Thorne Phosphatidylserine

Hard training drives up cortisol — the stress hormone that breaks down muscle, disrupts sleep, and blunts recovery. A normal cortisol spike during a workout is fine. But when it stays elevated after training, when it creeps up night after night, that's when performance starts to erode and recovery stops stacking the way it should.

Phosphatidylserine is the compound your brain uses to regulate that response and bring cortisol back down.

Thorne Phosphatidylserine delivers 100mg of pure phosphatidylserine per capsule — the primary phospholipid in brain cell membranes — to help athletes manage the hormonal cost of high training loads and stay sharp under pressure.

Cortisol Control for Faster Recovery – Phosphatidylserine tells your body to dial down stress hormones after hard training. Clinical studies using 400–800mg daily found it blunted exercise-induced cortisol increases by 20–30%, supporting a faster return to a hormonal state where muscle repair, adaptation, and sleep quality can actually happen.

Sharper Focus and Cognitive Function Under Load – Phosphatidylserine improves cell-to-cell communication in the brain by maintaining cell membrane fluidity and supporting neurotransmitter production. Athletes using it consistently report better mental clarity, mood stability, and focus — especially during high-volume training periods when cognitive fatigue compounds alongside physical fatigue.

Protects the Anabolic-Catabolic Balance – When cortisol stays chronically elevated, testosterone levels fall, muscle breakdown accelerates, and the training adaptations you're working for get undermined. Phosphatidylserine helps preserve that balance — keeping the hormonal environment favorable for the adaptations your hard work is supposed to create.

How to Use Thorne Phosphatidylserine

Daily Dose: Take 1 capsule two to three times daily. For cortisol management around training, 300mg total daily (three capsules) is the most commonly studied dose. Higher-demand protocols use up to 800mg.

Timing: Take one capsule after training and one in the evening before bed. Post-training and evening dosing targets the two windows where cortisol management matters most — immediately after exercise and during the sleep onset period when elevated cortisol disrupts deep recovery.

Pro Tip: Phosphatidylserine works better alongside healthy fat. Taking capsules with a meal that contains fat supports absorption of this fat-soluble phospholipid. It also stacks naturally with omega-3s — research suggests the combination may enhance the cognitive benefits of both.