PURENERGY®

Purenergy® is patented mix of caffeine and pterostilbene that is suggested by the manufacturer to be more effective than generic caffeine.

Purenergy is a patented mix of caffeine and pterostilbene designed to improve the effectiveness of caffeine. In this review, we will discuss Purenergy’s potential benefits and advantages:

Patented. Purenergy is manufactured through a proprietary process where caffeine is combined with pterostibene in co-crystal form. Just because it is patented, however, does not always guarantee superior quality or effectiveness. But it is a welcome feature.
Potency. Purenergy may increase caffeine delivery into the blood and make its effects last longer. The key word here is “may”. There is very little credible research on Purenergy on its own, so manufacturer’s claims should be taken with a grain of salt.
May have fewer side effects. Purenergy is supposed to provide the same effect as basic caffeine but at doses as much as 50% lower, which is why it’s marketed as a product that has a lower possibility of caffeine side effects.

Table of Contents

Overview

Purenergy is a patented combination of caffeine (43%) and the branded antioxidant pTeroPure (pterostilbene, 57%) made by American supplement company ChromaDex. This unique ingredient is said to increase the effectiveness of caffeine – the most-widely consumed stimulant in the world – making it last longer and require smaller doses for the same effect. A human study showed that Purenergy:

Increases blood caffeine levels by 30% more than ordinary caffeine
Has a 30% slower rate of caffeine absorption, leading to 25% longer effects

We cannot make any conclusions from a single study, but the evidence looks promising in regard to Purenergy being an effective improvement over generic caffeine which allows supplements to include less caffeine for better results. In fact, manufacturers of Purenergy claim it can reduce the amount of caffeine used in supplements by as much as 50% without reducing their effectiveness. This also has the added benefit of reducing caffeine’s side effects, such as anxiety, nervousness and the dreaded caffeine crash.

Furthermore, Purenergy has other health benefits from the addition of pTeroPure, a patented form of pterostilbene. Pterostilbene is a more potent vesion of the resveratrol, a compound found in blueberries and grapes. This antioxidant possesses cardiovascular, cognitive, and anti-diabetic effects, and has even shown potential as an anti-aging supplement.

How does Purenergy work?

Purenergy’s mechanism of action is the same as caffeine – blockade of the receptors of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel tired and sleepy. This mechanism also has downstream effects that increase the levels of dopamine – the “feel good” neurotransmitter associated with mood, attention, motivation, and other aspects of cognitive function.

Did you know? A national survey of Americans showed that 60% want a caffeine alternative that reduces caffeine consumption without reducing its energy-boosting effects.

Blueberries contain both resveratrol and pterostilbene. Image by Petr Kratochvil licensed under CC0 1.0

Purenergy Patents

Purenergy is protected by U.S. patent 8399712. This patent describes the unique preparation method of Purenergy, where caffeine and pterostilbene are combined in a cocrystal form through one of two methods:

Grinding solid caffeine and pterostilbene together
Dissolving pterostilbene or caffeine in a solvent, then mixing it with the other compound, and then isolating the solid crystals

Purenergy Nutritional Supplement Uses

Similar to generic caffeine, Purenergy has a wide variety of energy-related supplemental uses. It is most commonly added to:

Energy Supplements

Caffeine is the world’s most popular energy ingredient, consumed by billions of people daily. As such, Purenergy can be added to a wide variety of energy drinks and supplements aimed at increasing your energy levels.

Nootropic Supplements

Caffeine’s research-backed ability to improve energy, focus, mood, and creativity has also made a staple nootropic ingredient. Because of this, Purenergy has the potential to be used in nootropic supplements.

Pre-Workout Supplements

Pre-workout supplements often include caffeine or other stimulants in order to improve motivation, energy, and focus during workouts. These products are typically aimed at weight lifting, but can also be used by sprint runners and endurance athletes.

However, one issue with caffeine in pre-workouts is that the body gets used to it relatively quickly, and the stimulation can cause side effects such as anxiety and jiterriness. In this case, Purenergy could be particularly helpful as a replacement for pure caffeine since it is said to provide the same effects but at a smaller caffeine dose. However, the evidence is inconclusive, so it’s impossible to say with certainty if Purenergy is any better than regular caffeine as a pre-workout.

Fat Loss Supplements

Because caffeine stimulates the body, it’s not surprising that it can also help with weight loss. Although these effects are not very strong, and not all research has been positive, most human studies show that caffeine can modestly improve weight loss. As such, Purenergy also has potential to be used in weight loss supplements.

Purenergy Research

There is very little research on Purenergy so we cannot say for certain how effective it really is in comparison to regular caffeine. However, if the words of the manufacturer are anything to go by, it should have superior absorption, efficacy, and safer risk profile.

There is currently only one human study on Purenergy that we are aware of, and it seems to be industry-sponsored.

Human Research

Purenergy appears to be superior to generic caffeine

This cross-over study compared the effects of Purenergy with generic caffeine. Study participants were given generic caffeine, and then Purenergy at separate times. The study found that Purenergy delivered 30% more caffeine into the bloodstream, had a 30% slower absorption rate, and had a 25% longer half-life (an indicator of how long the effects of a substance last). More specifically, the study reported that people taking Purenergy had 45% more caffeine in their blood at 4 hours than generic caffeine, and 51% more at 6 hours. In addition, when taking Purenergy, the energizing effects of caffeine were still felt after 6 hours, unlike ordinary caffeine.

Purenergy Dosage

There isn’t enough research to recommend a Purenergy dosage
Purenergy is not usually sold in standalone supplements
Multi-ingredient supplements typically use 100 mg dosages of Purenergy, but it depends on supplement category
As a pre-workout supplement, Purenergy products are best taken 15-30 minutes before exercise

Supplements in Review Recommendation

Purenergy® as part of an energy-boosting supplement.

Purenergy has some potential as a next-generation version of caffeine. Purenergy holds some promise as a way to reduce caffeine consumption while maintaining its energizing effects. Having said that, we’d like to see more research before recommending it outright.

Dosage varies. The dosage of Purenergy varies by supplement. As such, it’s best to follow individual product dosage recommendations.