So you thought performance-enhancing drugs were only for sprinters and baseball stars? A new survey in the science journal Nature says otherwise. It found that 20 percent of its readers — most of them scientists, physicians or graduate students in the sciences — use drugs to give their brains a boost.

Of the respondents who use such drugs, 60 percent named Ritalin as their favorite. That’s the amphetamine that is often prescribed for overactive children. Provgil, a narcolepsy drug, was cited by 45 percent. Fifteen percent named “beta blockers,” known for their anti-anxiety effects.

You would expect these presumed experts to know the downside of using these drugs, but they use them anyway. Commenting on the report, Dr. Barbara Sahakian of England’s Cambridge University said, “Suppose you’re preparing for the SAT, or going for a job interview — in those situations where you have to perform on that day, these drugs will be very attractive.”

Perhaps so, but we think a better recipe for steady peak performance would be a good diet, exercise and plenty of sleep.