Performance Lab Caffeine + Independant Review
Tested and written by Martin Ebner, sports nutrition specialist and head personal trainer at Ebylife
I review Performance Lab Caffeine + (previously Stim), a low-dose caffeine supplement designed for optimal focus and all-around performance.
In this review:
» What is Performance Lab Caffeine +?
» The Ingredients
» The pros and cons
» How to take (dosage)
» Is Caffeine + better than the competition? Spoiler alert. Yes!
» Is Performance Lab Caffeine + better than coffee, tea and energy drinks?
» Can you take Caffeine + with coffee and tea?
» Is Caffeine + safe?
» Is Caffeine + good for Athletic performance?
» Is Caffeine + good for Mental clarity and focus?
» My own experience of taking Performance Lab Caffeine +
» Should you take Performance Lab Caffeine +
» Rating
What Is Performance Lab Caffeine +?
Performance Lab Caffeine + is a low-dose (50mg) natural caffeine formula designed to deliver all of the benefits of your regular cup of coffee without any of the nasty side effects. With added Suntheanine®, Ajipure® L-Tyrosine, NutriGenesis® B-Complex, Caffeine + promises to deliver greater stimulation for optimal performance in every area of your daily life.
As with all of the Performance Lab supplements, Caffeine plus is Vegan, GMP certified, Non-GMO, Soy and Gluten-free, and contains NO synthetic ingredients whatsoever.
The Ingredients
As with all of the performance Lab range, every ingredient, right down to the Prebiotic NutriCaps® serves a nutritional benefit and function. Everything you need, nothing you don’t!
Natural Caffeine (from Coffea robusta seeds) - 50mg / †
Suntheanine® L-Theanine - 100mg / †
Ajipure® L-Tyrosine - 250mg / †
Riboflavin+ (Vitamin B2) - 500 mcg / 38% NRV
Vitamin B6+ - 750 mcg / 44% NRV
Folate (Vitamin B9) - 167 mcg DFE / 42% NRV
Vitamin B12+ - 2 mcg / 83%
NRV - Nutrient reference Value
Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calories per day diet. † Daily Value not established.
The Pros
Let’s start with the pros, of which there are quite a few!
As with all of the Performance Lab products, Caffeine + uses only the best ingredients backed by science.
Caffeine plus uses precision dosing meaning that you get all of the benefits of caffeine without any of the nasty side effects often associated with higher doses.
It is not only considered safe but beneficial for long-term use.
Due to the low caffeine content, it can be taken with coffee, tea and soft drinks.
It is vegan approved, non-GMO and non-irradiated, is gluten-free, and doesn't contain any synthetic additives, artificial colors or preservatives.
Their formula includes performance labs NutriGenesis®, their very own, state of the art, lab-grown vitamins, minerals and amino acids that mirror the molecular structure of food nutrients.
Delivered in easy-to-swallow all-natural Nutricaps® made with Pullulan Capsule, NuFlow® Rice Concentrate and are naturally prebiotic-infused.
Fast international shipping.
Savings when buying in bulk.
It comes with a 30-day Performance Promise. That means that If you don’t see results within 30 days, they’ll refund your money in full. No questions asked.
Get 10% off your first order at Performance Lab with code: PLAB10
The Cons
When it comes to performance Lab supplements, I rarely find too much to complain about. However, for the sake of the review, I have come up with one or two cons:
For the average person, some of the terminology used on their website can often feel quite confusing. As someone that works in the health fitness industry, I find expressions like “Innovative dual-stack formula” and “ultraclean” often leave me scratching my head.
Premium Price. At $44 / £34 for a 1 Month Supply, it's certainly not cheap. At €45, It’s also slightly more expensive in Europe
Only available for purchase directly at PerformanceLab.com
How to Take (dosage)
For stimulation, take 1 Nutricap and up to 5 capsules daily.
Is PL Caffeine Plus Better Than the Competition?
Under normal circumstances, I would never have considered taking a caffeine supplement, especially if its only ingredient was caffeine. I would just continue to drink tea and coffee. However, where PL Caffeine plus differs from most of the competition is that they’ve designed an intelligent formula that includes a low dose caffeine hit (50mg) with complementary ingredients such as L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine to help counteract the negative effects from caffeine consumption whilst offering a more stable and sustained release of energy throughout the day. So yes. I’d say it’s better than most of the competition.
Is Performance Lab Caffeine + Better Than Coffee, Tea and Energy Drinks?
Let me be clear here, Performance Lab caffeine + should not be compared to coffee, tea or other heavy stimulant energy drinks. While all the above-mentioned drinks can give you a nice buzz due to their high caffeine content, they are often associated with some negative side effects such as jitters, anxiety and energy crashes. PL caffeine plus on the other hand is a low-dose caffeine formula with ingredients designed to help you stay focused for longer without any of the downsides.
Can You Take Caffeine + With Coffee and Tea?
Given the relatively low caffeine content of 50mg per serving (somewhere between a cup of green tea and a weak coffee), Caffeine plus can be taken in conjunction with your daily cup(s) of coffee or tea.
Start with 1 capsule and adapt your consumption based on your energy needs.
Is Performance Lab Caffeine + Safe?
According to Performance Lab, unlike many high-dose caffeine supplements, due to Performance Lab caffeine’s “scalable design” it is safe for long-term use. Those with a higher tolerance to caffeine can consume up to 5 capsules per day (250mg).
Is Caffeine + Good for Athletic Performance?
Not only is caffeine unquestionably good for increased intensity, endurance and energy when it comes to athletic performance, its thermogenic effects can also help raise metabolic performance allowing you to burn more fat while you exercise. It’s little surprise then that most fat-burning supplements’ primary ingredient is caffeine.
As a personal trainer and sports nutrition specialist, I’ve always been a big fan of consuming caffeine prior to working out. The difference between a regular cup of coffee and PL Caffeine plus is that it includes a combination of B vitamins (Riboflavin, B5, Folate and B12) suntheanine® L-Theanine, and Ajipure® L-Tyrosine to offer a cleaner high and to help counteract some of the negative effects normally associated with excessive caffeine consumption such as excretion of certain vitamins.
With that said, if you’re looking specifically for a pre-workout supplement, I recommend Pre Lab Pro. See my full review here.
Is Caffeine + Good for Mental Clarity and Focus?
Caffeine stimulates the body's central nervous system and boosts the brain's production of dopamine, a neuromodulatory molecule that helps us to maintain focus and maintain concentration.
Along with 50mg of natural caffeine per capsule, caffeine + contains L-Tyrosine, a non-essential amino acid that can enhance caffeine stimulation with cognitive benefits such as improved working memory, better mental clarity when fatigued, higher resistance to stress and better ability to multitask.
L-Theanine, another ingredient in Caffeine + is an amino acid that has been shown to help raise the brain’s Alpha wave frequency, the result of which can enhance a feeling of calm, mental clarity, enhanced creativity, reduced anxiety, and a more balanced mood.
If you’re looking specifically for a supplement to help improve cognitive function, I also recommend Mind Lab Pro. See my full review here.
My Experience of Taking Performance Lab Caffeine +
I have to admit, when I first decided to try out Performance Lab caffeine plus, I was a little skeptical. As somebody that really enjoys their coffee, I wasn’t thrilled that I’d have to reduce my consumption. However, as I had started to notice quite a few negative side-affects from excessive coffee consumption (gut-rot, trouble falling asleep, excessive urination during the night, etc) and as I love to play lab rat, I decided to give it a shot.
Here’s what I did:
Instead of drinking 5 black coffees per day, I cut down to 1-2 cups before midday and supplemented 1-2 PL caffeine capsules from midday onwards. I took one capsule before the gym (around 1 pm) and another with my daily nootropic (around 4 pm) to avoid a late afternoon slump when catching up on computer-based work.
The results (after 1 month):
I reduced my caffeine consumption from around 1000mg to 300 - 500mg per day. My Gut-rot aka excessive stomach acid near enough disappeared, my ability to fall asleep more quickly improved and I felt a more steady supply of energy throughout the day. My performance in the gym stayed relatively similar but I didn’t suffer from excessive energy dips at the end of my workouts thanks to not consuming my regular jumbo-sized black coffee before working out. In terms of my focus, it’s quite hard for me to say whether I saw any improvements. I also take a daily nootropic for better cognitive function so it’s hard to determine the benefits if any. What I will say is that I felt a much more steady supply of energy during the later part of the day which is something I would normally only be able to achieve by drinking coffee.
Should You Try Performance Lab Caffeine +?
I think the answer to this question is very much dependent on what you’re taking it for. In my case, it was a good excuse to reduce my caffeine consumption from tea and coffee and it certainly helped to do that whilst providing a more sustainable supply of energy during the later part of the day.
If like many others, you enjoy the highs of large doses of caffeine and don’t mind some of the downsides, this perhaps isn’t the supplement for you. If however, you’re looking for better focus and improved physical and mental performance throughout the day without having to consume large doses of caffeine, this is without a doubt one of the best caffeine supplements that I’ve come across.
My score: 8/10
Performance lab is so confident that you’ll love it, they offer you a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don’t see results after 30 days.
References:
Heckman MA et al. Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine) in foods: a comprehensive review on consumption, functionality, safety, and regulatory matters. J Food Sci. 2010 Apr;75(3):R77-87.
Fredholm BB et al. Actions of caffeine in the brain with special reference to factors that contribute to its widespread use. Pharmacol Rev. 1999 Mar;51(1):83-133.
Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, et al. The Effects of L-theanine on Alpha-Band Oscillatory Brain Activity During a Visuo-Spatial Attention Task. Brain Topogr (2009) 22:44–51
Thomas JR, et al. Tyrosine improves working memory in a multitasking environment. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1999 Nov;64(3):495-500.
Disclaimer
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