L-Tyrosine Uses for Energy, Stress, Motivation and Focus

L-Tyrosine is one of the 22 amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins.

Tyrosine is also considered to be a non-essential amino acid, since the body is capable of producing this supplement on its own in small quantities from Phenylalanine.

Despite this, using L-Tyrosine supplements has become popular in Nootropic communities as well as among individuals who want to lessen symptoms of stress and anxiety.

It is a component of the Alpha Brain Nootropic Stack because it can promote an increase in motivation, boost your mood and help you to concentrate.

What are the common uses of L-Tyrosine in both recreational (self-improvement) and medical contexts?

Tyrosine

Amino Acid

Motivation

Mental Focus

Mood

How It Works:

• Supports energy & motivation
• Promotes focus & mental clarity
• Improves mood & stress response

Dosage:

Between 500 - 2000 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

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L-Tyrosine Function:

L-Tyrosine is a building block for several important brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters.

The most important of these include Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, and Dopamine. These chemicals help nerve cells to communicate, transmit signals, and influence mood.

In particular, these three chemicals are also catecholamine hormones (sometimes called monoamines) that are part of the fight-or-flight reflex of the body.

Increasing catecholamine levels can lead to enhanced physical and mental energy, boost alertness and attentiveness while also increasing drive and ambition. Dopamine is also highly involved in regulating mood and is considered to be a “pleasure” chemical that is release as part of the reward system of the brain.

L-Tyrosine also aids in the function of organs responsible for making and regulating hormones such as the adrenal, thyroid, and pituitary glands.

There are several uses of Tyrosine in the body once it is ingested and absorbed. First, it could be absorbed into the various body tissues. In this case, it will also be incorporated into proteins and peptides.

Another possible function of L-Tyrosine is that it is used in much smaller amounts as precursors for a number of other chemicals. This includes substances like thyroxin, melanin, l-dopa and the above listed neurotransmitters.

Finally, this supplement can be metabolized into glucose and used for energy production.

There are also a number of components to this supplement like catecholamines which are involved in basic nervous system activities such as movement, memory, attention, problem-solving, desire, motivation, heart rate, stroke volume, and the ‘fight or flight’ response.

Using L-Tyrosine as a Nootropic

L-Tyrosine may be used as a nootropic in stacks designed to enhance concentration and motivation. It is highly effective at increasing focus by raising dopamine levels which play an important role in executive function activity in the brain.

This can lead to improvements in paying attention for long periods of time and may explain why one study found that giving Tyrosine and 5-HTP to patients with ADHD resulted in a reduction of symptoms.

Other studies have found that it can improve cognitive functioning in individuals who are exposed to acute stressors or fatigue. The studies found that it preserved working memory and cognition when participants experienced environmental stress.

This benefit could potentially carry over for individuals who experience test-taking anxiety and are looking for a good study supplement.

Though it is not considered to be a stimulant, many user reviews say that they feel more energized after taking it. Many users of Onnit’s Alpha Brain stack attribute the boost in productivity and mental drive that the supplement gives them with the L-Tyrosine dosage that is included in the formula.

Mood and Stress Relief

As stated previously, this amino acid is necessary in the production of the stress hormones Epinephrine and Norepinephrine.

These are important because they help the body react to and deal with stress in a number of different forms.

However, there is some research to support that when under stress the body is not able to produce enough Tyrosine from the Phenylalanine in the body.

In other words, L-Tyrosine supplementation can be helpful especially in already stressful scenarios. For this reason, using Tyrosine may improve memory and performance under cases of psychological stress and it may be helpful at increasing alertness after sleep deprivation.

Other studies have found that Tyrosine reduces perception of stress and improves mood. Two studies showed that it improved subjective feelings of well-being which measures your overall positivity level.

There has also been one study looking into the effects of this supplement on depression, however no change was reported. There are a number of anecdotal user reviews and reports that suggest Tyrosine may be effective for treating mild depressive symptoms, however more study is required.

L-Tyrosine & Weight Loss:

There is some scientific evidence to support that L-Tyrosine may be helpful in weight and fat loss. One of the main mechanisms of typical fat loss aids is to increase in the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous and central nervous system.

This also results in the release of additional hormones which mediate the overall processes of lipolysis and thermogenesis in the body. This simply means that by stimulating these processes through supplementation, you can potentially lose more weight and fat than simple diet and exercise alone.

L-Tyrosine for PKU:

L-Tyrosine is also used as a treatment for a serious clinical condition called Phenylketonuria, or PKU. This is a condition in which your body is not able to use the amino acid Phenylalanine which can lead to brain damage and intellectual disability.

People who have this condition must avoid the amino acid Phenylalanine in their diet and are generally deficient in L-Tyrosine, since this is made directly from Phenylalanine.

If you have, or suspect a condition like this, please see a doctor immediately and do not supplement Tyrosine on your own. While it may be able to help certain people with this condition, it is not right for everyone with PKU and some doctors recommend other forms of treatment.

How to Use L-Tyrosine

Tyrosine supplements come in either pill or bulk powder forms. You can also purchase pre-formulated supplement stacks with Tyrosine as an ingredient. Dosages used in the clinical trials feature a huge range from 200 to 1,000 mg taken up to 4 or 5 times a day.

The amount you decide to use will depend on your goals. As a nootropic supplement, it is common to take between 500 mg to 1.5 grams per day. This dosage may also be effective after using the smart drug Adderall to help replenish catecholamine neurotransmitters which are depleted due to Adderall’s mechanism of action.

For mood-boosting effects, one may decide to take between 1 – 3 grams daily.

Bodybuilders sometimes use this supplement in dosages as high as 3 – 5 grams each day without side effects. However, there have been no studies into the long-term effects of L-Tyrosine at dosages this high and we do not recommend it.

Best practices should always involve determining your lowest effective dosage and not increasing until you are familiar with the effects. Taking more than necessary can increase the risk of side effects.

Dosages tend to be most effective when split into multiple administrations per day. You may want to take one upon waking, one at lunch or in advance of a workout or study session and one in the afternoon. Dosing later in the day can lead to difficulty falling asleep.

While the use of Tyrosine is regarded as very safe and well-tolerated, there can be mild side effects. They include occasional nausea, diarrhea, headaches, vomiting, and occasional insomnia. Fatal overdoses have not been reported, but taking too much may cause you to feel anxious, jittery or restless.

As with all supplements discussed on this website, you should consult a doctor before you add Tyrosine to your nootropic stack routine to determine whether this supplement is safe for you to use.

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