L-Tyrosine as a supplement
Updated: Jul 10, 2020
What is L-Tyrosine?
L-Tyrosine is an amino acid, which is a building block of protein that occurs naturally in the body. L-Tyrosine can also be found in certain foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts, oats, and wheat.
L-Tyrosine has been used in alternative medicine as a possibly effective aid in improving mental performance & alertness.
How to Supplement With Tyrosine
As a supplement, tyrosine is available as a free-form amino acid or N-acetyl L-tyrosine (NALT).
Tyrosine is commonly taken in doses of 500–2,000 mg 30–60 minutes before exercise, even though its benefits on exercise performance remains inconclusive .
It does seem to be effective for preserving mental performance during physically stressful situations or periods of sleep deprivation when taken in doses ranging from 45–68 mg per pound (100–150 mg per kg) of body weight.
This would be 7–10 grams for a 150-pound (68.2-kg) person.
The Bottom Line
Tyrosine is a popular dietary supplement used for a variety of reasons.
In the body, it’s used to make neurotransmitters, which tend to decrease under periods of stressful or mentally demanding situations.
Supplementing with it has been shown to be safe, even in high doses, but has the potential to interact with certain medications, warranting caution.