Even Joe Rogan is Getting Off ZYN — This Is What He’s Replacing It With

He’s not the only one — Five high performers, one nicotine-free focus pouch.

By: Luke Beavers

Last Modified:

June 1, 2026

Ultra Pouches has sponsored this article, but the insights and evaluations are independently conducted by our editorial team.

ZYN took over the corporate world the same way Red Bull took over college campuses — quietly, then all at once.

It makes sense. Stanford neuroscientist and Huberman Lab host, Andrew Huberman, dedicated an entire episode of his podcast to explaining why — nicotine floods the brain with acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine simultaneously, creating what he described as a “neurochemical attentional spotlight.”

Sharper focus. Better working memory. More sustained alertness. Smart people found a tool that worked and ran with it.

The problem isn’t that nicotine works. It’s that it works just well enough to make you dependent on it. The ceiling becomes your floor. That’s not peak performance — it’s managed addiction. Ultra is what Joe Rogan, Nate Diaz and hundreds of other elite athletes are switching to to get clean energy and focus without the downsides. Nicotine-free, caffeine-free, and it pulls double duty as a clean pre-workout alternative — no beta-alanine itch, just clear-headed focus that doesn’t leave you wired at midnight.

Joe Rogan: Brain Vitamins, No Nicotine

Rogan started using Ultra Pouches while trying to get off nicotine — and the appeal makes sense when you look at the science behind it. Nicotine works by rapidly flooding the brain with dopamine and acetylcholine, which is why the focus feels so immediate and addictive.

Ultra takes a different approach: paraxanthine targets focus and energy without the crash, Enfinity PX delivers a jitter-free focus, and L-Theanine keeps the signal clean and calm. No dependency loop.

In a recent interview, he put it plainly:

“I recently got off of nicotine patches, and I started taking Ultra Pouches… It’s like nootropics. It’s like vitamins — brain vitamins. And no nicotine.”

Theo Von: Some People Just Need Something

Nobody explains modern dependency quite like Theo Von.

Somehow, he can describe nicotine addiction in a way that’s equal parts concerning, self-aware, and hilariously relatable. Here’s what he had to say about Ultra Pouches:

“Have you ever woken up in the morning and just needed a nicotine pouch or a cup of coffee to feel human? I always need something, you know….that’s why I want to let you know about Ultra Pouches. — Clinically proven nootropics that deliver immediate focus and smooth energy.“

That might be the most accurate description of the nicotine loop I’ve heard from anyone — neuroscientist or otherwise.

When something becomes so ingrained in your day that you need it just to get to baseline. Because for a lot of people, it’s not just about the nicotine anymore. It’s also the ritual.

The reach into your pocket. The pouch after a meal. Something to take the edge off during work. Ultra Pouches let you keep the physical ritual of reaching for a pouch, which can make stepping away from nicotine feel far more manageable.

Austin Rief: Focus That Fits Between Meetings

The co-founder of Morning Brew built one of the most successful media companies of the last decade. That kind of output — back-to-back investor calls, editorial decisions, and context switching all day — demands something discreet and reliable. Rief was an energy drink guy. Then he found Ultra:

“I’ve been drinking 2-3 Celsius/day for years, and Ultras are a game changer. Clean ingredients, zero crash, and don’t affect sleep at all.”

Instead of nicotine for focus, Ultra Pouches use natural ingredients to support focus, mental clarity, and sustained energy without the crashy, overstimulated feeling nicotine creates. Alpha-GPC, in particular, has been studied for its potential cognitive benefits, with clinical research suggesting it may support working memory, focus, and overall mental performance.

Alex Will of Calm: Alert Without Wired

When the co-founder and president of the world’s leading mindfulness app starts using a focus product, it tells you something about the formula.

Will gravitates toward tools that work with your nervous system rather than against it.

“Ultra gives me a calm, clean focus without feeling wired. It’s something I grab whenever it’s time to shift gears.”

Nate Diaz: No Trash Ingredients

Diaz is one of the most decorated fighters in MMA history and is famously particular about what goes in his body.

Unlike nicotine, which restricts blood flow, Ultra doesn’t affect your vascularity, so your cardiovascular health stays intact, and those post-pump veins stay exactly where they should be.

No mystery compounds. Just a clean focus that holds up over hours of training.

“I don’t use anything that slows me down. Ultra gives me smooth energy— no trash ingredients.”

The Switch Every High Performer Makes

Rogan, Von, Diaz, Will, Rief — different worlds, different routines, same realization: the thing helping them focus started feeling a little too necessary. Even UFC champ Rampage Jackson summed it up perfectly:

“ZYN had me in a f*cking chokehold. Ultra got me dialed in and thinking straight.”

Ultra is the answer they all landed on as a better alternative — the same one you’ve probably already been thinking about making.

Stop waiting — give your brain the edge it deserves.