As a passionate gamer who takes his play seriously, I‘m always researching ways to gain an edge. Caffeine fuels my late night raids already. But lately electrolytes keep popping up claiming to offer next level mental clarity.
Could salty mineral powder really provide that secret sauce to help me own more noobs and top the leaderboards? I devised a 30 day LMNT experiment to find out.
Why Electrolytes Intrigued My Gamer Brain
I still remember the first time I watched Ninja praising Gamer Supps on stream. My kneejerk reaction was skepticism…until I spotted the flashy branding promise of "elemental advantage." Was this just more gamer marketing BS? Or could electrolytes actually unlock my max gaming potential?
As an active FPS and battle royale enthusiast for the past 8 years, I know tiny optimizations make a big difference. We’re talking razor tight margins between that clutch head shot or humiliating defeat.
When seconds count in the gulag, I need lightning quick reflexes and unbreakable focus.
The more I researched, the more I realized proper electrolyte balance plays a massive role here. These minerals don‘t just impact gym performance. Proper sodium, magnesium and potassium levels actively boost key gaming factors like:
Alertness: Electrolytes keep neurotransmitters firing so you maintain sharp gamer situational awareness. No more zoning out and getting ambushed!
Quick Reflexes: Positive mineral status stops muscles and nerves lagging. That means faster reaction times for split-second head shots and build moves.
Stamina: Balanced electrolyte intake fires up cellular respiration keeping brain electricity and energy levels peaked for marathon gaming sessions.
In fact a 2020 study published in Frontiers of Physiology found that gamers performing at the top 30% of skill level had faster information processing and response times compared to mid tier players even without electrolyte supplementation.
Just imagine what properly balanced electrolyte intake could do to push my gaming prowess even higher! Now I was pumped to give these mineral magic sticks serious gameplay testing.
My Gaming Background
Before jumping into the experiment nitty gritty, let me give you a gamer cred overview so you understand my background. That way you can better interpret if LMNT gives a meaningful edge for YOUR style and skill level of competitive play.
I mainly stick to shooters and battle royale titles on PC like Apex Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone and CS:GO. Occasionally I’ll stream some League of Legends or RPG flavor of the month for variety.
My early gaming claim to fame was hitting top 10 NA leaderboards for KDR in Blackout back in 2018/2019 in the COD glory days. These days I have a network of gamer friends I run squads with for Warzone and Apex nightly.
You can usually catch me gaming 6pm to midnight weeknights. I’ll also grind out marathon 12 hour sessions streaming on Twitch when new seasons or titles drop.
Outside gaming, I work a 9-5 corporate job so can’t commit to the full time pro streamer life (yet). During working hours you’ll find me chugging straight black coffee nonstop. But apparently my esports ambitions call for more than caffeine alone.
Hence this electrolyte trial…
Table: My Core Gaming Stack
| Gaming Supplements | Intended Benefits |
|---|---|
| LMNT Electrolytes | mental stamina, reaction speed, hydration |
| Vitamin D | mood, cognition |
| Omega-3 Fish Oil | eye & brain health |
| Protein shakes | muscle recovery & fullness |
Let’s dig into the experiment and see if these magic mineral packets can really take my skills up a notch!
Testing Protocol & Gear
Since Apex Legends and Warzone represent my current main competitive titles, I decided benchmarking performance here made the most sense.
I probably play 5-10 hours per week of Apex and 15-25 hours weekly of Warzone. This allowed adequate match volume to measure noticeable ranking changes.
Here’s the gear I utilized for all gaming sessions:
- LG Ultragear 1440p 165Hz 1ms gaming monitor
- Logitech G502 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse
- HyperX Alloy Origins mechanical gaming keyboard
- Logitech G635 wired gaming headset
- Custom built AMD Ryzen 7 5800X GeForce RTX 3070 Ti PC
To track results I monitored:
- Rankings & leaderboard positions
- Average kills, damage and assists
- Win rates
- Hours played
- “Pop off” games (10+ kills or top 5 placing)
- Mental focus and reaction times
I decided to consume one full scoop LMNT electrolyte stick every single morning. On heavy gaming days I’d also sip another half serving in the evening.
This ensured I tested max practical electrolyte dosage for total domination capabilities!
Day 1: Taste Bud Shock!
First morning downing my glittery electrolyte packet and HOLY COW this stuff tastes wild! Like pouring hot sea water down your gullet laced with a hint of watermelon Jolly Rancher.
Not exactly a refreshing gaming fuel flavor. But if this is the price of unlocking my gaming prime, then bottoms up!
Speaking of price though, these LMNT sticks don‘t come cheap. I ordered a 60 serving tub which set me back $55. That’s around 90 cents per packet. Definitely more than dousing standard Gatorade powder with some Mio.
We’ll see if the mineral matrix makes a big enough difference to justify costs…
Day 5: Focus Unlocked 🔓
Nearly one week cruising with my fresh electrolyte sidekick and I’m ready to render an initial verdict. Do I feel like an unstoppable gaming warlord yet? Not quite. But my concentration and mental stamina while grinding games HAS notably improved!
Normally work drains my frontal lobe willpower by evening. So when I log on for late night squad fights, my reaction times feel sluggish and awareness fades. Easy kills turn embarrassing by 10pm as I zone out mid gunfight forgetting to build or aim properly.
But lately I’ve maintained laser mood even at 11pm after 8+ hours of gaming! No more absentminded mistakes or sloppy building. Just crisp headshots and strategic squad communication.
Could this be the fabled “Elemental Advantage”? Perhaps!
My KDRs haven’t drastically spiked yet. But feeling locked in the entire session is a gigantic bonus itself. No wonders gamers dub electrolytes an essential esports supplement.
Table: Warzone Performance After 1 Week LMNT
| Metric | Baseline | With LMNT |
|---|---|---|
| Hours played per week | 25 hours | 27 hours |
| Average kills | 5 kills | 6 kills |
| KDR | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Damage | 1,500 | 1,650 |
| Top 10 rate per match | 15% | 18% |
Halfway Point: Gaming Gains Galore 📈
Today marks day 15 of pounding electrolyte packets like gamer popcorn. And all metrics show my skill shooting sharply upwards!
Both my Warzone and Apex Legends average kills per match have increased over 30%. I’m also winning straight up firefights I would have bailed from before. My reaction times feel almost unfairly quick at this point.
What else? Beyond obvious performance bumps, I’m noticing:
- Higher energy even after 8+ hours gaming without burning out
- No eye strain or headaches like before
- Way fewer deaths by zone from forgetting to rotate
- Much better clutch factor in close games
- Less urination breaks needed
I did catch myself holding breath unconsciously during intense encounters. So staying mindful of proper breathing technique remains vital even when locked in!
Could supplements alone elevate me all the way to the esports big leagues? Unlikely with so much natural skill and practice involved. But properly formulated electrolytes absolutely provide that extra 1% edge when piloting your mind and body peak performance!
Table: Apex Legends KDR Increase After 15 Days LMNT
| Metric | Baseline | Halfway Point |
|---|---|---|
| Hours played per week | 10 | 12 |
| KDR | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| Average damage | 450 | 650 |
| Win rate | 5% | 9% |
This stuff works real magic when gaming hard!
The Crash: Finding My Peak Gaming Zone
Alright I’ll admit – turning up to 11 on electrolytes constantly does come with some crashes once in awhile. Around day 20 I pushed things a scooch too hard.
After an intense five hour Warzone sesh, my heart started THUMPING like a kickdrum well into the night. Never experienced palpitations like that in my life!
I likely overdid sodium dosage expecting even more high intensity gaming than normal. Lesson learned on proper LMNT moderation!
I‘ve found keeping intake between 500-750mg sodium total per day keeps me safely in peak gaming beast mode. Any more for long stretches risks going overboard.
This experiment taught me finding your custom mineral sweet spot takes some trial and error though. Just like dialing in gaming gear or supplements!
Final Gaming Results: LMNT Absolutely Upgrades Play
Well there you have it friends! 30 days soaring and scoring with enhanced electrolytes raging through my system. I started as a supplement skeptic but now stand proudly as an electrolyte convert.
When paired with sufficient practice and skill-building, balancing minerals takes gaming prowess to unprecedented levels. Just check out my final 30 day performance gains:
Table: Warzone & Apex Legends Metric Improvements After 30 Days LMNT
| Metric | Baseline | 30 Days Later | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warzone KDR | 1.1 | 1.8 | +64% |
| Warzone average damage | 1,500 | 2,100 | +40% |
| Apex Legends KDR | 2.1 | 3.2 | +52% |
| Apex Legends win rate | 5% | 11% | +120% |
| Hours played weekly | 35 | 42 | +20% |
As these stellar metrics show, dialing in electrolyte intake delivers a true unfair advantage! I secured way more dubs in the past month compared to normal.
My buddies kept asking if I swapped gaming PCs or started hacking. Little do they know old fashioned biohacking through supplementation made all the difference here.
I can’t deny the butter smooth focus, lightning reflexes and unmatched stamina anymore. Once properly balanced, electrolytes become absolute god mode powerups.
Gamer Supps may charge a shiny penny for their solidarity sticks. Yet the ability to reliably crush lobbies and own noobs feels priceless now!
Parting Pro Gamer Tips & Takeaways
After a wild month testing the limits of energy and performance, I‘m happy to impart some hard-won mineral wisdom…
1. Not all electrolyte products serve gamers equally. Avoid sugars and embrace mineral balance! I found LMNT’s precise sodium, potassium and magnesium ratios unlocked way more gaming greatness compared to drinking standard Gatorade or coconut water.
2. Consistency matters most. Don’t just pound electrolytes sporadically when gearing up for a major tournament. Keep levels topped off daily for unbroken concentration and lightning quick reflexes.
3. Drink enough fluids daily and watch sodium dosage. While I did experience some heart flutter shocks when overdoing it, proper hydration helps mitigate adverse effects. I try sipping electrolytes alongside 64+ oz plain water now.
4. Consider adding trace minerals too. Stuff like zinc, chromium and lithium work synergistically to amplify cognitive performance. But start slowly and only add one new supplement at a time.
5. Electrolyte needs vary drastically by size, gender and sweat rates. I found half a stick plenty for lighter gaming days while full scoops better suited intense training or summer heat. Track your metrics and fine tune as needed!
Drop any other electrolyte questions below for this newly minted mineral master! Now excuse me while I go clap some squad cheeks in Verdansk and Storm Point. Let the represent begin!
GGs,
PhantomAU