Can I Take L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine Together for Better Focus?

L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine are two popular names in the nootropic world. Both are amino acids with well-researched effects on mood, stress, focus, and mental performance. But you may be wondering, "Can I take L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine together?"

Quick Answer: Yes, L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine can be taken together, and in some cases, the combination may even be synergistic -- meaning the effects of the two compounds might complement each other in ways that help them work even better together.

In this article, we'll discuss L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine: How they work alone, how they work together, and in which scenarios this nootropic stack may be especially helpful. Let's get to it!

Key Takeaways

• L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine are amino acids found in dietary supplements for sharp cognitive function, athletic performance.
• L-Tyrosine is more associated with intense drive, especially through distractions and challenges; while L-Theanine is more associated with calm mental clarity.
• These two amino acid nutrients can be taken together safely and effectively to help with mental clarity, focus, concentration and stress resilience.
• N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine (NALT) is a form of tyrosine believed to offer greater bio-availability.
• L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine together on an empty stomach about 30-60 minutes before cognitively demanding activities or physical workouts.
• Be sure to consult with your doctor before taking these nootropics. Remember, they are not intended to treat any disease or serious condition. Get evaluated by your doctor first.

Top supplements that stack L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine together

Mind Lab Pro®: The "Universal Nootropic," it stacks 11 nootropics, including L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine. All 11 combine to boost the whole brain, for a full-spectrum cognitive boost that's safe, effective and healthy. MLP is also backed by 2 human clinical research trials demonstrating cognitive benefits. Learn more about how Mind Lab Pro works

Pre Lab Pro®: Top nootropic pre-workout. Supplies sport-tuned caffeine (low-moderate dose), sports nutrition and nootropics including L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine. For energy, stamina, motivation, intensity and more, in a berry-flavored drink mix. Learn more about Pre Lab Pro

Caffeine 2: Best caffeine pill. Enhanced with nootropics that help caffeine to work better, it produces a clean surge of mental energy and alertness without the jitters and crashes associated with typical stimulant formulas. A smarter caffeine for students and professionals. Learn more about Caffeine 2

What Is L-Theanine?

L-Theanine is a naturally occurring amino acid found primarily in green tea. It’s known for its calming properties and ability to:(1)

• Promote relaxation without drowsiness
• Enhance alpha brain wave activity
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Assist with focus and concentration, as well as all-round cognition
• Smooth out the stimulating effects of caffeine

Because of its anxiolytic (antianxiety) effects, L-Theanine is often used to stay calm, focused, and mentally balanced—especially in high-stress or high-performance situations.

Additionally it's been shown in research to promote sleep quality and help you get good rest, as well as anecdotally reported to enhance creativity.

Learn More about L-Theanine

What Is L-Tyrosine?

L-Tyrosine is a precursor to several important neurotransmitters, including catecholamines dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. These are the brain chemicals drive performance-oriented cognitive functions, and help to explain L-Tyrosine's documented benefits for:(2)

• Focus and motivation
• Mental and physical energy
• Cognitive resilience under stress
• Alertness and working memory (short-term memory)
• Rapid and accurate movements

Food sources of tyrosine include meats like beef and chicken. Supplementing with tyrosine is another option; it has been shown to support mental performance during sleep deprivation, multitasking, and psychologically demanding conditions.

L-Tyrosine also has some ergogenic value; it's useful in sports nutrition applications.

Learn More about L-Tyrosine

L-Tyrosine vs. L-Theanine: What's the Difference?

Both L-Tyrosine and L-Tyrosine are amino acid nootropics. L-Tyrosine dynamically boosts mental performance -- especially under stress or fatigue. L-Theanine, found in green tea, promotes relaxation without drowsiness, reducing anxiety and smoothing out overstimulation.

How Do They Work Together?

In short: tyrosine energizes the mind and primes it for performance, while theanine calms and sharpens the mind, making them complementary for balanced mental clarity.

While L-Theanine helps smooth out stress and anxiety, tyrosine supports the brain’s ability to stay sharp and motivated under pressure. Think of theanine as the “calm” and tyrosine as the “drive.” Taken together, they may help you enter a mental “flow state”: relaxed, but energized and focused.

When to Stack L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine

These two aminos do have a kind of "tug-of-war" in their effects that, when balanced, can serve specific mental and emotional needs.

Below are several real-world scenarios where L-theanine and L-tyrosine may complement each other beautifully. You might consider taking them together in the following scenarios:

High-Stress Performance Situations

Examples: Public speaking, job interviews, exams, competitions.

• Tyrosine: Fuels dopamine and norepinephrine production to boost focus, alertness, and cognitive performance under pressure.
• Theanine: Blunts the excess adrenaline response that can cause jitteriness or mental “choking.”

Why the combo works: Tyrosine ramps you up mentally, while theanine keeps your heart rate and nerves steady -- perfect for "calm under pressure."

Learn more about nootropics for performance anxiety

Caffeine Amplification without the Crash

Examples: Morning productivity, creative brainstorming, deep work sessions

• Tyrosine: Enhances the dopamine/catecholamine “motivational edge” of caffeine.
• Theanine: Smooths out caffeine’s jittery or anxious effects.

Why the combo works: This trio -- caffeine + tyrosine + theanine -- is a classic productivity stack. Energized, focused, and calm.

Did you know? Some of today's best caffeine pills will leverage this combination, plus B-Vitamins, to promote smoother stimulation with faster and healthier bounceback.

Cognitive Fatigue

Examples: Sleep deprivation, long hours at a screen, information overload.

• Tyrosine: Shown in studies to restore cognitive function when you're mentally drained (especially sleep-deprived).
• Theanine: Soothes overstimulation, can help reduce irritability or anger that sometimes accompany stimulant-like effects of tyrosine.

Why the combo works: Tyrosine pulls you out of brain fog; theanine helps ensure your “mental comeback” isn’t emotionally volatile.

Learn more about nootropics for clean mental energy

Irritable or Angry Mood States

Examples: Frustration from multitasking, work stress, social conflict

• Tyrosine: May support neurotransmitters that regulate mood but can also increase aggressive tendencies in certain people or settings.
• Theanine: Counters emotional excess, particularly anxiety, frustration, and yes -- even anger.

Why the combo works: Theanine takes the “edge” off any emotional heat that tyrosine might provoke in reactive moments.

Did you know? Too much tyrosine may actually make irritability worse. Researchers have reported that tyrosine administration at higher doses (100 mg per kg of bodyweight) increased self-reported anger levels in participants subjected to stressful conditions.(3)

Learn more about nootropics for anger and irritability

Gaming, Trading, or Competitive Strategy

Examples: Playing poker, day trading, esports, chess tournaments, competitive sports

• Tyrosine: Enhances mental stamina and decision-making speed.
• Theanine: Promotes calm focus and reduces emotional reactivity (e.g., tilt, panic, or frustration after mistakes).

Why the combo works: You get fast processing and sharper reactions without losing your emotional cool. May be found in gaming-specific dietary supplements.

Learn more about nootropics for gaming

Travel and Jet Lag

Examples: Long-haul flights, timezone changes, exhausting itineraries

• Tyrosine: Helps reset mental clarity and energy levels when your neurotransmitters are depleted.
• Theanine: Reduces travel-related anxiety, helps smooth transitions between time zones and environments.

Why the combo works: Travel throws off both stress and focus -- these two together help you land mentally intact.

Learn more about nootropics for jet lag

Athletic Training and Intense Workouts

Examples: Weightlifting, martial arts, endurance training, HIIT sessions, other exhaustive exercise

• Tyrosine: Enhances physical and mental performance by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine -- key for motivation, reaction time, and intensity. Particularly helpful when training while fatigued or under stress.
• Theanine: Supports a calmer, more controlled mental state -- helping athletes stay in the zone, reduce performance anxiety, and avoid “mental burnout” or emotional impulsivity during high-stakes sessions.

Why the combo works: Tyrosine fires up your drive and intensity; theanine helps channel that energy with focus and fluidity -- ideal for both explosive and endurance-based training.

Learn more about top nootropics for athletes

L-Tyrosine + L-Theanine Research

Research on L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine in combination is limited; however, both have been studied in the 11-ingredient nootropic stack Mind Lab Pro. More on that in a minute.

One study investigated L-Tyrosine vs. L-Theanine, however. In this 2024 randomized controlled trial, researchers tested the impact of L-theanine (200 mg) and L-tyrosine (2000 mg) on stress markers and cognitive performance during a high-stress scenario.

In this study, 80 participants were randomly assigned to receive either L-tyrosine (2000 mg), L-theanine (200 mg), or a placebo before undergoing a high-stress scenario involving a virtual reality-based active shooter training drill and cognitive challenges like the Stroop test and mental arithmetic.

While neither supplement significantly affected salivary stress biomarkers, the L-tyrosine group demonstrated significantly fewer missed responses during the Stroop challenge compared to the placebo group, indicating a potential cognitive performance benefit under acute stress. Summary of key findings:(4)

• Stress Markers: Neither L-theanine nor L-tyrosine significantly reduced physiological stress indicators such as salivary alpha-amylase, secretory immunoglobulin A, heart rate, or state anxiety scores during the stress challenge.
• Cognitive Performance: Participants who received L-tyrosine showed fewer missed responses in the Stroop task compared to the placebo group, suggesting enhanced cognitive performance under stress. L-theanine did not have any significant effects on cognitive performance in this study.

So in this particular study, L-tyrosine seemed to offer greater potential for cognitive benefits in high-stress situations, positioning it as a great nootropic for stress.

Are There Any Safety Risks?

Current human studies, clinical review articles and anecdotal evidence suggest no harmful interaction between L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine that would impact health. In fact, some nootropic stacks and brain-boosting formulas include both. That said, here are a few general precautions:

• Start low: Try each amino acid separately before combining, so you know how your body reacts to this nootropic nutrition.
• Use clinically effective doses: Many studies use 100–200 mg of L-Theanine and 300–500 mg of tyrosine, depending on the context.
• Avoid excessive doses: More isn’t always better, especially with tyrosine, which can overstimulate in high doses.

As with all dietary supplements, the best practice is to consult with your doctor before starting to take brain-boosting nootropic compounds. The best way to mitigate risk is to only supplement under your doctor's direction.

Top Supplements that Supply both L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine

Mind Lab Pro®

MLP Ingredients: Citicoline (CDP Choline) dosage 250mg per serving, Phosphatidylserine (PS) 100mg (from sunflower lecithin), Bacopa monnieri 150mg (24% bacosides), Organic Lion's Mane Mushroom 500mg (fruit and mycelium), Maritime Pine Bark Extract 75mg (95% proanthocyanidins), N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine 175mg, L-Theanine 100mg per serving, Rhodiola rosea 50mg (3% rosavins and 1% salidrosides), NutriGenesis® Vitamin B6 (2.5 mg), Vitamin B9 (100 mcg), Vitamin B12 (7.5 mcg)

Mind Lab Pro® (MLP) is the top nootropic on the market today. It skilfully combines 11 nootropics that complement eachother most effectively, including 100 mg of L-Theanine and 175 mg of enhanced-bioavailability N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine. MLP's unique design is formulated to help people from all walks of life to enhance all types of brain function. It's also a clean-label supplement, delivered in vegan NutriCaps® capsules, and utilizing premium ingredients like eco-friendly, clean-cultured NutriGenesis® B-vitamins.

Mind Lab Pro is backed by two well-designed human clinical trials:

• Study 1: Researchers reported that taking MLP for 30 days was associated with significant improvements (compared to placebo) in information processing speed.(5)
• Study 2: Researchers reported that taking MLP for 30 days was linked to significant improvements across several memory functions evaluating in testing, including enhanced immediate and delayed recall memory.(6)

- Buy Mind Lab Pro® Now -

Caffeine 2

Caffeine 2 ingredients: Natural Caffeine (from Coffea robusta seeds), 50 mg; L-Theanine, 100 mg; L-Tyrosine, 250 mg; NutriGenesis® Caffeine Balance B-Complex (Riboflavin [Vitamin B2] 500 mcg, Vitamin B6 750 mcg, Folate [Vitamin B9 170 mcg DFE], Vitamin B12 2 mcg)

Caffeine 2 is a "smart caffeine pill." It combines precision-dose caffeine with nootropics that help to amplify and enhance caffeine's effects. Each capsule supplies 50 mg caffeine; take up to 4 capsules per serving. The formula's L-theanine, L-Tyrosine and B-vitamins help to ensure a smoother stimulation experience while maintaining brain chemicals that can be depleted by high-performance thinking.

- Buy Performance Lab® Caffeine 2 Now -

Pre Lab Pro®

Pre Lab Pro® ingredients: Red Beetroot Powder, 1500 mg; Setria® Performance Blend, 2200 mg; Natural Caffeine, 80 mg; L-Theanine, 160 mg; L-Tyrosine, 400 mg; Vitamin D3 (as NutriGenesis®), 500 IU; Potassium (as NutriGenesis®), 49.5 mg; Iron (as NutriGenesis®), 2.5 mg; Himalayan Pink Salt, 500 mg

Pre Lab Pro® is a pre-workout formula that integrates nootropics -- L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine -- and other ingredients to promote peak "mind-over-matter" performance in the gym. It is designed to unleash smooth energy, clean stimulation, and peak muscle function without crashing or loss of motivation. Pre Lab Pro mixes up quickly and easily into a convenient and delicious berry-flavored drink to power you through your workout.

- Buy Performance Lab® Pre Lab Pro® Now -

Summary

L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine are like a yin-yang duo for your brain at any age, supporting relaxation and motivation by working hand-in-hand.

Tyrosine supports the production of dopamine and norepinephrine, enhancing alertness, working memory, and stress resilience, especially in demanding situations. However, high doses may increase irritability or restlessness.

L-theanine, in contrast, promotes relaxation without sedation by increasing alpha brain waves and modulating GABA, serotonin, and dopamine activity.

When combined, theanine may help counterbalance tyrosine’s overstimulating potential, creating a more focused yet calm mental state.

This synergy is particularly beneficial in high-pressure tasks requiring both cognitive sharpness and emotional composure, making the combination appealing for students, professionals, and athletes under stress.

When taken together thoughtfully, they may help you achieve focus, resilience, and mental clarity in a way that’s greater than the sum of their parts. If you’re looking to upgrade your cognitive edge without the crash of stimulants, this combo might be worth exploring.

It's also worth considering how these two amino acid nootropics work in far-reaching stacks, such as the research-backed 11-in-1 nootropic formula Mind Lab Pro.