Improves energy level: Sleepiness is mostly induced by adenosine. This inhibitory neurotransmitter is produced in the brain during wakefulness but in the night its level significantly drops. If the sleep is too short, the level of adenosine remains relatively high and disrupts circadian rhythm. In that kind of situation, caffeine and theacrine might be a great support. They can act as antagonists of adenosine receptors – they can attach to them without causing excitation, essentially blocking signal transmission. Adenosine is not able to affect neurons so the sleepiness is significantly reduced. But that’s not all. Caffeine and theacrine may also improve the level of dopamine – a neurotransmitter that can be considered a source of energy and motivation for the mind. DLPA is a precursor of dopamine so it participates in the synthesis of this compound. And let’s remember that dopamine indeed is a key neurotransmitter but can also be used as a substrate in the production of other neurotransmitters: epinephrine and norepinephrine. They induce stimulating effects and mobilize the body just like dopamine but mostly in the physical sphere rather than the mental. Stimulation of the central nervous system is indeed a good way to reduce sleepiness, however, when this stimulation is too intense, it might bring side effects such as nervousness, attention issues and shakiness. Those effects can be neutralized by L-theanine that stimulates the activity of GABA – a major inhibitory neurotransmitter that prevents overstimulation of the nervous system. By combining all those ingredients we obtained a formula that can help to stay active after a sleepless night.

Improves intellectual endurance: In order to perform tasks that require a high level of focus and mental resources we might need a proper level of motivation. The ingredients of our formula might be helpful in that regard. DLPA is one of the precursors of dopamine while caffeine and theacrine improve the activity of this neurotransmitter. And since dopamine influences energy and motivation levels, it might help to deal with procrastination and finish the task on time. Or maybe tasks, we should say. In fact, dopamine is important for multitasking – the ability to smoothly change focus between different objects. So, it might be easier to do things such as responding to emails and listening to the radio at the same time. It probably won’t be so hard to quickly go back to a task after getting distracted. And since we mentioned distractions, L-theanine might be able to reduce them (at least those that are caused by neuronal activity). This compound increases the amount of GABA – a key neurotransmitter that helps to soothe the symptoms of stress and anxiety. The proper GABA activity is necessary to finish the task that we undertook. All in all, our formula will make it easier to perform the things that we planned for a specific day, even if this day was preceded by a tough night.

Supports learning abilities: Dopamine is important for the ability to focus. We already mentioned that its activity can be improved by: DLPA, caffeine and theacrine. Yet, the brain requires other neurotransmitters to function properly. One of them is acetylcholine that improves the speed of information processing and stimulates cognitive functions. This neurotransmitter is crucial for memory processes that are the foundation of efficient learning. Caffeine increases acetylcholine release in the synapses and improves the density of its receptors on the neuronal plasma membranes. This effect is the most intense in the hippocampus – a brain structure that governs most of the processes related to long-term memory. In effect, acetylcholine can affect the neurons more intensively, facilitating information acquisition. But there is another thing that may have a huge impact on our learning outcome. Mood and general well-being, of course, since it is usually easier to learn new things when we are relaxed. In fact, there is even a state of neuronal activity called “relaxed awareness” and it can be supported by L-theanine. This ingredient enhances alpha brain waves – cycles of bioelectrical activity of the brain that have a frequency of 8-13 Hz. They induce a state of wakefulness but also relaxation that might be beneficial for cognitive functions that are the basis for effective learning.