Theacrine

TeaCrine · 1,3,7,9-Tetramethyluric acid

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Fatigue and low energy¹ Cognitive performance under fatigue² Cognitive performance in esports gamers^{3, 4} Subjective focus and mood⁵ Next-morning vigilance⁶	Pregnancy or nursing⁷ Age below 18⁷ Monoamine oxidase inhibitor use⁷

Theacrine (1,3,7,9-tetramethyluric acid) is a purine alkaloid found in the leaf of Camellia kucha tea and structurally similar to caffeine⁸. It acts through adenosine and dopamine pathways⁹. People take it for energy and reduced fatigue, with focus and mood as downstream uses^{1, 9}. Typical users are habitual caffeine consumers and tactical or athletic populations seeking a caffeine alternative or add-on.

Objective results are largely null: higher theacrine doses did not improve cognitive performance, heart rate, blood pressure or energy, though salivary cortisol rose¹⁰. Products listing theacrine number 508 in the Dietary Supplement Label Database, mostly powders and capsules in multi-ingredient blends; see Form comparison.

Higher doses raised resting blood pressure and produced tremor, dizziness, and headache in a cycling trial, while eight-week clinical safety markers stayed within normal limits at the doses studied. Product labels carry the pregnancy and nursing caution, and many ask for healthcare provider consultation before use with heart conditions or blood pressure medication⁷.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

41 sources, 31 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources