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Caffeine and L-Theanine: The Perfect Combo

Contents:

  • Caffeine: Our Go-To Stimulant
  • The good, the bad and the ugly of Caffeine
  • Enter L-Theanine
  • L-theanine and Caffeine: the peanut butter and jam of supplements
  • The dosage 
  • Safety and Precautions
  • GIANTS
  • Studies: Overview of research
  • Final thoughts

Caffeine: Our Go-To Stimulant

Ah, that morning ritual—kettle boiling, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air. For many of us, coffee isn't merely a beverage; it's a daily necessity. 

Caffeine works its magic relatively quickly, stimulating your central nervous system in as little as 15 minutes. It mimics a neurochemical called adenosine, effectively blocking its calming effects and leading to increased alertness and wakefulness.

The good and the bad of Caffeine

There’s no denying caffeine has incredible benefits. It’s humanity’s OG performance supplement! It can boost your focus and memory, improve your workouts, and some studies even suggest it may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. However, like anything in life, it comes with its drawbacks. We're talking increased blood pressure, heightened anxiety levels, and the dreaded jitters. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, making frequent trips to the loo more likely.

Enter L-Theanine: Tea’s Unsung Hero

If you're a green tea lover, you're already reaping some of the benefits of L-Theanine, an amino acid found naturally in tea leaves. L-Theanine works primarily by mimicking the actions of GABA, a neurotransmitter that blocks excitatory responses in the brain. As a result, L-Theanine can help lower your blood pressure, reduce stress hormone levels, and create an overall sense of relaxation.

It's also proven to stimulate the production of alpha brain waves, associated with relaxed states and even meditative practices. And if you think that's impressive, L-Theanine also aids in focus and attention, a perfect counterbalance to some of caffeine's less desirable side effects.

L-Theanine and Caffeine: Peanut butter and Jam

Now, what happens when you combine these two? Far from cancelling each other out, caffeine and L-Theanine have a unique synergistic relationship that allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds. L-Theanine mitigates the negative effects of caffeine like increased blood pressure and anxiety, letting you enjoy the alertness without the jitters.

In fact, studies have shown that when taken together, L-Theanine and Caffeine can improve both the speed and accuracy of performance when switching between tasks, enhancing your overall cognitive function. The combination could also reduce susceptibility to distractions, allowing for improved focus and productivity, minus the jitteriness and other side effects often associated with caffeine.

Exploring the Dosage: How Much Is Just Right?

According to the UK's Food Standards Agency, it is generally safe to consume up to 400mg of caffeine and between 100mg - 200mg of L-Theanine daily. 

Since you need at least 100mg L-Theanine to experience the full extent of benefits, supplementing is the best way to reach this dosage as black tea or green tea contain no where near enough. You’d have to have 8 cups of black tea. 

Safety and Precautions

Of course, it's always important to discuss any new supplement regime with a healthcare provider, especially if you're taking other medications or have pre-existing health conditions. Too much caffeine can lead to sleep disturbances, while excessive L-Theanine might cause nausea or headaches.

GIANTS: a Daily Routine that Supercharges Productivity and Well-Being

Imagine a daily routine that capitalises on the advantages of both caffeine and L-Theanine. Start your morning with a cup of coffee as you usually would, helping you shake off the last tendrils of sleep. You are alert and settle into your tasks, however as the L-Theanine kicks in you’ll likely find yourself more focused, less anxious, and ready to tackle the afternoon.

We've all experienced those days where distractions are rife, and focus seems like a distant dream. With the Caffeine-L-Theanine combo, those days might just become a thing of the past. With this combination, you’re not only boosting your mental performance but also potentially improving your overall well-being.

 

Overview of some research

Improved Cognitive Function: A study published in "Nutritional Neuroscience" found that participants who consumed L-Theanine and caffeine together showed improved cognitive performance and increased task-switching ability compared to those who consumed caffeine alone.¹

Reduced Stress: Another study in "Biological Psychology" reported that subjects who consumed caffeine and L-Theanine exhibited fewer stress responses when subjected to a stress-inducing activity, compared to those who consumed caffeine alone.²

Enhanced Mood: A study in the "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry" found that L-Theanine alone could induce feelings of tranquility and significantly reduce the rates of anxiety.³

Attention and Focus: A study in the "Asian Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition" showed that consuming L-Theanine and caffeine together improved both speed and accuracy of performance when switching between tasks and reduced susceptibility to distractions.⁴

Sleep Quality: Some studies suggest that L-Theanine can improve the quality of sleep, making the sleep more restful without inducing drowsiness. This has implications when combined with caffeine, which is generally seen as a sleep disruptor.⁵

Improved Reaction Time: A study in "Psychopharmacology" showed that combining caffeine with L-Theanine led to faster simple reaction time, faster numeric working memory reaction time, and improved sentence verification accuracy.⁶

Impact on Blood Pressure: One study published in "Psychological Reports" found that L-Theanine and caffeine together were effective in keeping blood pressure from rising in response to physical stress, which was not the case with caffeine alone.⁷

Enhanced Auditory Attention: A study in the "Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition" demonstrated that the consumption of L-Theanine and caffeine together helped subjects pay closer attention during a demanding task, which involved auditory signals.⁸

Anti-Fatigue Effects: A paper in "PLOS One" investigated the anti-fatigue effects of L-Theanine, finding that it significantly extended the duration of swimming time for mice, indicating potential anti-fatigue effects that could complement caffeine's energising effects.⁹

 

A Balanced Approach

What the research essentially tells us is that the combination of caffeine and L-Theanine has the potential to offer a balanced approach to mental and emotional well-being. We get the focus and alertness from caffeine while the L-Theanine can mitigate the negative side-effects like jitters or elevated stress levels.

 

Potential for Widespread Application

Given the promising results of these studies, it's worth considering the broader applications of this supplement pairing. Could it be beneficial for high-stress professions? Might it be a useful tool for students cramming for exams? The research certainly hints at the positive impact it could have on various facets of our daily lives.

 

Final Thoughts

It's not every day that two commonly found substances, both of which have been consumed by humans for centuries, are found to have a synergistic relationship that enhances both mental and emotional well-being. As our understanding continues to deepen through ongoing research, the caffeine and L-Theanine duo may well become a staple recommendation for those looking to improve their mental performance and stress management.

So next time you find yourself wrestling with focus and stress, remember that this potent pairing is backed by science and could offer the relief and performance boost you're seeking.

 

Footnotes

1."The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood", Nutritional Neuroscience, 2008. 

 

2. "L-Theanine and caffeine in combination affect human cognition as evidenced by oscillatory alpha-band activity and attention task performance", Biological Psychology, 2008. 

 

3. "Anxiolytic effects of L-Theanine–A component of green tea—when combined with midazolam, in the male Sprague–Dawley rat", Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2009. 

 

4. "The acute effects of L-theanine in comparison with alprazolam on anticipatory anxiety in humans", Asian Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004. 

 

5. "Effects of L-Theanine on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Induced Changes in Rat Brain Gene Expression", Scientific Reports, 2014. 

 

6. "The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood", Psychopharmacology, 2008. 

 

7. "Effects of caffeine on blood pressure, heart rate, and forearm blood flow during dynamic leg exercise", Psychological Reports, 1998. 

 

8. "The combination of L-Theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness", Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, 2010. 

 

9. "Anti-stress effect of Theanine on students during pharmacy practice: Positive correlation among salivary α-amylase activity, trait anxiety and subjective stress", PLOS One, 2013.