Mental Performance Shot for Banking: The Revolut Trial

He was wearing leopard-print shorts and a pink T-shirt at Barry's Bootcamp. His name was Deertrick, and he told us, with complete composure, that he was colourblind and therefore took liberties. Fair enough. He was also, it turned out, an Enterprise Account Executive at Revolut. Within about forty-five seconds of meeting him, he had introduced us to his team and suggested this might be something they would be up for. Next thing we knew, we were standing in the Revolut headquarters, about to run CONKA's first-ever corporate trial.

We had never done anything quite like this before. So we did what we always do: we used the CONKA app to measure cognitive baseline before any formulations were taken, then put the team on a 14-day protocol of taking CONKA. Nine participants. 129 valid tests. What follows is an honest account of what we found, why it matters to anyone interested in a mental performance shot for banking specifically, and where we think this goes next.

Why Sales and Finance Are a Demanding Test of Brain Function

Cold calling is underestimated. Having done it myself, I can tell you it is one of the more cognitively demanding things you can ask a person to do for eight hours straight. Every call is a live problem. You are thinking on your feet, reading the other person, handling objections you have never heard before, and simultaneously trying to keep a prospect on the phone long enough to agree to a meeting, whether you are entry-level or an enterprise account exec with a decade of experience. The industry calls it objection handling. Neuroscientists would call it rapid executive function under pressure.

Language is also one of the most cognitively demanding things humans do every day, and most people do it without thinking. The cognitive load of real-time persuasive conversation, at the level Revolut's team operates, is significant. That is partly why we are now building out EEG capability, measuring mental effort directly via brainwave analysis, to quantify what is actually happening neurologically when someone is performing on a call. The next step is linking that to AI call data from tools like Gong, which tracks talk speed and intelligent questioning in real time. If brain performance correlates to those call metrics, we can start to build a genuinely measurable picture of cognitive performance in a sales environment.

What Actually Happened During the Revolut Trial

The trial ran from March 5 to March 22, 2026. Nine participants, 129 valid tests, with 2 excluded as orientation artefacts. Six out of eight participants who had full baseline data improved over the 14 days. Average score improvement across the group was plus 3.1 points.

The standout was Ben Cox, aged 27. He completed 64 tests across 18 days, which is exceptional engagement and created an unusually clear picture. His average score moved from 84.5 at baseline to 92.9 in Week 2, a gain of 8.4 points. His response time dropped from 418ms to 291ms, 38% faster, without losing accuracy. His score variation collapsed from 10.8% to 3.2%, meaning his performance stopped fluctuating and started clustering consistently in the 90s. On March 20, he scored 100, a perfect test, the highest possible score on the CONKA platform.

On sessions where Ben took CONKA, he averaged 90.6. On sessions without, he averaged 86.3. That is a 4.3-point gap across 43 CONKA sessions versus 21 non-CONKA sessions. Worth noting.

Fred Windsor-Lewis, 28, showed the cleanest improvement arc of the group: baseline average of 73.0, rising to 81.0 by Week 2, an 11% improvement, with response time moving from 421ms to 317ms. Steady, consistent, no drama.

The Science Behind What We Put Into the Protocol

CONKA holds UK patent GB2620279 on its formulation, and our trials have run in partnership with Durham University and Cambridge University. The formulations used in the Revolut trial are Informed Sport certified, meaning every batch is tested and safe for professional athletes. None of this is an accident. It is the result of six years and 914 cognitive tests worth of development.

CONKA Flow contains Lemon Balm, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Rhodiola Rosea, Bilberry, and Ashwagandha. Lemon Balm has been studied for its calming and cognitive effects -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. Turmeric has been studied for its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. Rhodiola Rosea has been studied for its adaptogenic and anti-fatigue effects -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. Ashwagandha, specifically, modulates the HPA axis, and in a double-blind RCT it produced significant improvements in executive function, sustained attention, and short-term working memory.[1] Ashwagandha has been studied for its stress-reducing and cognitive benefits -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. For a sales team managing cognitive load across a full day of calls, that matters.

CONKA Clear contains Vitamin C, Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (Alpha GPC), Glutathione, NAC, ALCAR, Ginkgo Biloba, and Alpha Lipoic Acid, along with Vitamin B12. Alpha GPC has been studied for its role in supporting memory and cognitive speed -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. Alpha GPC supplementation, particularly at higher doses, significantly improved cognitive performance in tasks requiring attention and processing speed, outperforming placebo with statistical significance.[2][3] Ginkgo Biloba has been studied for its effects on memory and cerebral circulation -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. If there is a five-minute gap before a high-stakes call, Clear is built for that moment.

The system is simple. Flow first, before the screen goes on. Clear before it counts, in the five minutes before anything that matters.

What We Think This Means for Corporate Performance

CONKA is already used by 50-plus elite sports clubs, including NFL teams, England Rugby, and Premier League clubs. The cognitive demands of elite sport and high-stakes sales have more in common than most people realise: both require rapid decision-making, composure under pressure, and the ability to perform consistently when it counts, not just occasionally.

This is the first time a mental performance shot has been formally trialled within a banking and fintech environment. The results are early, the sample size is nine people, and we are clear-eyed about that. But a 75% improvement rate, a near-40% drop in response time for the most engaged participant, and a consistent gap between CONKA and non-CONKA sessions is a genuinely interesting signal.

For anyone looking at the best brain supplements UK has to offer, or researching nootropics UK options for a corporate context, the question worth asking is: where is the clinical data? We have 129 tests from Revolut. We have 914 cognitive tests across our broader trial programme. We have two university partnerships and a UK patent. That is what a brain health supplement built on evidence looks like.

The EEG work and the Gong integration are next. We will report back honestly, as we always do.

Deertrick, if you are reading this: the leopard-print shorts have been a prodictive ice breaker. Thanks for making this happen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a mental performance shot and how is it different from an energy drink?

A: A mental performance shot is a concentrated, evidence-formulated supplement designed to improve cognitive function including focus, processing speed and decision-making. Unlike energy drinks, which primarily deliver caffeine and sugar, a properly formulated shot uses clinically studied ingredients and is batch-tested for safety. CONKA's formulations are Informed Sport certified.

Q: What are the best brain supplements UK professionals actually use?

A: Elite sports teams and high-performance professionals in the UK use CONKA, which is backed by clinical trials with Durham and Cambridge universities. Key ingredients include Ashwagandha, Rhodiola Rosea, Alpha GPC and Ginkgo Biloba, all of which have peer-reviewed evidence for cognitive performance. CONKA holds UK patent GB2620279 on its formulation.

Q: Can nootropics UK products actually improve sales performance?

A: The Revolut trial suggests they can. Six of eight participants improved cognitive scores over 14 days, with the most engaged participant scoring 38% faster response times and 8.4 points higher by Week 2. Cold calling is cognitively demanding, involving real-time language processing, objection handling and executive function under sustained pressure.

Q: How long does it take for a brain health supplement to show results?

A: The Revolut trial used a 14-day protocol, and meaningful improvement was visible within Week 1 for several participants. The most consistent gains appeared in Week 2, suggesting compound improvement over time. Some cognitive effects, particularly from fast-acting ingredients, are measurable within a single session.

Q: Is CONKA safe to take every day at work?

A: Yes. CONKA is Informed Sport certified, meaning every batch is independently tested for banned substances and safety. The formulations have been assessed across clinical trial settings with no adverse events reported. Both Flow and Clear are designed for daily use, taken before effort, not as a reaction to feeling low.

References

1. Xing et al. "Effects of Acute Ashwagandha Ingestion on Cognitive Function." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022. (source)
2. Kerksick. "Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men." Nutrients. 2024. (source)
3. Sagaro et al. "Activity of Choline Alphoscerate on Adult-Onset Cognitive Dysfunctions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2023. (source)