Home Ingredients InnovaTea® (Natural Caffeine from Tea — NutriScience)
EnergyAthletic Performance

InnovaTea® (Natural Caffeine from Tea — NutriScience)

Camellia sinensis
Evidence Level
Strong
1 Clinical Trial
2 Documented Benefits
4/5 Evidence Score

InnovaTea is a natural caffeine ingredient from NutriScience Innovations, extracted from fermented tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) and standardized to at least 98% caffeine according to the maker. Chemically it is the same caffeine molecule found in coffee, tea and synthetic caffeine, so its effects are those of caffeine itself; InnovaTea has no published trials of its own. A review of human studies reports that low to moderate doses improve alertness, vigilance, attention and reaction time, and a meta-analysis of 21 crossover trials found caffeine lengthened time to exhaustion in running tests. Too much caffeine can cause jitters, a fast heartbeat and poor sleep; the FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects for most adults, so count caffeine from all sources.

Studied Dose Alertness effects are reported from about 40 mg up to about 300 mg (0.5 to 4 mg/kg); physical performance effects mostly above about 200 mg (3 mg/kg). Running trials used 3 to 9 mg/kg before exercise.
Active Compound Natural caffeine (at least 98%, per the maker) from fermented tea leaves (Camellia sinensis).

Benefits

Energy and Alertness

Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain. A review of human studies reports that low to moderate doses, about 40 to 300 mg, improve alertness, vigilance, attention and reaction time, with less consistent effects on memory and decision making. InnovaTea supplies caffeine from tea; it has not been tested on its own.

Supported by Trial 1

Endurance Exercise Performance

A pooled analysis of 21 crossover trials in 254 runners, mostly men, found caffeine at 3 to 9 mg/kg lengthened time to exhaustion with a medium effect and slightly shortened time-trial times compared with placebo. Evidence in women is limited. These trials used caffeine in general, not InnovaTea.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Adenosine blockade

Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, reducing the feeling of fatigue and increasing alertness.

Clinical trials

1
Caffeine and Endurance Running: Meta-Analysis of 21 Trials
PubMed

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trials of caffeine before running, analyzed with a random-effects model. (Wang et al. 2022, Nutrients)

254 participants (220 men, 19 women, 15 not reported), recreational and trained runners; caffeine doses of 3 to 9 mg/kg.

Caffeine improved time to exhaustion (g = 0.392, medium effect) in both recreational and trained runners, and slightly reduced time to finish running time trials (g = -0.101, small effect). The authors note more evidence is needed in women and on the best dose. The trials used caffeine in general, not InnovaTea.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Too much caffeine can cause a faster heart rate, palpitations, higher blood pressure, trouble sleeping, anxiety, jitters, upset stomach, nausea and headache.
The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects for most adults, though sensitivity varies widely; count caffeine from coffee, tea, energy drinks and other supplements.
Pure and highly concentrated caffeine powders are dangerous: the FDA estimates that about 1,200 mg taken quickly, less than half a teaspoon of pure caffeine, can cause toxic effects such as seizures.

Important Drug interactions

Other medications: the FDA notes that some medications and health conditions make people more sensitive to caffeine's effects; ask your health care provider if you take any medicine.
Fluvoxamine and ciprofloxacin: in small studies in healthy volunteers, the antidepressant fluvoxamine cut caffeine clearance by about 90% and lengthened its half-life from about 5 to 56 hours, and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin lengthened it from about 5 to 8 hours. Ask your prescriber about caffeine if you take either.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the FDA recommends talking with your health care provider about whether to limit caffeine if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding.

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Frequently asked questions about InnovaTea® (Natural Caffeine from Tea — NutriScience)

What is InnovaTea?

InnovaTea is a natural caffeine ingredient from NutriScience Innovations, extracted from fermented tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) and standardized to at least 98% caffeine according to the maker.

What is InnovaTea used for?

InnovaTea is researched primarily for Energy and Athletic Performance. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain. A review of human studies reports that low to moderate doses, about 40 to 300 mg, improve alertness, vigilance, attention and reaction time, with less consistent effects on memory and decisi…

What is the recommended dosage of InnovaTea?

The clinically studied dose is Alertness effects are reported from about 40 mg up to about 300 mg (0.5 to 4 mg/kg); physical performance effects mostly above about 200 mg (3 mg/kg). Running trials used 3 to 9 mg/kg before exercise. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is InnovaTea safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for InnovaTea include: Too much caffeine can cause a faster heart rate, palpitations, higher blood pressure, trouble sleeping, anxiety, jitters, upset stomach, nausea and headache. It may also interact with some medications. InnovaTea is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does InnovaTea interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Other medications: the FDA notes that some medications and health conditions make people more sensitive to caffeine's effects; ask your health care provider if you take any medicine. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for InnovaTea?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for InnovaTea as Strong (4 out of 5). It is backed by 1 study summary and 6 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(6 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Wang Z, Qiu B, Gao J, Del Coso J. Effects of Caffeine Intake on Endurance Running Performance and Time to Exhaustion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2022;15(1):148. doi: 10.3390/nu15010148.PubMedUsed to support: Meta-analysis of 21 randomized crossover trials (254 participants): caffeine at 3 to 9 mg/kg improved time to exhaustion in running (medium effect) and slightly improved running time-trial performance versus placebo. The trials used caffeine generally, not InnovaTea.
  2. McLellan TM, Caldwell JA, Lieberman HR. A review of caffeine's effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016;71:294-312. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.001.PubMedUsed to support: Review: low (about 40 mg) to moderate (about 300 mg) caffeine doses improve alertness, vigilance, attention and reaction time, with less consistent effects on memory and executive function; physical performance effects appear above about 200 mg (3 mg/kg). Caffeine acts by blocking adenosine receptors.
  3. NutriScience Innovations. InnovaTea® by NutriScience Innovations. nxtingredients.com. 2026;Accessed 2026-10-03..SourceUsed to support: Maker product page, not PubMed-indexed: describes InnovaTea as a natural caffeine extract from fermented Camellia sinensis leaves standardized to at least 98% caffeine, Non-GMO Project Verified.
  4. Culm-Merdek KE, von Moltke LL, Harmatz JS, Greenblatt DJ. Fluvoxamine impairs single-dose caffeine clearance without altering caffeine pharmacodynamics. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2005;60(5):486-93. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2005.02467.x.PubMedUsed to support: Double-blind crossover study in 7 healthy adults: fluvoxamine reduced the clearance of a 250 mg caffeine dose from 105 to 9.1 mL/min and lengthened its half-life from 4.9 to 56 hours, without measurable change in caffeine's effects on single doses; the authors note accumulation with daily caffeine could still cause problems.
  5. Healy DP, Polk RE, Kanawati L, Rock DT, Mooney ML. Interaction between oral ciprofloxacin and caffeine in normal volunteers. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1989;33(4):474-8. doi: 10.1128/AAC.33.4.474.PubMedUsed to support: Study in 10 healthy men: ciprofloxacin 750 mg every 12 hours lengthened caffeine's half-life from 5.2 to 8.2 hours and lowered its clearance; the clinical significance was not determined.
  6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? FDA Consumer Updates. 2024;Online consumer update, content current as of August 28, 2024..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (FDA consumer update). States that the FDA has cited 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults, while noting wide variation in how sensitive people are to caffeine; lists signs of too much caffeine (increased heart rate, palpitations, high blood pressure, insomnia or sleep disruption, anxiety, jitters, upset stomach, nausea, headache); notes that some conditions and medications make people more sensitive to caffeine and advises talking with a health care provider about limiting caffeine in pregnancy, when trying to become pregnant or while breastfeeding; and estimates that about 1,200 mg taken quickly, less than half a teaspoon of pure caffeine, can cause toxic effects such as seizures, and that pure and highly concentrated caffeine products can have serious health consequences, including death.