Ingredient Evidence Review
Caffeine (slow-release microencapsulated)
Caffeine anhydrous (sustained-release microcapsule)
Last updated 2026-05-19 · 3 primary citations
Mechanism
Caffeine blocks adenosine, the molecule that builds up over your waking hours and makes you sleepy. Standard caffeine spikes and falls off in 4 hours. The slow-release form keeps you alert across a full 8–12 hour shift without the second-hour jitter or the fifth-hour crash. Paired with L-theanine, the result is steady focus rather than wired-and-tired.
Why we use it
Sleep-medicine guidelines support caffeine for shift workers because it works. The problem is the delivery curve — immediate-release leaves you crashing mid-shift. The slow-release form is engineered specifically for sustained vigilance.
How we dose it
Hericea uses 100 mg per serving (per On-Shift stick pack). The clinical trial range that anchors this dose is 100–200 mg/day.
100 mg of caffeine — about a single cup of coffee — but encapsulated in a slow-release coating so it dribbles into the bloodstream over 4+ hours instead of spiking once and crashing.
Quality & sourcing
Slow-release microencapsulated caffeine anhydrous; sustained release ≥4hr. NSF Annex C permitted.
SR microencapsulation tech; not immediate-release powder.
Cautions
- consult physicianAvoid if pregnant, on stimulants, or with arrhythmias.
- informationalAvoid within 6hr of intended sleep.
Primary literature
Haskell CF et al. (2008)
Biol PsycholRCT
Caffeine + L-theanine improved attention and reaction time more than caffeine alone in healthy adults.
The foundational evidence for pairing caffeine with theanine — exactly what the AM stick does for sustained shift alertness.
PMID 18006208
Ker K et al. (2010)
Cochrane Database Syst RevCochrane review
Reviewed caffeine for preventing injuries and errors in shift workers. The review found no trials measuring injury outcomes; the cognitive-performance trials it did find favoured caffeine over placebo.
A Cochrane review of the exact use case — and worth reading for what it could not find. The injury question we would most like answered has not been trialled.
PMID 20464765
McLellan TM et al. (2016)
Neurosci Biobehav RevReview
Reviewed military and operational evidence: caffeine reliably restores cognitive performance during sleep deprivation.
Most relevant comparator group — operational shift workers, not coffee-drinkers.
PMID 27612937