Data published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition indicated that while both the combination supplement or 300 mg of caffeine led to increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP), only the 300 mg of caffeine lead to increases in diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
“The unique design of this study provides compelling evidence for the efficacy of combining a lower dose of caffeine with methylliberine and theacrine for maintaining vigilance to a similar extent as caffeine alone and maintaining marksmanship without largely increasing DBP,” wrote the researchers, led by Shawn Arent from the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina.
Pharmacokinetics
The study used Compound Solution’s branded Dynamine and TeaCrine ingredients, and the company funded the research.
While both methylliberine (Dynamine) and theacrine (TeaCrine) have similar chemical structures to caffeine, they have a different pharmacokinetic profile, meaning that there are differences with how the compounds are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted from the body. For example, caffeine’s reaches its highest levels in plasma between 30 and 60 minutes after ingestion, and its half-life is approximately 4 to 5 hours. On the other hand, methylliberine reaches peak levels between 35 and 55 minutes, and the half-life is much shorter at around 1.4 hours (for 25-100 mg doses). Theacrine doesn’t reach peak levels until about 1.8 hours after ingestion, and its half-life is between 16.5 and 26 hours (for 25-125 mg doses).
The new study is said to be the first to investigate the effects of a lower dose of caffeine combined with methylliberine and theacrine on vigilance and marksmanship.
Commenting on the study, Matt Titlow, CEO of Compound Solutions, told us: “The significance is to achieve similar performance with half the caffeine dose. This is highly significant because the performance benefits are achieved without the blood pressure and heart rate side effects that occurred from 300mg of caffeine. Particularly during exercise, no one wants increased burden on the heart.”
Study details
The new study included 48 male tactical personnel (military personnel or law enforcement officers) with an average age of 27.5. The men were randomly assigned to one of three groups: The first group received the placebo, the second group received a single 300 mg dose of caffeine (CAF), and the third group received the combination of 150 mg caffeine, 100 mg methylliberine, and 50 mg theacrine (CMT).
Reaction time (RT) and marksmanship were assessed following a 150-min vigilance protocol: Participants began with leisurely reading followed by a 30-min vigilance task before they were challenged with two trials of movement and marksmanship tasks.
The results indicated that reaction time improved for both caffeine and CMT groups in both round 1 and 2 of the challenges. On the other hand, no effects were observed in the placebo group.
Compared to placebo, the 300 mg caffeine group resulted in large increases in DBP, while CMT did not.
“Overall, these findings suggest similar overall effects on tactical performance measures between 300 mg caffeine alone and a combination of 150 mg caffeine, 100 mg methylliberine, and 50 mg theacrine along with slightly more favorable hemodynamic responses following supplementation with the combination compared to caffeine alone,” wrote the authors.
“Tactical athletes including law enforcement officers and military personnel can use this supplementation strategy of combined caffeine, methylliberine, and theacrine prior to periods of overwatch to maintain vigilance without experiencing substantial adverse hemodynamic responses induced by caffeine alone.”
Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Volume 19, Issue 1, Pages 543-564, doi: 10.1080/15502783.2022.2113339
“Effects of caffeine, methylliberine, and theacrine on vigilance, marksmanship, and hemodynamic responses in tactical personnel: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial”
Authors: H.P. Cintineo et al.
