Supplementing your diet with the best caffeine pills is a great way to access the brilliant benefits of caffeine, without having to drink tea or coffee.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant and energy enhancer, that helps you increase mental focus, boost energy, and mental performance when you need it most.
While many people enjoy drinking caffeinated hot drinks, or energy drinks to boost caffeine intake, taking caffeine supplements can be more effective (1).
What’s more, taking caffeine pills allows you to top up your caffeine intake without adding more calories to your diet.
What Are Caffeine Pills?
Caffeine is a fast acting, natural stimulant found in tea leaves, coffee beans and a host of other foods. It is estimated that 85% of adults in the USA drink at least one caffeinated drink every day.
Caffeine pills and caffeine supplements are pills that you can take, that allow you to take caffeine onboard quickly and easily.
Typically, the best caffeine pills contain few additives, zero calories, and have a higher concentration of caffeine (mg of caffeine) than traditional beverages containing caffeine.
Taking caffeine pills has been shown to boost athletic performance, aid weight loss, and give you an energy boost during exercise (2).
Caffeine Pill Benefits
If you are looking to lose weight, boost energy levels, or increase mental focus then taking caffeine tablets could offer some great benefits.
The best caffeine pills act as a fast working, natural stimulant that you notice soon after consumption. Here are a list of the top benefits of caffeine.
- Increase mental focus
- Boost energy levels
- Aid athletic performance
- Benefit weight loss
- Provide pre-workout boost
- Boost metabolic rate
Just remember that each person has a different tolerance to caffeine. While some people will feel very sensitive to caffeine intake, others will need to take more caffeine to feel the effects.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that the amount of caffeine consumed by adults should stay below 400mg per day to ensure no negative side effects.
Best Caffeine Pills Buying Guide
Here at BigBlueTest.org we compare all of the best caffeine pills online, so that you can quickly find the caffeine supplements that are right for you.
Whether you are looking to lose weight, boost energy levels, increase mental focus, or take you to that extra level pre-workout, caffeine supplementation can help.
Here is a snapshot of the top 10 caffeine pills you can buy. For more information, read on below or checkout our best caffeine pills buying guide.
Top 10 Caffeine Pills
- Performance Lab Stim Caffeine Pills
- ProLab Caffeine Maximum Potency
- Vali Caffeine & L-Theanine
- Nutricost Caffeine Pills
- Bulksupplements Pure Caffeine Capsules
- Zhou Nutrition Energy + Focus
- Jet Alert Double Strength Alertness Aid
- Natural High Caffeine Pills
- Kaged Muscle Natural Caffeine Pills
- Muscletech Platinum Caffeine Pills
Top 10 Caffeine Pills
Studies have shown that taking caffeine pills aids thermogenic processes in the body (one way your body generated heat and energy in digesting food). The best caffeine supplements also act as effective fat burners, and give you an energy boost pre-workout.
Our list of the top 10 caffeine pills helps you pick out the caffeine tablets that are right for you.
1. Performance Lab Stim Caffeine Pills
Performance Lab Stim Caffeine Pills is a smart, clean form of caffeine supplementation that delivers 50mg of caffeine, with 100mg of Suntheanine in every serving.
Unlike budget caffeine pills that contain additives and fillers, Performance Lab Stim Caffeine Pills delivers performance-tuned precision without any damaging side effects.
Performance Lab Stim Caffeine Pills also contain B-Complex, and L-Tyrosine that help to restore caffeine-depleted brain cells during activity.
If you are looking for market-leading caffeine tablets that will give you the edge during your workouts or in competition, then pick Performance Lab Stim Caffeine Pills.
Key Benefits
- Caffeine enhanced for enhanced nootropic, athletic, and thermogenic performance
- Promotes mental focus, eliminating stress and fatigue
- Raises alpha brainwaves to balance caffeine intake with relaxation, creativity, and calmness
- Reduced impact of negative side effects like jitters, crashes and other side effects caused by caffeine overstimulation
Dosage
- 50mg of caffeine per serving
- 100mg of L-Theanine
- 250mg of L-Tyrosine
Price
- $$
2. ProLab Caffeine Maximum Potency
Next on our list of the best caffeine pills is Prolab’s Maximum Potency Caffeine Pills. Prolab’s Maximum Potency Caffeine Pills are a fast, calorie-free caffeine supplement that will give you a quick and effective boost in your caffeine levels.
Unlike Performance Lab Stim’s, Prolab’s Maximum Potency Caffeine Pills contain 200mg of caffeine per serving, offering a high dosage of caffeine for a potent caffeine hit.
These caffeine tablets are perfect for athletes, gym-goers, students, shift workers, or anyone under pressure looking to boost energy, mental focus and athletic performance.
ProLab also state that their caffeine pills have thermogenic and nootropic benefits, helping to accelerate fat burning and weight loss.
What’s more, Prolab’s Maximum Potency Caffeine Pills contain zero calories, so can be added to your supplement stack without the worry of increasing calorie intake.
Key Benefits
- Improve mental focus and energy levels quickly
- Eliminate jitters and negative side effects
- Calorie-free caffeine
- Quick energy in less that 15 minutes
Dosage
- 200mg of caffeine per serving
- 75mg of calcium
Price
- $
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3. Vali Caffeine & L-Theanine
Next to hit our top caffeine supplements list is the Valie Caffiene & L-Theanine Pills. Valie Caffiene & L-Theanine Pills are another source of clean caffeine pills that are packed full of thermogenic and nootropic qualities.
Containing L-Theanine, Valie Caffiene & L-Theanine Pills combine caffeine with amino acids to give you long-lasting effects of caffeine intake. Helping to aid concentration, memory, energy levels, mental focus and endurance.
Valie Caffiene & L-Theanine Pills contain zero additives and fillers, and are gluten free, soy free, vegan friendly (keto friendly), and containing only non-GMO ingredients.
Like Performance Lab Stim, Vali Caffeine pride themselves on bringing to market a caffeine supplement that can provide the same energy boost as traditional caffeine pills (containing 200mg of caffeine), without spiking your caffeine intake.
Valie Caffiene & L-Theanine Pills contain 50mg of caffeine per serving, combines with 100mg of L-Theanine. This combination provides the same energy hit associated with 200mg of caffeine intake (equal to two cups of coffee).
Key Benefits
- Smooth energy release that remains in your control
- Health, happiness and athletic performance
- Clean formula with zero additives
- Replace unhealthy energy drinks and cups of coffee
- Stay focused, calm and energized for longer
- Vegan friendly formula
Dosage
- 50mg of caffeine per serving
- 100mg of L-Theanine
Price
- $$
4. Nutricost Caffeine Pills
Nutricost offer affordable caffeine pills that are essentially the same as the ProLab caffeine tablets already mentioned on this list.
If you are looking for a fast, effective shot of caffeine equal to two cups of coffee then the Nutricost caffeine pills offer exactly what you need.
Nutricost caffeine pills have over 3,000 positive customer reviews on Amazon, thanks to their zero calorie formula with a clean hit of 200mg of caffeine per serving.
There really isn’t much more to say when it comes to this caffeine supplement, they are quick to boost energy levels, mental focus, and athletic performance.
Dosage
- 200mg of caffeine per serving
Price
- $
5. Bulksupplements Pure Caffeine Capsules
Next on our list is the Bulksupplements Pure Caffeine Capsules. Like other caffeine pills on the market, they offer an affordable caffeine pill that comes in no-frills packaging, and free of additives, fillers and colorings.
In fact, Bulksupplements Pure Caffeine Capsules contain a straight shot of 200mg of caffeine per serving and nothing else.
If you are looking for another reputable brand that offers effective caffeine supplements, Bulksupplements offers a great option.
Dosage
- 200mg of caffeine per serving
Price
- $
6. Zhou Nutrition Energy + Focus
Next on our list of the best caffeine supplements are the Zhou Nutrition Energy + Focus Caffeine Pills. Zhou Nutrition Energy + Focus Caffeine Pills contain 100mg of caffeine (double the strength of Performance Lab Stim) combined with 200mg of L-Theanine.
Zhou Nutrition Energy + Focus Caffeine Pills only use FDA-approved ingredients, and follow GMP processes (Good Manufacturing Processes). What’s more, their caffeine tablets are produced in Utah, United States and undergo strict performance testing.
Zhou Nutrition Energy + Focus Caffeine Pills deliver mental focus, and smooth energy release with the risk of crash or jitters. What’s more,. Zhou Nutrition offers a healthier alternative to drinking energy drinks and multiple cups of coffee throughout the day.
Dosage
- 100mg of caffeine per serving
- 200mg of L-Theanine
Price
- $$
7. Jet Alert Double Strength Alertness Aid
Jet Alert Double Strength is an age old caffeine supplement that offers 200mg of caffeine (equal to two cups of coffee) in every serving.
Like other caffeine pills on our list, Jet Alert contains zero calories, and is free from additives and flavors. If you are looking for an affordable caffeine supplement that can be taken quickly to aid mental focus, and boost energy levels, then Jet Alert Double Strength is a great option.
Dosage
- 200mg of caffeine per serving
Price
- $
8. Natrol High Caffeine Pills
Natrol High Caffeine Pills offer another affordable caffeine supplement that contains 200mg of caffeine per serving.
Natrol High Caffeine Pills sits lower on our top 10 best caffeine pills list as it does contain some additives and fillers. Unlike other budget caffeine pills, Natrol High Caffeine Pills also contain 75mg of calcium in each serving.
If you are looking for a cheap way to increase your caffeine intake, opt for Natrol High Caffeine Pills.
Dosage
- 200mg of caffeine per serving
- 75g of calcium per serving
Price
- $
9. Kaged Muscle Natural Caffeine Pills
Kagen Muscle Natural Caffeine Pills sit next on our top 10 caffeine list, thanks to their unique blend of botanical caffeine.
Unlike other caffeine supplements that deliver a straight hit of 200mg of caffeine per serving. Kaged Muscle caffeine pills contain a patented PureCaf supplement which is 90.5% pure botanical coffee derived from green (unroasted) coffee.
This helps set the Kaged Muscle Natural Caffeine Pills apart, as the caffeine supplement is specifically designed to aid athletic performance and boost pre-workout energy levels.
Dosage
- 200mg of PureCaf per serving
Price
- $$
10. Muscletech Platinum Caffeine Pills
The final caffeine supplement on our best caffeine pills list are the Muscletech Platinum Caffeine pills.
With over 2,500 positive customer reviews on Amazon, Muscletech’s caffeine pills are specifically designed as a pre-workout formula for boosting energy levels.
Muscletech’s caffeine blend contains the largest dosage of caffeine on our list, with each serving delivering 220mg of caffeine.
Muscletech have designed this supplement to blitz fatigue, and zone you in to peak athletic performance before your workout.
Dosage
- 220mg of caffeine per serving
Price
- $$
Caffeine Pills Buying Guide
Now that we have covered our list of the best caffeine pills, let’s turn our attention to the important facts and benefits of caffeine supplementation.
Who are Caffeine Pills Good For?
Caffeine supplements are a useful tool for many different types of people. That’s because caffeine tablets have been shown to boost cognitive performance, induce thermogenesis, and boost general energy levels (3).
If you are someone who suffers from fatigue, or need to boost concentration and mental focus, then taking caffeine capsules could be extremely beneficial.
- Athletes – those who are looking to boost athletic performance, mental focus and cognitive function love caffeine pills. Taking caffeine supplements pre-workout is a great way to boost performance and zone in on your workout objectives (4). Caffeine also has thermogenic qualities which means it helps with fat burning and weight loss
- Students – it’s important to be operating at the top of your game as a student. Mental focus and cognitive performance is important to ensure that you stay on top of your studies, and get the most out of your cramming sessions before important exams. Being a student is also a time when you stay up late (potentially partying). Caffeine pills help you regain mental sharpness, and reduce fatigue during the morning after
- Shift Workers – shift workers benefit from caffeine intake as working patterns can often be antisocial. That means that you are often working overnight, or in the early morning hours. Adding caffeine pills in high doses to your diet can help you stay awake, and improve performance
- Busy Professionals – for the same reasons, busy professionals can gain a lot from supplementing with caffeine. While high doses can cause negative effects, on the whole caffeine boost performance and heightens the responsiveness of the central nervous system. If you have a deadline, important presentation or need to zone in, the best caffeine pills can help
- Budget Seekers – not everyone wants to ditch their caffeine consumption or skip the benefits of a morning cup of coffee. But the reality is that caffeine consumption from coffee beans and energy drinks can get expensive. The best caffeine supplements are cheap and affordable, providing twice the hit of a cup of coffee
- Low Calories Diets – caffeine pills are also a brilliant way to cut calories, without ditching caffeine consumption. While caffeine pills contain a high dose of caffeine content, they do not contain any calories. That means you can take caffeine supplements without drinking your way through tonnes of calories
- People who don’t like coffee and tea – you don’t have to drink a cup of coffee to benefit from the nootropic qualities of coffee beans. Simply trade your morning green tea, cup of coffee or tea for a caffeine pill
Caffeine Pill Ingredients
The best caffeine pills often contain one or more of the following natural stimulants, best naturals caffeine, L-Theanine, and L-Tyrosine.
The majority of affordable caffeine pills contain a straight shot of either 100mg or 200mg of caffeine in pure format. This means that there are zero calories, additives, preservatives and flavors.
However, newer caffeine supplements have begun introducing L-Theanine and L-Tyrosine into their caffeine supplement blents.
Low-Dose Caffeine
Low-does caffeine can be found in some of the lower dose caffeine tablets. Caffeine is derived from tea leaves, coffee beans and other forms of naturally occurring food. Caffeine acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system (CNS) and is widely known as a psychoactive drug (with nootropic qualities).
Caffeine works by blocking the actions of the adenosine and its receptors in the brain. This prevents drowsiness which is commonly induced by adenosine. Caffeine also stimulates other parts of the central nervous system which can heighten performance.
L-Theanine
L-Theanine is an amino acid derived from tea leaves and Bay Bolete mushrooms. It is also found in green tea and black tea. Many people use L-Theanine to unwind and destress, thanks to it’s ability to relax the body without causing drowsiness.
In fact, L-Theanine is known to have additional benefits:
- Reduce anxiety
- Increase mental focus
- Boost immunity
- Control blood pressure
- Improve sleep
Many of the best caffeine pills on the market now blend caffeine with L-Theanine to provide an energy boost, without causing you to crash or jitter after caffeine intake.
L-Tyrosine
Like L-Theanine, L-Tyrosine is another amino acid that is becoming increasingly popular in caffeine pills.
L-Tyrosine is metabolized by the body to produce catecholamines such as dopamine and adrenaline. As such, many caffeine pills that are designed to improve pre-workout performance now include high doses of L-Tyrosine.
With that said, many of the best caffeine pills on the market tend to blend caffeine with L-Theanine, simply because the effects of L-Tyrosine on adrenaline and dopamine creation in low-stress situations has not ben comprehensively proven (5).
Caffeine Pills vs Coffee vs Tea
If you are looking to compare a traditional cup of coffee or tea, with the benefits of caffeine pills, here’s a comprehensive breakdown. Not everyone takes caffeine as a workout supplement or smarter vitamin.
Instead, they want to understand how caffeine as a dietary supplement stacks up against a traditional cup of coffee.
- Cost – caffeine pills offer an extremely cost effective way to up your caffeine intake. Whether you buy cups of coffee and tea on the go, or stock up at the grocery store, it can get expensive. If you buy just one cup of coffee every day, that can equate to a cost of over $1,000. Alternatively, you can opt to take the best caffeine pills which can cost you just $0.05 per day
- Dosage – one cup of coffee contains around 40mg of caffeine. However, the best caffeine supplements contain anywhere from 50-220mg of caffeine per serving. That means you can increase your caffeine dosage easily with caffeine supplements
- Calories – if you drink your morning cup of coffee or tea black, then you are likely only onboarding a couple of calories. However, this is not the case if you start to add milk, cream or any other additives. Caffeine pills tend to contain zero calories, meaning you can take them without impacting your overall calorie intake.
- Convenience – it doesn’t take too much effort to grab a cup of coffee or tea, but it can be inconvenient at times. If you’re just heading into the gym, or you need to boost athletic performance, then caffeine supplements can be a super beneficial alternative.
Caffeine Pill Side Effects
While the best caffeine supplements contain a large amount of benefits, including nootropic and thermogenic qualities, caffeine supplement can have their negative side effects.
The most common side effects of caffeine intake include:
- Increase heart rate
- Irritability
- Acid reflux
- High blood pressure
- Headaches
- Dairrhea
- Anxiety
On top of this, caffeine has been shown to act as a anhydrous diuretic. This means that caffeine can act on the kidneys to inhibit sodium reabsorption in the proximal and distal tubules. This in turn increases solute excretion and water excretion by the body.
That means if you are taking high doses of caffeine, you should be sure to consume plenty of water, and stick tot he recommended dosage allowance of 400mg of caffeine per day.
Withdrawal
Withdrawing from high doses of daily caffeine intake can cause some unwanted symptoms (6). This is because the body has built up reliance on caffeine to block adenosine and stimulate the central nervous system. Some of the side effects of caffeine withdrawal include:
- Headaches
- Nervousness
- Fatigue
- Shakes/Jitters
- Fatigue
Make sure you withdraw from caffeine sensibly and steadily if you plan to stop using the best caffeine supplements.
Overdose
In extreme cases, it is possible to overdose on caffeine. This only occurs if you consume extremely high doses of caffeine. And in certain cases, this can be fatal (7). Overdoes symptoms include:
- Extremely fast heart rate
- Erratic heartbeat
- Seizures and tremors in large muscle groups
- Inability to focus, nausea and vomiting
Seek immediate medical advice if you suffer from any of these symptoms after taking caffeine pills.
How Do I Take Caffeine Pills?
Taking caffeine pills is incredibly easy. The best caffeine pills contain between 50-220mg of caffeine per serving. As such, make sure you do not exceed 400mg of caffeine per day by consuming too many caffeine pills (8).
Caffeine pills are taken orally with water or another suitable drink and act quickly (within 15 minutes). If you are sensitive to caffeine then you can split pills easily with a knife, or by simply adding half the content of the pill to a glass of water.
For the best effect, take the pill within 15 minutes of athletic performance, or pre-workout to maximise mental focus and energy boost.
Always drink sufficient amounts of water when taking gelatin capsules or caffeine supplements. Caffeine acts as an anhydrous diuretic, meaning that you increase your water excretion when supplementing with caffeine.
To avoid dehydration make sure you top up your water levels with regular hydration.
Best Caffeine Pills Bottom Line
Finding the best caffeine pills on the market is easy if you know what you are looking for. If you want to find affordable caffeine tablets then opt for cheap, clean coffee capsules containing a straight shot of 200mg of caffeine. This will give you an instant boost to your energy levels, mental focus and cognitive performance.
For those looking to avoid the crash or jitters associated with caffeine supplements, opt for a caffeine pill that also includes L-Theanine. This B-Vitamin amino acid will help to relax the body without causing any negative side effects such as drowsiness.
If you are looking for more information on the best supplements, check out BigBlueTest.org for more information.
References
- Cappelletti S, Piacentino D, Sani G, Aromatario M. Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug? [published correction appears in Curr Neuropharmacol. 2015;13(4):554. Daria, Piacentino [corrected to Piacentino, Daria]]. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2015;13(1):71-88. doi:10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655
- Mielgo-Ayuso J, Marques-Jiménez D, Refoyo I, Del Coso J, León-Guereño P, Calleja-González J. Effect of Caffeine Supplementation on Sports Performance Based on Differences Between Sexes: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2313. Published 2019 Sep 30. doi:10.3390/nu11102313
- Ganio MS, Klau JF, Casa DJ, Armstrong LE, Maresh CM. Effect of caffeine on sport-specific endurance performance: a systematic review. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(1):315-324. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31818b979a
- Davis JK, Green JM. Caffeine and anaerobic performance: ergogenic value and mechanisms of action. Sports Med. 2009;39(10):813-832. doi:10.2165/11317770-000000000-00000
- Cieńska M, Labus K, Lewańczuk M, Koźlecki T, Liesiene J, Bryjak J. Effective L-Tyrosine Hydroxylation by Native and Immobilized Tyrosinase. PLoS One. 2016;11(10):e0164213. Published 2016 Oct 6. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164213
- Mielgo-Ayuso J, Calleja-Gonzalez J, Del Coso J, Urdampilleta A, León-Guereño P, Fernández-Lázaro D. Caffeine Supplementation and Physical Performance, Muscle Damage and Perception of Fatigue in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2019;11(2):440. Published 2019 Feb 20. doi:10.3390/nu11020440
- Durkalec-Michalski K, Nowaczyk PM, Główka N, Grygiel A. Dose-dependent effect of caffeine supplementation on judo-specific performance and training activity: a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019;16(1):38. Published 2019 Sep 5. doi:10.1186/s12970-019-0305-8
- Goldstein ER, Ziegenfuss T, Kalman D, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010;7(1):5. Published 2010 Jan 27. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-5
