L-Theanine and Caffeine: A One-Two Punch of Energy

L-Theanine and Caffeine: A One-Two Punch of Energy

Caffeine plays a part in almost everyone's daily routine. This stimulant has been used as a cognitive enhancer for hundreds of years, and it's become a reliable component of our daily lives. It gives you a boost in the mornings and enhances your productivity and mental clarity.

However, caffeine by itself can come with some unpleasant side effects. Some people get jittery, anxious, or have a pounding headache after consuming too much caffeine. You need something that can work with the caffeine and balance it out, so you experience all the positives of caffeine with none of the side effects.

L-theanine is the perfect compound to add to your daily routine. Once you try it, you'll never return to the caffeine-fueled jitters again!

Related: Best Drinks For Focus

What is L-theanine?

L-theanine is a fantastic, 100% legal nootropic. Nootropics are a class of substances that enhance brain performance. They improve mental clarity, stimulate the mind, and enhance memory retention.

Some nootropics, like L-theanine, have other impressive benefits, such as reducing anxiety, stress, and insomnia. 

This compound is a non-essential amino acid found in green and black tea leaves.

When paired with caffeine, research suggests that this compound will help increase performance and reduce anxiety when a person performs stressful tasks. 

L-theanine works by increasing certain feel-good chemicals in the brain while preventing the reuptake of stress-causing chemicals.

What is Caffeine?

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant found in over 60 plants. Most people know that their cup of coffee or green tea contains some caffeine, but it's also found in chocolate and guarana.

This compound can come from these plants' leaves, beans, and fruits and has been used for thousands of years. It's a natural stimulant that activates your central nervous system, which keeps you alert and helps prevent the onset of tiredness.

The Pros and Cons of Caffeine Consumption

Many people enjoy caffeine as part of their daily routine. You may have a cup of tea or coffee in the morning or an energy drink throughout the day. If you've indulged in this natural stimulant in the past, you know it has some positive and negative side effects.

Let’s dive into the specific pros and cons of caffeine consumption:

Pros

  • Increased alertness
  • Increased focus
  • Decreased tiredness
  • Reduce headaches (in small doses)

Cons

    • Insomnia
    • Dental problems
    • Jitteriness/Anxiety
    • Restlessness
    • Increased heart rate

Looking for a great-tasting drink to boost your mood and concentration. Head over to BreinFuel to check out their naturally fueled drinks for all-day performance.

L-theanine and Caffeine Together

 

nootropics

These two compounds affect different areas of the brain, allowing a beautifully symbiotic relationship to take place. L-theanine and caffeine complement each other and work together to help balance out the other's effects on your body.

Suppose you're sensitive to caffeine or tired of experiencing this natural stimulant's more unpleasant side effects. In that case, pairing it with L-theanine is a great way to enjoy its stimulant effects without getting the jitters. 

Calming Caffeine

Combining L-theanine and caffeine creates a synergistic effect on your body. Caffeine is a stimulant, while L-theanine promotes relaxation and reduces stress levels. This nootropic prevents the reuptake of certain excitatory chemicals in the brain. At the same time, caffeine sparks a release of dopamine and adrenaline, which causes increased levels of focus, alertness, and productivity.

Since L-theanine prevents the reuptake of certain chemicals, it helps prevent your body from becoming overloaded with stimulatory chemicals. This can help offset the effect of caffeine just enough so you still experience the position effects without succumbing to the jitters or restlessness. 

Taking L-theanine can also prevent caffeine-related insomnia. L-theanine activates alpha brainwaves that help allow for the deepest stages of REM sleep. 

Overcoming Stress

Combing these two compounds can also help relieve stress. Studies have shown that dosing L-theanine with caffeine boosts certain feel-good chemicals while significantly reducing stress-causing chemicals.

L-theanine elevates GABA levels, as well as dopamine and serotonin. These are all chemicals that make you feel good. L-theanine also reduces the reuptake of certain excitatory chemicals in the brain, which prevents stress levels from elevating and becoming unmanageable.

So, how does caffeine fit into this equation? Well, caffeine also elevates levels of dopamine and adrenaline. Both of these chemicals help you feel good and keep you motivated. 

The combination of L-theanine and caffeine boosts your mood by releasing these feel-good chemicals while preventing the reuptake of stress-causing chemicals. It's the perfect combination that can seriously alter how you start your day!

L-theanine and Caffeine: Increase Attention

These nootropics will also increase your attention when paired together. Not only will you be more productive and able to focus on a task, but studies show that it also helps you maintain your attentiveness while multi-tasking or switching between tasks.

Combining L-theanine and caffeine also reduces your susceptibility to distractions. You'll feel a boost in alertness and energy while feeling a pull to focus on your given task. Noises, conversation, and other attention-grabbing environmental stimuli won't be able to distract you as easily.

Related: Natural Caffeine vs. Synthetic Caffeine

A Few Tips and Tricks

Getting the most out of combing L-theanine and caffeine means learning how to manage your dosage. Taking them at the right time and in the correct ratio will make all the difference. 

You should take these two nootropics thirty minutes before you want to experience their effects. A good rule for caffeine and L-theanine is to stick to a 1:2 ratio

Since most capsules of L-theanine and caffeine come in 100mg doses, that means taking one capsule of caffeine with two capsules of L-theanine. 

Of course, caffeine capsules can be hard to come by, so you might need to estimate the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee or tea and take the complimentary amount of L-theanine in capsule or powder form.

L-theanine and Caffeine: Not Always Good Together

 

Coffee beans in coffee cup

More research must be done to learn how well L-theanine and caffeine work together fully. Some studies have shown inconclusive results where the pair didn't affect mood or concentration, while others have demonstrated significant improvements in both areas.

Some studies have concluded that L-theanine might mitigate the cognitive effects of caffeine, but this could be due to environmental factors or differences in test subjects. Only further research will help us understand how these two nootropics interact and affect the nervous system.

Related: Drinks For Brain Power

Last Word

L-theanine and caffeine are both nootropics that can boost your mood and enhance your cognitive performance. Pairing them together magnifies their benefits while decreasing unpleasant side effects. You can combine them yourself in capsules or buy pre-made drinks containing each, such as BreinFuel

Do you want to experience the cognitive and mood-boosting effects of L-theanine and caffeine? Check out the performance booting drinks available at BreinFuel!
Back to blog