The natural world offers plenty of solutions to some of the issues we face in modern life. When you’re busy and stressed, it can be hard to feel energized and focused. Some stimulants add energy, but don’t help with concentration.
Even if you do everything right and sleep properly, you might still find it difficult to maintain a good level of energy throughout the day. This is where supplements can be incredibly helpful. This article will break down what L-Theanine is, as well as how it can help you boost your cognitive focus and energy levels when combined with caffeine.
What is L-Theanine?
L-Theanine is a naturally occurring amino acid commonly found in tea leaves and certain types of mushroom. It’s why you feel calm and relaxed while drinking a cup of tea.
In recent years, this amino acid has been researched for its calming properties. Studies have suggested that people are less anxious when taking L-Theanine supplements and are more able to relax.
Interestingly, unlike some supplements that help us relax, L-Theanine isn’t a sedative. It doesn’t make you feel sleepy or drowsy, which is what makes it so helpful for therapeutic use.
This is because it works by imitating a neurotransmitter that blocks excitatory responses in the brain. These responses would normally cause your blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol (a stress hormone) to spike. But without these responses, you remain calm and don’t feel the same level of stress.
L-Theanine is uniquely suited as both a sleep and wakefulness aid. It helps you sleep because it keeps you calm, but it isn’t a sedative. This means that you can use your calm mindset to focus on tasks throughout the day.
The Effects of Caffeine
Most people are well aware of the effects of caffeine and actively seek them out. Caffeinated drinks like coffee are a common “pick-me-up”. Caffeine is also found in energy drinks and some soft drinks.
The most famous effect of caffeine is a feeling of wakefulness. It can help you be more productive and focused as you work, allowing you to get things done even if you’re otherwise tired.
But these aren’t the only things caffeine does to the body. Caffeine can also make you feel jittery and anxious. If you have a lot of caffeine, you might notice your heart rate increase. Caffeine also acts very quickly, meaning that the high will be followed by a crash, making you feel groggy and even more tired than before.
Caffeine can also interfere with your digestive system and ability to retain water. It can have both a diuretic and a laxative effect, which isn’t always helpful if you’re trying to get a task done. It can also make you more irritable and, as many caffeinated drinks are highly acidic, cause heartburn or other stomach issues.
As a stimulant, caffeine also interferes with your ability to sleep well at night. While different people will notice different effects, it’s found that even a few hours after a cup of coffee, caffeine can lessen the quality of sleep and make it harder to drift off.
L-Theanine vs Caffeine
If you prefer tea to coffee, you’ve already taken advantage of the unique interaction between L-Theanine and caffeine. You might think that the combination would completely get rid of any benefits of either substance, but this isn’t the case. Rather than clashing, L-Theanine and caffeine can work together.
This results in a powerful combination that allows you to relax without drowsiness, so you can focus on a task and be productive without any added stress. You also have less of a crash after the caffeine has worn off. Essentially, the benefits of L-Theanine counteract the potential side effects and downsides of caffeine.
For example, caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor. This raises your blood pressure, which is why you might feel more jittery. L-Theanine counteracts this effect, so you can feel calmer and you can take caffeine healthily.
L-Theanine also reduces the adverse effects of caffeine on your sleep schedule. It does this by counteracting how caffeine reduces your slow-wave sleep, which is a deep non-REM sleep and a vital part of your overall sleep quality. So, you can sleep well even if you’ve had a late coffee.
L-Theanine and Caffeine - Cognitive Focus, Calm Energy
This doesn’t mean that the positive effects of caffeine go completely wasted, however. You might use caffeine to stay awake and focused. L-Theanine doesn’t interfere with this at all, in fact, it helps it along.
It’s been found that people who take a combination of caffeine and L-Theanine experience increased cognitive performance and focus. They can complete tasks more quickly and more accurately than usual. People even notice an improved ability to switch attention between tasks and stay focused despite distractions.
Essentially, you have the best of both worlds. You can be more energized and focused, while also experiencing calmness and reduced stress or anxiety.
How to Take L-Theanine and Caffeine
If you want the best result from L-Theanine and caffeine, it’s important to make sure you take the right dosage for your needs. So, in the morning, you might want to go heavier on the caffeine so you experience more of a stimulant effect. As you approach the evening, it’s better to reduce your caffeine intake, even with the addition of L-Theanine.
Some people take this in a supplement form, while others might drink tea or specially formulated coffee that includes both substances.
The recommended limit to the amount of caffeine per day is 400mg, while you can usually consume around 100 - 200 mg of L-Theanine.
If you take any medications, you should consult your doctor before taking supplements. This is especially important if you take blood pressure medication, as both caffeine and L-Theanine will impact your blood pressure.
L-Theanine is considered generally safe and isn’t associated with any adverse effects. But like any supplement, it’s best to be careful especially if you have a preexisting condition or are taking prescribed medications.