Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Increases Motivation in Healthy Volunteers: A Single-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Human Study
Open accessAbstract
Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (αGPC) is a precursor of acetylcholine and can increase acetylcholine concentration in the brain. In addition, αGPC has a role in cholinergic function as well as monoaminergic transmission, including dopaminergic and serotonergic systems. These monoaminergic systems are related to feelings and emotions, including motivation, reward processing, anxiety, and depression. However, the precise effects of αGPC on human feelings and emotions remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated changes in the subjective feelings of healthy volunteers using the KOKORO scale before and after administering αGPC. Thirty-nine volunteers participated in a single-blind, placebo-controlled design. Participants completed a KOKORO scale test to quantify self-reported emotional states, three times each day for two weeks preceding treatment and then for a further two weeks while self-administering treatment. αGPC treatment show a tendency to increase motivation during the intervention period. Furthermore, motivation at night was significantly higher in the αGPC group than in the placebo group (p < 0.05). However, αGPC did not show any effects on anxiety. These data suggest that αGPC can be used to increase motivation in healthy individuals.
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Daily 400 mg A-GPC for 14 days significantly improved motivation levels in healthy volunteers.
“After the treatment was administered, motivation levels were significantly improved, while anxiety levels were not impacted.”
From Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
The Treatment section reports 400 mg of αGPC daily for two weeks. The Results report a significant improvement in motivation only at night compared with placebo; motivation across the intervention showed an increasing trend, not a significant overall improvement. The Discussion also reports no specific effect on anxiety. (LLM, conf=0.92)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA-GPC supplementation may augment cognition.
“and in doing so may augment cognition, physical performance, and endogenous hormone production [2,3,4].”
From Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
Daily 400 mg A-GPC for 14 days did not impact anxiety levels in healthy volunteers.
“After the treatment was administered, motivation levels were significantly improved, while anxiety levels were not impacted.”
From Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
Tamura et al. [4] previously showed that 14 days of 400 mg of A-GPC given orally can positively impact mood.
“Moreover, Tamura et al. [4] previously showed that 14 days of 400 mg of A-GPC given orally can positively impact mood”
From Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
Supplementation with alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (A-GPC) can increase choline levels.
“Previous work has indicated that supplementation with alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (A-GPC), a choline-containing phospholipid, can increase choline levels, and in doing so may augment cognition, physical performance, and endogenous hormone production [2,3,4].”
From Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
The Introduction calls αGPC an acetylcholine precursor, and the Discussion reports increased acetylcholine levels in rodent brains. Acetylcholine is not choline; neither passage says supplementation increases choline levels. A search for choline concentrations found no passage addressing that claim. (LLM, conf=0.74)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
A-GPC supplementation may augment physical performance.
“and in doing so may augment cognition, physical performance, and endogenous hormone production [2,3,4].”
From Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
The Results and Conclusions report increased self-reported motivation in healthy volunteers, not physical performance. Searches for physical performance, exercise, muscle strength, and power found no passage in our copy addressing whether αGPC improves physical performance. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA-GPC supplementation may augment endogenous hormone production.
“and in doing so may augment cognition, physical performance, and endogenous hormone production [2,3,4].”
From Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
The Introduction discusses acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin signaling, while the Results report changes in self-reported motivation. Neither section addresses endogenous hormone production; searches for hormone production and endocrine terms found no relevant passage in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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- Authors
- Tamura, Y., Takata, K., Matsubara, K., & Kataoka, Y.
- Affiliations
- JEOL (Japan) (JP)
- Hiroshima University (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Tamura, Yasuhisa
- Venue
- Nutrients
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2021-06-18
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 2091
- ISSN
- 2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8235064
- OpenAlex
- W3174387615
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 9
- FWCI
- 1.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) (N/A)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disorders and Treatments
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Keywords
- motivation, acetylcholine precursor, cholinergic system, monoaminergic transmission, dopaminergic system, serotonergic system, emotional state, anxiety, healthy volunteers
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Brain, Depression, Dopamine, Emotions, Female, Glycerylphosphorylcholine, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Reward, Single-Blind Method, Young Adult, Healthy Volunteers
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