Three Simple Ways You Can Increase Your Reaction Speed

When competing in nearly any competition, reaction time is one of the most crucial skills. Whether gaming, playing traditional sports, or even competing in a chess match or a debate, a quicker reaction time allows you to think and act on your feet to make the best possible decision in the short time frame you are given. As we all know, reaction time can literally be the difference between winning and losing, especially in gaming.

Luckily, reaction time is also something that can be improved. Here are a few ways you can help improve your reaction time.

1. Practice

Practice, practice, and practice. While the old saying that practice makes perfect may not be entirely accurate, practice does very clearly bring you closer to perfection than you were before. No matter what your end goal might be, the only way to get better at something is to practice it as much as you possibly can and put in the effort. For reaction time, there are several ways one can practice and train to hone a specific skill.

A. For one, you can simply practice by competing in whatever event you want to have a better reaction time for. Training in the specific circumstances and types of reaction you need to make is going to give you the most accurate representation and therefore help you build the specific skills you need for your event the most. This could mean anything from suddenly reacting to shots as a goalie in sports to making rapid decisions in a chess match with limited time or suddenly aiming for moving players in a video game. Additionally, while you’re at it, you can also help develop your other skills that you need at the same time.

B. You can also practice using online reaction time and coordination trainers. Certain websites provide tests and games that allow you to train your reaction time in the most fundamental way by, for example, clicking as soon as you see the color of a screen change or tracking certain rapidly moving objects with your mouse. You can also use physical examples of this like dropping a dice and getting to wherever it bounces as fast as possible or anything that involves quickly thinking and responding to a situation. These methods help develop the essential skills of reaction time that can help in the core skills needed for any event or competition involving quick reaction time.

2. Stay calm and in good condition

In order to maintain a peak reaction time, it is important to make sure your body is also in peak condition to be able to perform accordingly. This means making sure you get enough sleep, drink enough water, and stay calm and warmed up beforehand. As many know, sleep is one of the most crucial factors in maintaining not only your body, but your mind’s top performance, especially in stressful situations. So without having adequate amounts of sleep beforehand, you could become slower and have difficulties processing information and making decisions quickly, thus affecting your reaction time. Similarly, being properly hydrated can also be very important in making sure you can focus on the task at hand and don’t have any added limitations/hindrances to your reaction time. Additionally, preparing prior to your event can be very helpful in ensuring your top performance. For one, this can mean warming up with practice matches/drills. Not only will this bring you into the mode for your specific event, it will also bring literal warmth to your hands/body that can help you move and react faster. As you have probably experienced yourself, keeping your hands warmer just feels like you are moving faster. This is because when warmer, your atoms and cells are moving faster and therefore giving inputs and responses at a quicker pace. Meditation or just mindful breathing beforehand can also prove beneficial to keeping you relaxed and your mind flowing smoothly. The more you tense up, the stiffer your muscles become and the slower your following movements will be, so keeping your mind calm and clear can help ease those tensions in addition to eliminating outside distractions.

3. Boost reaction time with supplements

Supplements, including JuJu’s gaming energy drink, can help increase reaction time. JuJu contains a combination of ingredients that help improve performance and reaction times.

Caffeine. In addition to providing energy and alertness, a scientific study found that Caffeine stimulates the production of adrenaline, producing faster reaction times and improving performance. Each serving of JuJu includes 180 mg of caffeine - the equivalent of 2-3 cups of coffee.

L-Theanine is an amino acid, found in green and black tea, that stimulates the brain to release more dopamine and serotonin, helping to improve attention and reaction times. One scientific study found that L-Theanine has a positive effect on cerebral blood flow, cognition, and mood.

Bacopa Monierri is a plant that has been shown to improve memory, mental cognition and increase reaction times. A 2019 study found Bacopa Monierri can help reduce anxiety, depression and stress while increasing reaction times.

Alpha GPC (Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine) is a natural compound that aids the production of the neurotransmitter acetoylcholine. It has been found to help increase cognitive function and boost mental and athletic performance and endurance.

All these ingredients combine to support to reaction time, including mental processing time and physical reactions. Additionally, these ingredients plus the added vitamins and nootropics in JuJu’s energy formula provide the extra energy you need to consistently stay on your toes and ready to react without becoming too jittery or hyper.

After regularly testing JuJu while gaming, Freebies, a Facebook streamer and former Call of Duty pro, reported that his K/D ratio was better on the days he consumed JuJu versus the days that he didn't consumer JuJu. Similarly, League of Legends influencer Tarzaned said that JuJu increased his APM or actions per minute. 

Learn more about JuJu’s energy and performance  formula.