BEHIND THE LABEL: CAFFEINE ANHYDROUS & DICAFFEINE MALATE
Caffeine dates back thousands of years in terms of human consumption. Now, it’s most commonly regarded as a source of energy, and is used as a performance aid among the sport supplement industry. Caffeine is found naturally in over 60 plants, and is also produced synthetically which has made it available in a variety of forms. Research and development have benefited the supplement industry through the creation of a number of different types of caffeine, enabling products to include blends for further performance advantages.
Among sports supplements, a number of caffeine sources are commonly used, two of which are caffeine anhydrous and dicaffeine malate. Both types act on your nervous system to produce feelings of heightened focus and increased energy. While they have similar outcomes, there are a few nuances to be aware of when selecting a stimulant-based pre-workout product. Individually they each have pros and cons, but when these ingredients are used in combination, the user can experience more benefits—primarily a more gentle and sustained energy boost to support training sessions.
Caffeine anhydrous is likely the most common type utilized in sports supplements due to the form it’s delivered in. “Anhydrous” means without water, or dehydrated. Through the process of dehydration, the caffeine produced is in a very concentrated powder. This powder is easy to add to other powdered ingredients for a pre-workout, or put into a capsule for ingestion. It’s important to note that caffeine anhydrous is very strong, and should be dosed carefully to avoid negative effects.
In terms of its effects on your body, caffeine anhydrous gets to work quickly. It’s rapidly assimilated into the bloodstream, with caffeine blood level increases occurring within 15 minutes. By 45 minutes, it’s completely absorbed, with blood levels peaking anywhere between 60 to 120 minutes following ingestion. This quick kick is a benefit for bodybuilders, serious lifters, and other athletes who are going to start their workout shortly after finishing their pre-workout supplement. The energy they’re looking for will be there.
However, the potency of caffeine anhydrous can cause some negative side effects. The most common issues include jitters, dizziness, gastrointestinal upset, nausea, and diarrhea—all of which can quickly ruin a workout. A secondary complaint with caffeine anhydrous is the hard crash experienced once it’s cleared the bloodstream. The quick spike of energy you feel is mirrored by a similar steep drop, which can leave the user looking for more caffeine to pick them back up. This type of caffeine is regarded as “harsh” on your system, likely due to its potency.
This is where a blend of caffeine ingredients can be beneficial. Dicaffeine malate is a combination of approximately 75% caffeine and 25% malic acid. While it’s a buffered form of caffeine, it still has the same stimulant effect on the nervous system. The benefit comes from the inclusion of malic acid which protects the stomach from the digestive distress often experienced with caffeine anhydrous. This means you likely won’t run the risk of ruining your workout or cutting it short due to feelings of nausea, stomach cramps, or dizziness.
In addition to this benefit, malic acid yields further advantages for anyone needing a sustained boost in energy. As mentioned, caffeine anhydrous gets to work quickly, but it also drops quickly. Dicaffeine malate is regarded for its smoother, long-lasting energy increase, so users don’t feel a hard crash in energy. Where caffeine anhydrous looks like a steep spike, dicaffeine malate is a more gradual increase with a plateau and gradual decrease.
InfinergyTM Dicaffeine Malate is a precise combination of caffeine and malic acid and is the patented version. Including a patented ingredient in a supplement formula ensures the user receives the highest-quality version, one which is thoroughly tested to substantiate its performance claims.
Hosstility pre-workout contains 200 mg of caffeine anhydrous and 135 mg of InfinergyTM Dicaffeine Malate. InfinergyTM is dosed at 74% caffeine and 26% malic acid, yielding a total of 100 mg of caffeine. The combination of caffeine anhydrous and InfinergyTM Dicaffeine Malate produces a stronger, more well-rounded performance product. Bodybuilders, serious lifters, and other athletes will benefit from a quick increase in energy, so they can get to work shortly after consumption, and not have to worry about a harsh decline later in their day—or before their training session has wrapped up. Beyond just energy, this blend supports enhanced focus while protecting you from the negative digestive effects common with caffeine use. When shopping for a pre-workout supplement, keep in mind that not all forms of caffeine are created equally, and it’s not always about the total quantity of caffeine.
Reference:
Acheson, K.J., Zahorska-Markiewicz, B., Pittet, P., Anantharaman, K., & Jéquier, E. Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals. Am J Clin Nutr 33, 5 (1980). doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.5.989