If you've ever noticed that matcha tea feels different from coffee, even accounting for the caffeine amount, L-theanine is a big part of the reason why.
L-theanine occurs naturally in tea leaves, including the leaves used to make matcha. It's one of the reasons traditional tea ceremonies are associated with calm alertness rather than a jittery buzz.
Research on L-theanine paired with caffeine suggests the combination may support attention and focus more effectively than caffeine alone, while easing some of the restlessness caffeine can cause on its own.
Not every energy supplement includes a calming counterpart to its caffeine source. Matcha naturally comes with L-theanine already built in, which is part of why the pairing shows up in MatchaTide's formula.