challenges that require innovative solutions. Choline presents distinct formulation challenges that require strategic thinking and, in some cases, innovative delivery systems:

• The Hygroscopic Hurdle: Choline's hygroscopic nature—its tendency to attract and hold moisture—can create several manufacturing pain points. Powders can clump during processing, resist uniform blending and complicate tablet compression. The real challenge emerges in multivitamin formulations, where choline's moisture-attracting properties can lead to reactions with sensitive ingredients like vitamin C. While these interactions don't affect product safety or efficacy, they can cause visual issues (spotting, discoloration) and sensory changes (odor) that detract from consumer appeal.
• Figuring Out Formats: The key to overcoming these formulation complexities is a format-specific approach to ingredient choice. For tablets and capsules, microencapsulation technology can be transformative. Microencapsulation technology has the ability to coat choline particles in protective membranes, creating a barrier for the nutrient that prevents moisture absorption and ingredient interactions. This allows choline to flow freely during processing, compress consistently and maintain stability in complex formulations.

Looking to powder supplement formats—protein powders, pre-workout mixes, greens blends—a more traditional choline bitartrate ingredient provides excellent value and good solubility. Whereas liquid choline chloride offers distinct advantages for beverage applications and ready-to-drink formats, dispersing easily and avoiding powder-handling challenges altogether.

• Dosing Deliberations: Beyond physical formulation, product developers must consider a dosing strategy. Clinical research demonstrating cognitive benefits can guide both volume and timing decisions. Studies suggest that supplementing just 60-90 minutes before a cognitive or physical challenge can deliver acute performance benefits,^10,11 making choline particularly well-suited for pre-workout formulations. However, given choline's role in supporting overall acetylcholine synthesis and neurological function, daily supplementation approaches—whether in morning multivitamins or post-workout recovery stacks—offer their own strategic advantages.
• The Bottom Line: Formulating with choline requires the right approach for each application, but it's far from insurmountable, especially with strategic ingredient sourcing. Forging partnerships with trusted ingredient manufacturers that not only provide raw materials, but also offer formulation expertise, clinical substantiation and consumer education support can help brands truly deliver on the promise of cognitive sports nutrition.

Translating Science into Sales: The Road Ahead for Cognitive Sports Nutrition

Solving the formulation puzzle is one thing, but translating that innovation into commercial success is where strategic positioning and consumer education become critical. The cognitive sports nutrition space is evolving rapidly, and brands that navigate this landscape with clear communication and evidence-based messaging will top the leaderboard.

The beauty of cognitive support in sports nutrition lies in its universal appeal. Elite athletes chasing competitive edges, weekend warriors pushing for their personal bests, esports players optimizing reaction times and smart shoppers running their lives like a marathon all share a common need: to supercharge both body and mind. But this also demands clear and tailored communication that resonates across consumer segments.

So, how can brands achieve that connection? The starting point is recognizing where consumer knowledge currently sits. Many understand protein builds muscle and caffeine provides energy, but awareness of choline's role in facilitating the mind-muscle connection remains lower. This is where strategic partnerships between brands and professional athletic organizations become particularly valuable. This type of partnership can create new educational touchpoints that demonstrate cognitive performance in action and place key ingredients front-and-center in authentic competitive environments. Brands that effectively educate—connecting choline supplementation to tangible outcomes like improved coordination, sustained focus and sharper decision-making—will differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

The future of sports nutrition isn't about choosing between body or mind. It's about delivering both, intelligently formulated and clearly communicated, to consumers who increasingly demand nothing less.

References

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2. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine.Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Folate, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. National Academy Press, 1998. DOI: 10.17226/6015
3. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institute of Health. Choline: Fact sheet for health professionals. June 2, 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional (Accessed 2026-01-29).
4. USDA, Agricultural Research Service. Usual Nutrient Intake from Food and Beverages, by Male/Female and Age, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2017-March 2020 Prepandemic. 2023. http://www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg (Accessed 2026-01-29).
5. Paradigm Sports Partners with Ten Percent Club to Transform Nootropics in Sports Industry. Insider Media. August 15, 2024. https://www.insidermedia.com/news/national/paradigm-sports-partners-with-ten-percent-club-to-transform-nootropics-in-sports-industry (Accessed 2026-01-29).
6. Balchem. New York Jets Announce Multi-Year Partnership with VitaCholine. May 2, 2024. https://balchem.com/news/new-york-jets-announce-multi-year-partnership-with-vitacholine/ (Accessed 2026-01-29).
7. Nootropics Market Trends, Share and Forecast, 2025-2032. Coherent Market Insights. February 26, 2025. https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/industry-reports/nootropics-market (Accessed 2026-01-29).
8. Choline Market Research Report 2033. DataIntelo. 2024. https://dataintelo.com/report/global-choline-market (Accessed 2026-01-29).
9. Woolf, N. J. Cholinergic systems in mammalian brain and spinal cord. Progress in Neurobiology. 1991, 37(6), 475-524. DOI: 10.1016/0301-0082(91)90006-m
10. Naber, M., et al. (2015). Improved human visuomotor performance and pupil constriction after choline supplementation in a placebo-controlled double-blind study. Scientific Reports, 5(1), 13188.
11. Kerksick, C. M. (2024). Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men. Nutrients. 2024, 16(23), 4240. DOI: 10.3390/nu16234240