Caffeine is the most widely used “drug” on the market. It can be found in coffee, energy drinks, supplements, and common foods such as chocolate. Although, it has many benefits including increasing cognitive performance, reducing fatigue, and aiding in athletic performance (1,2) However, frequent and excessive use of caffeine can have negative effects such as increasing anxiety (2,3). What if there was an alternative to caffeine? You’re in luck because the supplement Theacrine (trade name Teacrine®) is proving to be a great substitute to frequent caffeine consumption.
Theacrine is a caffeine derivative obtained from the Chinese Kucha Tea Leaf. In short, the caffeine made in the Kucha tea is metabolized into theacrine, therefore it is a natural ingredient. Similarly to caffeine, theacrine has been shown to have analgesic benefits by reducing perceived pain (4). There is also evidence suggesting theacrine can be a potent antioxidant, but this needs to be explored more in humans (5). Although, one of the most noted benefits of theacrine is its anti-apoptogenic properties. Simply speaking, unlike caffeine, you do not adapt to frequent use of theacrine (6). Therefore, if it were to be used every day, the cognitive affects would be the same every time.
Theacrine functions via antagonizing adenosine receptors in the brain to increase wakefulness and alertness. The function of antagonizing adenosine receptors is one of the mechanisms as to why caffeine increases alertness (7). Therefore, theacrine functions as caffeine would but, as discussed earlier, has no adaptive properties. Among the cognitive research related to theacrine, many studies support its ability to increase mood, energy, attentiveness and focus. Teacrine® is found in the product Mainframe and Hardwire because it works synergistically with the other ingredients to effectively promote a cognitive boost.
- William Wallace PhD(c)
Co-Founder of CreoDigm
- Smith, A. (2002). Effects of caffeine on human behavior. Food and chemical toxicology, 40(9), 1243-1255.
- Stuart, G. R., Hopkins, W. G., Cook, C., & Cairns, S. P. (2005). Multiple effects of caffeine on simulated high-intensity team-sport performance. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 37(11), 1998.
- Nawrot, P., Jordan, S., Eastwood, J., Rotstein, J., Hugenholtz, A., & Feeley, M. (2003). Effects of caffeine on human health. Food Additives & Contaminants, 20(1), 1-30.
- Wang, Y., Yang, X., Zheng, X., Li, J., Ye, C., & Song, X. (2010). Theacrine, a purine alkaloid with anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Fitoterapia, 81(6), 627-631.
- Li, W. X., Li, Y. F., Zhai, Y. J., Chen, W. M., Kurihara, H., & He, R. R. (2013). Theacrine, a purine alkaloid obtained from Camellia assamica var. kucha, attenuates restraint stress-provoked liver damage in mice. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 61(26), 6328-6335.
- Taylor, L., Mumford, P., Roberts, M., Hayward, S., Mullins, J., Urbina, S., & Wilborn, C. (2016). Safety of TeaCrine®, a non-habituating, naturally-occurring purine alkaloid over eight weeks of continuous use. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13(1), 2.
- Feduccia, A. A., Wang, Y., Simms, J. A., Henry, Y. Y., Li, R., Bjeldanes, L., ... & Bartlett, S. E. (2012). Locomotor activation by theacrine, a purine alkaloid structurally similar to caffeine: involvement of adenosine and dopamine receptors. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 102(2), 241-248.