Endurance360 vs Optygen HP: A Complete Ingredient and Value Comparison

If you have been researching adaptogen supplements for endurance performance, you have probably encountered two names: Endurance360 and 1st Endurance Optygen HP. Both target the same athlete. Both lead with cordyceps and rhodiola. Both promise to raise your ceiling for sustained effort.

But the formulas are meaningfully different, the prices are not even close, and one of them contains an ingredient that has generated serious doping anxiety in competitive endurance communities.

Here is the full comparison.

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Price

	Endurance360	Optygen HP
Price per bottle	$34.95	$61+
Servings per bottle	24	28
Price per serving	$1.46	$2.18+

At the same 24-serving volume, Optygen HP costs nearly 50% more per serving. For athletes who take an adaptogen stack year-round through a full training block, that adds up quickly. The r/Biohackers community had a thread in January 2024 titled "Optygen HP alternatives" driven almost entirely by athletes who found the cost unsustainable. That buying intent is real.

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Ingredient Comparison

Shared ingredients: the adaptogen core

Both products include the three ingredients most associated with endurance adaptation:

• Beta-Alanine: carnosine precursor, buffers lactic acid during threshold and VO2 max efforts, well-supported by peer-reviewed research
• Cordyceps: adaptogenic mushroom extract linked to improved VO2 max and lactate threshold in human trials
• Rhodiola Rosea: HPA-axis adaptogen, blunts cortisol response during high training loads, reduces rate of perceived exertion

Neither product discloses individual ingredient amounts for these (both use proprietary blend structures), so direct dosage comparisons are not possible.

Where the formulas diverge

Endurance360 includes a full amino acid matrix. Optygen HP does not.

Endurance360 contains a Muscle Strength blend (310mg) of: L-Methionine, L-Tyrosine, L-Carnosine, Taurine, and L-Arginine HCl, plus Creatine Monohydrate in the Endurance Blend. These are not adaptogens; they are amino acids and metabolic substrates that support neuromuscular function, ATP resynthesis, and vascular function. Buying rhodiola and cordyceps separately, or switching to Optygen HP, means losing this entire layer of the formula.

Optygen HP includes iron. Endurance360 does not.

Optygen HP adds iron to its formula. Iron is relevant for athletes who are genuinely iron-deficient (common in female endurance athletes and heavy training loads). If iron supplementation is a priority for you, that is a real difference to weigh. Most athletes, particularly males and those who eat red meat, should not supplement iron without confirmed deficiency.

Endurance360 does not contain beetroot or dietary nitrates.

Neither product does, actually. For the acute nitric oxide pathway (vasodilation, oxygen delivery on race morning), Endurance360 is designed to be stacked with Beetroot Pro. That is a separate product and a separate mechanism. If you are comparing E360 to Optygen HP for the adaptogen layer specifically, the beetroot question is not relevant to either.

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The Doping Anxiety Problem with Optygen HP

This comes up repeatedly in endurance communities, including a dedicated thread on the Slowtwitch forum asking "Steroids in OptygenHP?"

The concern centers on ActiGin (also listed as RG-1), a ginsenoside compound in the Optygen HP formula. Ginsenosides are plant steroids structurally similar to anabolic steroids. 1st Endurance has responded directly to this concern: ActiGin is not on the WADA prohibited list. That is accurate. However, the anxiety persists among age groupers and drug-tested competitive athletes because the ingredient is unfamiliar and the "plant steroid" framing triggers concern.

Endurance360 does not contain ActiGin or any ginsenoside compound. Every ingredient in the formula (beta-alanine, creatine, cordyceps, rhodiola, standard amino acids, electrolytes) has a decades-long track record with no prohibited-list concerns. Neither product has been independently certified by an anti-doping program such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport. Drug-tested athletes should confirm with their governing body before using either product.

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Capsule Type

Both products use gelatin capsules. There is no differentiation here for athletes seeking a plant-based option.

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Formula Breadth Summary