Theobromine and mood and alertness

What 2 graded rows on theobromine agree on for mood and alertness, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.

Consensus finder Rows from the Theobromine page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides

What the rows agree on

Each block and row is one graded row from the Theobromine page, with its PubMed record.

Supplement

Theobromine Choose another

2 rows · 104 people

Split. 1 row found no difference and 1 had mixed results.

No difference or mixed

Improved

Each block is one evidence row, sized by how many people it enrolled, with its grade inside. Outlined: mixed results.

From the rows

The best-graded row, grade C, is a crossover trial of 80 people (2013) and reported mixed results.

The rows run from 24 to 80 people, published in 2013: 2 single studies.

1 no difference · 1 mixed

Grade DMood and vigilance at food-level doses · No difference
Crossover RCT · n 24 · 2013 · Young men (mean age 23)
Single doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg · Six test sessions with a 2-hour vigilance task
At every dose theobromine failed to consistently affect mood or vigilance, while 100 mg of caffeine reduced fatigue and increased vigour.
Row on the Theobromine page · PubMed 23764688 (opens PubMed)
Grade CMood, alertness and heart rate across doses · Mixed
Crossover RCT · n 80 · 2013 · Healthy adults (within-subject design)
Single doses of 250, 500 and 1,000 mg · Single test sessions
Theobromine had limited subjective effects at 250 mg and negative mood effects at higher doses, and raised heart rate dose-dependently; caffeine had its expected alerting effects.
Row on the Theobromine page · PubMed 23420115 (opens PubMed)