How to Choose the Best Caffeine Pills
It’s not always easy to make a choice, but here’s what you need to pay attention to when choosing the right energy booster.
What Are Caffeine Pills?
Caffeine pills are performance enhancement supplements with high concentrations of caffeine in its purest form. They can be made with synthesized caffeine or concentrated extract from coffee beans or green tea. Regardless of the source, they can contain anywhere between 50mg to 200mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to 1–2.5 8-ounce cups of coffee.
Benefits of Caffeine Pills
Caffeine stimulants have numerous benefits. Not only can they help you wake up in the morning, but if taken in recommended doses, they can also:
- Increase your focus and productivity.
- Enhance your memory.
- Help you burn fat more efficiently.
- Boost your energy levels before a workout.
- Enhance post-workout muscle recovery.
- Improve your mood and decrease depression.
- Reduce headaches and pain-perception.
Pills or Coffee? Choose Wisely
Both coffee and pills are effective, but they differ in a few aspects, such as:
- Cost: While pills can cost as little as 5 cents a piece, the average price of a cup of coffee, $2–$5, and their cost-benefit becomes pretty clear.
- Consistency: Pills usually have 50–200mg of caffeine, helping you take consistent dosages, whereas the caffeine dosage in coffee will significantly vary on the brewing method and the quantity ingested.
- Convenience: Carrying pills in your purse or gym bag is easy. Plus, their effects kick in very quickly. Brewing or buying a cup of coffee, on the other hand, takes longer. There’s also the inconvenience of having to carry it in a thermos, wait for it to cool down, and then wait for the caffeine to kick in.
- Calories: Caffeine is an excellent stimulant that will help you lose weight. However, if you pack it with milk, creamers, sugar, added flavors, etc., it’ll definitely lose its fat-burning properties.
Side Effects
No matter if you drink tea, coffee, energy drinks, or take supplements, caffeine can cause some side effects if you don’t follow specific instructions or have an overly sensitive body. Typically, it causes a variety of sleep issues, but it can also cause:
- jitteriness
- nervousness
- restlessness
- increased heart rate
- anxiety
- irritability
- upset stomach
- acid reflux
- dizziness
To avoid these and similar side effects, follow the recommended-dosage instructions.
What to Consider when Looking for a Caffeine Supplement
There are tons of options on the market, but not all are equal. To find the most suitable supplement for your needs, consider the:
- Caffeine levels—200mg per pill is the industry standard. It’ll give you an energy boost for physically demanding activities or help keep you more focused. But if you’re new to this supplement type or need a smaller boost because you don’t want to stay awake the whole night, consider lower-dosage pills, like 50 or 100mg. Bear in mind the safe caffeine amount for healthy adults is up to 400mg a day.
- Other ingredients—caffeine is great on its own, but when combined with other ingredients, it can bring you even better effects. When choosing tablets, look for those with ingredients like L-theanine, B-complex vitamins, and L-tyrosine.
Additionally, check the full ingredients list to make sure no ingredient will irritate your dietary sensitivities.
Your caffeine tolerance—don’t take the strongest pill if you’re too sensitive to caffeine. Better start with a lower dosage and increase it gradually if necessary.