Good to hear, keep me updated on what ALCAR does for you.
For creativity, I think you might get some benefit from nootropics that increase relaxation and/or induce a feeling of calmness.
Often, and especially in competitive gaming, the flight-or-fight reaction is induced which is good for focus and energy, but only temporarily. Plus, it's only an appropriate reaction in some games that require fast reflexes like FPS games. In strategy games, I imagine it would be a net negative.
I'm pretty certain that this reaction shuts down higher brain functions, especially if it's prolonged.
Creativity is often improved with specific brainwaves that are associated with relaxation. One of them being alpha waves:
The aim of the present work was to study correlational interactions between individual measures of alpha-activity in the baseline electroencephalogram (maximum peak frequency, range width, depth of alpha activity desynchronization reactions, structural characteristics of alpha spindles) and measures of non-verbal intellect (“Fluency,” “Originality,” “Flexibility”) in the Torrance test in 98 healthy male subjects. These studies provided the first demonstration that individuals with high alpha-rhythm maximum peak frequency values and prolonged alpha spindles were generally characterized by more “fluent” non-verbal intellect. In turn, high levels of originality and intellectual plasticity showed a significant association with a wider range of alpha activity and variability of alpha spindle amplitude. The highest levels of originality in solving non-verbal tasks were seen in subjects with the lowest values for individual alpha-activity peak frequencies. These measures of the alpha rhythm can be regarded as individual markers of the productivity, plasticity, and originality of non-verbal intellect.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11055-008-0034-y
One nootropic that comes to mind is L-Theanine. It's been shown to increase said waves:
Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water. Tea is known to be a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants. However tea also contains a unique amino acid, L-theanine that may modulate aspects of brain function in humans. Evidence from human electroencephalograph (EEG) studies show that it has a direct effect on the brain (Juneja et al. Trends in Food Science & Tech 1999;10;199-204). L-theanine significantly increases activity in the alpha frequency band which indicates that it relaxes the mind without inducing drowsiness. However, this effect has only been established at higher doses than that typically found in a cup of black tea (approximately 20mg). The aim of the current research was to establish this effect at more realistic dietary levels. EEG was measured in healthy, young participants at baseline and 45, 60, 75, 90 and 105 minutes after ingestion of 50mg L-theanine (n=16) or placebo (n=19). Participants were resting with their eyes closed during EEG recording. There was a greater increase in alpha activity across time in the L-theanine condition (relative to placebo (p+0.05). A second study replicated this effect in participants engaged in passive activity. These data indicate that L-theanine, at realistic dietary levels, has a significant effect on the general state of mental alertness or arousal. Furthermore, alpha activity is known to play an important role in critical aspects of attention, and further research is therefore focusse on understanding the effect of L-theanine on attentional processes.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18296328/
Perhaps Gotu Kola and Magnesium can also be beneficial for creativity?
I imagine anything that helps with sleep can possibly help increase brain waves associated with relaxation. But of course they have to be relatively free of drowsiness.
