Kratom Guides

Best Kratom for Energy & Focus: Most Stimulating Strains

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) produces a long-lasting burst of energy that can keep you motivated, active, and focused for hours at a time.

However, not all kratom has this effect. If you don’t choose the right strain, you might end up falling asleep rather than bouncing off the walls.

This article will help you choose between some of the most stimulating strains of kratom available and what dose to take.

Written by Nigel Ford
Last Updated 1 year ago

Nigel Ford

Medical Herbalist

Nigel is a certified herbalist, avid kratom user, and one of the leading members of our Kratom Vendor Review Board. 

Best Kratom Strains For Energy & Focus

Some kratom strains excel more than others for boosting energy. You must learn the difference between the various kratom types when purchasing.

If you’re looking for energy enhancement and focus, you will want to focus on green vein kratom and white vein kratom.

Here are the three best kratom strains for focus and energy:

Maeng Da Kratom

Maeng Da kratom is, by and large, the most popular variety of kratom. The literal translation of the phrase “Maeng Da,” which comes from Thailand, means ‘pimp.’

In other words, Maeng Da kratom is ‘pimp grade’ kratom. If you paid any attention to hip hop in the last three decades, then you probably know that anything ‘pimp grade’ is a marker of its potency.

For the most part, vendors and farmers tend to throw the Maeng Da label on anything stronger than their average kratom. You can expect most varieties of Maeng Da to pack a little bit more of a punch than other strains.

Unfortunately, the term Maeng Da is thrown around pretty loosely these days. It might not carry as much meaning as it used to. You’ll have to rely on the vendor quality to be sure that you’re getting good Maeng Da kratom. We’ve mentioned some quality vendors below.

It’s also important to note that there are still different kinds of Maeng Da kratom. Maeng Da can be green, white, yellow, or red, just like all of the other regional variants of kratom. That said, white and green varieties of Maeng Da are likely going to be the strongest and most stimulating strains of kratom you’ll find.

Most vendors will offer a Maeng Da blend for each color. This is generally just their strongest batch or blend of kratom at the time.

The best Maeng Da kratom for focus and energy is White Maeng Da. The red vein is better for sleep, and the green Maeng Da offers a good mix of the two.

Find This Strain on VIP Kratom.

White Borneo Kratom

White Borneo kratom is a very popular and powerful strain. Borneo kratom comes from the jungles of Borneo, which are well-known for their lush, tropical flora and fertile soil.

One of the best things about ordering White Borneo kratom is that its effects are fairly reliable no matter where you buy it. Granted, each batch of kratom is going to vary slightly.

However, you’ll still be able to enjoy perhaps more consistency than you would with White Maeng Da. Unless you’re ordering exclusively from the same vendor, Maeng Da strains may originate from lots of different places. Borneo, on the other hand, should always be from Borneo.

This particular Borneo strain is known for its hard-hitting, impactful energy boost and focus. It might not be as powerful for boosting mood as some of the Maeng Da strains, but it’s one of the best strains for anyone who wants to get things done.

For this reason, White Borneo might actually be the best. It does boost your mood a bit, but it’s not going to make you so blindly euphoric that you lose focus on your original goals or intentions. White Borneo is a great study aid and good for putting in extra hours at work.

Find This Strain on Kona Kratom.

Green Indo Kratom

Green Indo Kratom is one of the most popular kratom strains, and for good reason. It’s a great mood booster that’s top-of-the-line in terms of its energy-boosting activity. It’s also an excellent focus and study aid.

Indo is short for Indonesia, which is where this strain of kratom is grown. Indonesia has become popular as one of the most prolific spots to grow kratom. Indonesia has many regions where kratom is grown, including Jongkong and Kalimantan.

Because the country is so diverse, kratom strains grown throughout Indonesia are often named after the region that they grow in (such as Green Kali Kratom, which is grown in Kalimantan). As such, Green Indo Kratom may be a bit of a blanket term because the name doesn’t specify exactly which part of Indonesia the kratom tree is grown.

Nonetheless, Indo strains remain popular because they’re powerful and consistent. If you’re looking for a good strain to help you get out of bed or to power you up throughout the day, Green Indo might be the best option for you.

Green Indo has more of a mood-boosting effect than some of the other strains mentioned on this list. This can be a benefit for people who are trying to tackle tedious or mentally demanding tasks.

Find This Strain on Star Kratom.

How Does Kratom Work for Energy & Focus?

Kratom is most well-known for targeting the body’s opioid system. However, anyone who is familiar with opioids will know that these substances are typically powerful relaxants and narcotics. Why is it that kratom can be useful for helping to stimulate the mind and body?

The answer for that has a few layers to it. Simply put, kratom has a lot of different active ingredients (called alkaloids). Each one of these alkaloids has its function in the body. The interaction between all of them is what gives kratom its unique effects and is also the reason that different strains can differ so much from one another.

In terms of stimulation, there are a few different ways kratom can be effective. Two of the main systems it influences are dopamine and noradrenaline. These systems are both highly involved in energy production, motivation, etc.

Kratom & Noradrenaline

One of the reasons that kratom is different from other opioids is that it tends to affect the noradrenaline, or norepinephrine, system. It also has some influence on the serotonin system, which, again, is quite different from the majority of opioid substances.

Noradrenaline and adrenaline are the compounds that cause us to feel flighty and energetic, especially in moments of stress or fear. The fight or flight response that we feel when provoked or scared is a result of strong adrenergic stimulation.

Substances like kratom that influence these systems can produce long-lasting and sustained energy. By stimulating these systems, these substances can basically ‘trick’ our body into being stimulated for several hours.

Unfortunately, kratom and its interaction with the noradrenergic system can also have some downsides. With chronic, long-term use, kratom can cause adrenal fatigue. This occurs when our adrenaline system becomes worn out due to constantly pumping out high amounts of the stuff.

Adrenal fatigue often manifests as a lack of energy, lack of motivation, decreased sex drive, and the like.

Some long-term users also report random adrenaline spikes, sometimes waking them up in the middle of the night. This is likely a symptom of the noradrenaline system trying to balance itself back out.

Regardless, these symptoms only tend to emerge if you’re using kratom all the time. Space out your doses a few times a week, and this should be no problem. If you’re using kratom for focus and stimulation, you shouldn’t need to use it daily.

Kratom & Dopamine

Kratom also has a strong influence on the brain’s dopamine system.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that we’re all familiar with, whether or not we know it. Dopamine regulates our mood, our motivation, our sex drive, our appetite, and many other factors. It’s probably the most prominent neurotransmitter in terms of the sheer number of ways that it influences our everyday life.

Kratom has a strong impact on dopamine, causing the brain to release higher-than-average amounts.

This is why kratom use exhibits the typical symptoms of a dopamine surge:

Of course, you want to be cautious when using substances that interact with the dopamine system. Constantly bombarding it with dopamine is going to cause it to burn itself out — which can ultimately make it harder to stay focused rather than easier.

Is Kratom Nootropic?

The term nootropic is used to describe herbs, supplements, or chemicals that can increase cognitive function and ability.

Many consider kratom a nootropic — especially when sued in lower doses.

Its ability to increase energy, boost dopamine, and improve mood all contribute to the nootropic profile of the plant by eliminating factors that reduce cognitive function.

With that said, some people in the nootropic community dispute this.

One of the reasons for this is that nootropics are designed or utilized, primarily because of their ability to enhance cognition, memory formation, verbal fluidity, logical thinking, and the like.

Kratom may produce some nootropic benefits, mostly because of its enhanced focus and motivation. However, these are more byproducts of its main actions, rather than being able to specifically drive the process of focus and concentration.

On top of that, long-term kratom use is known to produce several effects that are distinctly opposite of nootropics. Regular and consistent, high-dose kratom use can cause brain fog, memory loss, emotional apathy, and addiction. These are all problems that cause many people to seek out nootropics in the first place.

Related: Top 15 Herbs for Boosting Energy & Productivity

Conclusion: Using Kratom for Energy & Focus

If you take away nothing else, it should be this:

Kratom is an excellent nootropic to help you study or work harder and longer. It does this by providing the same benefits as coffee or its active ingredient, caffeine (kratom is a close relative of coffee). However, it only works if you’re using low doses and if you don’t use kratom too often.

Higher doses or consistent long-term use can actually make it harder to focus or concentrate on what you’re doing.

Use kratom in moderation and doses below 4 grams per session, and you shouldn’t run into any problems.