How long does l theanine last? If you’re interested in the many benefits of l theanine in tea, you’re probably also wondering how long these effects last.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at how long the effects of l theanine take to kick in and also how long does l theanine last in the body.
Let’s get started!
How long does l theanine last?
So the short answer to the question how long does l theanine last in the body is about 24 hours, which is a surprisingly long time. In the rest of the article, we are going to walk through the nuances of how long l theanine lasts, explaining the l theanine half life and what factors influence how long it lasts.
How long before it takes effect
How long does l theanine last before it kicks in? Although some effects of l theanine kick in right away, studies have shown that l theanine concentrations peak at around 50 minutes.
So 50 minutes after you drink a cup of tea, your l theanine levels are at their highest, and it could take as long as 24 hours for them to get back to baseline. But why is that? Let’s explore the l theanine half life.
The l theanine half life
So a key part in understanding how long does l theanine effects last is understanding the l theanine half life. A half life is the amount of time it takes for half the substance to clear the body. In the case of l theanine, the half life is roughly 1 hour (65 minutes). 1 hour after l theanine has entered the bloodstream (not 1 hour after consuming the tea) you will be at 50% of peak l theanine levels.
Caffeine also operates under a half life, but the half life is much longer at 4-6 hours. This means it takes much longer for caffeine to clear the blood stream and it's why a strong cup of coffee, even at 10am can keep you up at night.
The 5 half lives rule
After 5 half lives, the substance (l theanine in this case) is considered to be almost completely eliminated. So if you’re wondering how long does l theanine last in the body, technically 24 hours but 95% of it has been cleared within the first 6 hours.
So how long does 200 mg l theanine last, for example? Once it hits the bloodstream, it will be roughly 100mg in 1 hour, 50mg in 2 hours, 25mg in 3 hours and so on. After 5 hours, there will be an almost insignificant quantity in the bloodstream.
Ways you can influence how long does l-theanine last
Now that we’ve talked about how long does l'theanine last, let’s discuss some ways you can influence it. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot you can do to influence how long does l-theanine last, but you can influence when your l theanine levels peak.
How to delay the peak
Remember before we said the half life starts from when the l theanine enters the bloodstream, not from when you drink the tea? Well you can actually delay this by drinking tea on a full stomach. This will cause the l theanine
There is nothing you can do to extend the half life of the l theanine, but you can slightly control when the half lifes start by delaying the absorption of the l theanine.
Extending the benefits
If you consume more green tea throughout the day, you still won’t be influencing the half life, but you will be creating multiple peaks as you add new doses of l theanine to your blood stream.
This will allow you to enjoy the benefits of l theanine throughout the day.
How long does l theanine and caffeine last
There’s no good evidence that L-theanine slows how fast caffeine is absorbed. Instead, it seems to change how caffeine feels in the body, especially in the brain. That’s why caffeine with L-theanine is often described as smoother, even though caffeine itself is absorbed at the same speed.
L theanine helps to keep your nervous system more balanced and can decrease the stress hormone response, like cortisol and adrenaline. So you’ll get less of this sudden burst of energy, but you may not “burn out” in the same way you would with straight coffee.
Benefits of L theanine
So now we’ve talked about the half life of l-theanine how long does it last and what you can do to prolong its effects. We should also briefly review the benefits you get from l theanine and why it may just be caffeine's best friend.
Alpha brainwaves
L theanine is thought to stimulate alpha brainwave activity, the same brainwaves stimulated during long periods of meditation. This puts your brain into a calm, relaxed and creative state and can be good for long periods of work and study.
Less crash and jitters
L theanine is thought to bugger a lot of the negative side effects of caffeine. Instead of having a sudden jolt of energy and then a crash later on in the day, green tea drinkers report having a longer lasting “calm alert” energy throughout the day.
How long does l theanine last? The final verdict
So with all this talk about l theanine how long does it last? While it takes l theanine approximately 24 hours to completely clear your blood stream, it is almost completely eliminated by 5 hours.
While you can’t control how the half life of l theanine, you have some control over how long l theanine lasts. By drinking tea on a full stomach and drinking more tea throughout the day, you can extend the benefits of l theanine.
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