Nootropics Hidden in Coffee Drinkers’ Urine

Paraxanthine is more effective than caffeine in improving cognitive function.

Athletes of all levels of fitness regularly consume over-the-counter energy drinks containing caffeine and other so-called cognitive-enhancing nutrients (usually sugar, some vitamins, and a blend of unproven herbs) before or even during exercise. They hope that the caffeine will assist with their cognitive focus and alertness and improve their athletic performance.

Unfortunately, the benefits of consuming caffeine before exercise often vary depending on the amount of caffeine consumed, other ingredients in the drink, stomach contents, number of prior energy drink consumptions (known as tolerance), duration of exercise, age and health of the individual, and the speed at which the individual’s liver metabolizes caffeine.

Ironically, people who metabolize caffeine the fastest also show greater increases in cognitive function and performance than those who metabolize it more slowly. This seems counterintuitive. Slower metabolizers should have more caffeine in their blood, not less. What happens?

Humans metabolize caffeine rapidly and almost completely into one fascinating molecule called paraxanthine, which is responsible for the benefits of coffee. Human studies show that, compared to caffeine, paraxanthine is less toxic, has less effect on blood pressure and heart rate, and causes significantly fewer unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects. Paraxanthine binds to receptor sites better than caffeine and causes significantly greater locomotor activation.

Caffeine has a well-known protective and effective effect on dopamine neurons in the brain. This explains why drinking a lot of coffee reduces the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease. However, recent studies have shown that paraxanthine provides greater protection for dopamine neurons than caffeine. In addition, the wakefulness-promoting effects of paraxanthine are greater and last longer than those of caffeine.

Does paraxanthine have a greater impact on athletic performance and cognitive function than caffeine?

One study found that taking 200 mg of paraxanthine improved memory, reaction time, and attention for up to six hours in fit adult men and women. In addition, subjects could safely take paraxanthine for days without any apparent side effects. In mice, paraxanthine supplementation increased muscle mass, strength, and endurance. It is not known whether humans show similar physical benefits.

A recent study aimed to test whether taking paraxanthine before exercise could act as an effective nootropic and improve physical performance, endurance, or recovery after exercise. The benefits of paraxanthine were compared to caffeine supplementation to determine whether paraxanthine supplementation had independent and/or synergistic effects on cognitive function (Yoo et al., 2024). Interestingly, taking paraxanthine and caffeine together did not provide additional benefits. The results of the study indicated that paraxanthine may have nootropic effects independent of caffeine.

These recent findings clearly demonstrate that paraxanthine is a sheltered and effective nootropic and performance-enhancing nutrient. Paraxanthine can improve measures of executive function and reduce cognitive fatigue before and after exercise. In summary, paraxanthine can be considered a feasible alternative to caffeine that helps preserve cognitive function during prolonged exercise (Wenk, 2021).

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