caffeine, smoothed
the same lift with less edge; the most studied pair on this wiki
Read from the entries
computed from each compound's own data at build; nothing here is typed in
1 pairs read: 1 compatible.
- Caffeine + L-Theanine
No shared class or direct target: each item pulls a different lever.
- Attention2 of 2
A stack is only as well supported as its weakest item.
set by L-Theanine
- Caffeine8 papers
- L-Theanine10 papers
Why it works
This is the combination tea already contains, taken at doses you can control. Caffeine supplies the alertness, and L-Theanine is there for what caffeine does badly at higher doses. Across randomised trials the pair improves attention-switching accuracy and alertness in the first two hours more reliably than either alone [1].
How they work together
Their effects add together rather than one amplifying the other. In an EEG study each compound alone enlarged an attention-related brain response, and together they enlarged it further, with no statistical interaction [2]. Trials have typically used about two parts theanine to one part caffeine, such as 97 mg with 40 mg [3] or 100 mg with 50 mg [4].
What it feels like
Usually described as caffeine without the jitter: alert and on-task rather than wired.
Worth knowing
Most of these studies use small caffeine doses, well below a large coffee. Whether theanine still smooths things out at 200 mg or more of caffeine is much less well tested.
References
- [1]Acute effects of tea constituents L-theanine, caffeine, and epigallocatechin gallate on cognitive function and mood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Camfield DA, Stough C, Farrimond J et al.Nutr Rev 2014meta-analysis · humanPMID 24946991◌ unreviewed
- [2]Acute effects of theanine, caffeine and theanine-caffeine combination on attention.Kahathuduwa CN, Dassanayake TL, Amarakoon AMT et al.Nutr Neurosci 2017RCT · humanPMID 26869148◌ unreviewed
- [3]The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness.Giesbrecht T, Rycroft JA, Rowson MJ et al.Nutr Neurosci 2010RCT · humanPMID 21040626◌ unreviewed
- [4]The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood.Owen GN, Parnell H, De Bruin EA et al.Nutr Neurosci 2008RCT · humanPMID 18681988◌ unreviewed
Not a protocol and not a recommendation to combine anything. Read the individual entries, and talk to a clinician before taking any of this, particularly anything labelled prescription drug.