Most pre-workout supplements and fat burners rely on stimulants to give you the energy you need to lift, crunch, and lunge your way to a well-defined and toned body. While caffeine tends to be the go-to stim ingredient, theacrine has been becoming a more popular alternative or addition to caffeine-rich supplements. Read on for a closer look at this potent supplement that gives you clean, smooth energy. Theacrine is most often marketed as TeaCrine®.
Theacrine: The Supplement That Gives You Clean Energy
What is Theacrine?
Theacrine is a small purine alkaloid molecule, which means it’s a naturally occurring compound. In this case, theacrine is normally found in high amounts in the Camilla assamica plant, more commonly known as kucha, which is brewed into a traditional Chinese tea known simply as Kucha tea. Kucha shares the same genus as the green tea plant.
Theacrine is a structurally modified form of caffeine. In some plants, theacrine is synthesized from caffeine. The two are often compared against each other because of their similar structure and effects.
Theacrine vs. Caffeine
Caffeine remains an important compound in and out of the gym. It works to stimulate your central nervous system to give you that characteristic sense of alertness while eliminating drowsiness or mental fatigue. The problems with it often come when certain dietary supplements pack too much caffeine into a pill. Excess caffeine can cause restlessness and give you the jitters. Then there’s the eventual caffeine crash.
That’s not to say caffeine is bad or that you shouldn’t use it. With the right dose, caffeine is a highly effective supplement for those looking to lose weight or burn fat, but theacrine makes an excellent alternative or complement to other caffeine suppliments. When taken together, theacrine and caffeine can work together to bring out their good effects while balancing out caffeine’s drawbacks.
The Benefits of Theacrine
Theacrine’s main effect is a steady flow of clean energy to your system. Where caffeine and other stimulants have an immediate effect that wears off just as quickly, theacrine offers gradual, long-lasting energy without the potential for physical tolerance, meaning that you can keep taking theacrine without worrying about its effects wearing off over time.
Theacrine primarily operates by inhibiting adenosine, a nucleoside that occurs naturally in your body. In the brain, adenosine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, essentially promoting sleep and informing you when your body is tired during workouts. By stopping adenosine, theacrine reduces feelings of fatigue during workouts to accommodate longer, more intense exercise sessions.
Theacrine also gives you an extra boost of mental energy. That means heightened focus and acuity, both of which you know are important during your training. Whether you’re trying to get in those extra reps or running that extra mile, you need the right mental focus and energy to stick to your goals and achieve personal greatness.
Along with its massive energy potential, theacrine can boost your mood by elevating levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s responsible for, among other things, motivation, reward and the sense of pleasure you feel after an intense workout. Being in a great mood while you train not only makes the exercises more fun, but also self-motivates you to work harder for greater improvements. This also keeps stress at bay, which can cause your body to hold fat cells and gain weight, which is partly why theacrine is found in weight loss supplements like Pyroxamine™.
To top it off, theacrine has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. This ensures that your joints and connective tissue stay in good working order before, during and after your training. Anti-inflammation also keeps muscle soreness down and allows your body to recover quicker.
If you’re looking for a supplement that will give you clean energy for your workouts with an added mental boost, theacrine might be the ingredient you need in your workout supplements.