Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an amino acid that supports dopamine and noradrenaline production. It can help maintain mental sharpness during stress and fatigue.
Clinical dosage
Origin
Natural & syntheticL-tyrosine is an amino acid found in all protein-rich foods: cheese, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, and soy. Your body can also make it from phenylalanine. In supplements synthetically produced.
Safety
Safe at doses up to 2g per day. It's a building block for dopamine and noradrenaline in your brain, which explains why it helps with focus under stress.
For comparison
100g of parmesan cheese already contains 1.5g of tyrosine. One egg contains 250mg. The amount in pre-workouts (1-2g) is what you'd get from a solid protein-rich meal.
Dosage by weight and gender
The effective tyrosine dose for mental performance is 100-150mg per kg body weight (Jongkees et al., 2015). For someone weighing 70kg that's 7-10.5g, but pre-workouts use lower doses of 1-2g and that works too. Women and men respond similarly to tyrosine. The higher doses (100mg/kg+) are mainly used in research on cognition under extreme stress like sleep deprivation or cold.
Frequently asked questions
What is tyrosine?▼
Tyrosine is an amino acid and building block for the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline. It helps primarily with focus and motivation, especially when training under stress or fatigue.
Is tyrosine dangerous?▼
No, tyrosine is safe at doses up to 2g per day. It's also simply found in protein-rich foods like cheese, chicken, and eggs. Only be cautious if you use MAO inhibitors or thyroid medication.
How much tyrosine per day?▼
In pre-workouts, 1-2g is a good dose for better focus during exercise. Take it 30-60 minutes before training. It works faster on an empty stomach because it competes less with other amino acids.
Scientific sources
The clinical dosages on this page are based on peer-reviewed research.
- Tyrosine improves cognitive performance and reduces blood pressure in cadets after one week of a combat training courseDeijen JB et al. — Brain Res Bull (1999)
- Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demandsJongkees BJ et al. — J Psychiatr Res (2015)
Pre-workouts with Tyrosine
Cellucor C4 Extreme
Stronger C4 variant with 200mg caffeine, 1.6g beta-alanine, and 1.5g creatine. More focused on energy than the Original.
JNX Sports Shadow-X
Thermogenic pre-workout from JNX Sports with 200mg caffeine, 2g citrulline, and 2g beta-alanine. Focus on energy and concentration.
5% Nutrition 5150
Hardcore pre-workout with 400mg caffeine from multiple sources, 4g citrulline, and 2.5g beta-alanine. Not for beginners — one of the strongest pre-workouts on the market.
Zumub Pre-Workout 300
Affordable pre-workout from Zumub with 3g creatine, 2g beta-alanine, and 200mg caffeine. Ideal entry-level option with a proven formula.