The science

The science behind GOMO. What is in it, and why.

Three layers in one drink: 120mg of L-theanine for calm, alert attention, four electrolytes for hydration, seven vitamins and minerals for recovery. Here is what each one does, at what dose, and which studies say so.

Formulation

12 months in the making

Developed by qualified biochemists, not borrowed from an off-the-shelf blend.

Evidence

Chosen for the research

Every active selected for its evidence base, at a dose inside the range the research used.

Manufacture

Made in Kent, UK

Produced in a world class manufacturing facility, third-party tested for quality, every batch, every time.

Three layers, in one drink. The order is deliberate.

Most drinks in this category start with hydration and stop there. GOMO starts with focus and builds the other two underneath it, because the problem most people have at 3pm is not thirst. Here is each layer and what it is there to do.

Layer 1 Focus 120mg L-theanine

The amino acid found almost exclusively in tea, studied for calm, alert attention rather than stimulation.5 It sits on top because it is the layer the other two exist to support.

Caffeine-free, so it works alongside your coffee rather than competing with it.

Layer 2 Hydration 960mg, four electrolytes

Attention falls apart when you are even slightly short of water, which is why hydration sits directly underneath focus rather than off to one side. Electrolytes are what let your cells absorb the water rather than pass it through.19

1-2%

Body water loss of as little as 1-2% measurably impairs cognitive performance, mood and physical output.2 Most people do not feel thirsty until they are past that point.1

Layer 3 Recovery Seven vitamins & minerals

What a long day costs you beyond water. B vitamins contribute to energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue,13 vitamins C and D3 to normal immune function,89 and zinc to normal cognitive function.16

This is the layer that builds over weeks rather than showing up in the first drink.

The focus mechanism

L-theanine, and why a cup of green tea feels different.

An amino acid found almost exclusively in the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. It crosses the blood-brain barrier, and it is the reason green tea and coffee feel different despite both containing caffeine. It is what GOMO is built around.

Figure 1

What "calm and alert" looks like as brain activity

Your brain runs at different dominant frequencies depending on state. L-theanine has been studied for its effect on the middle band - alpha, 8 to 12 Hz - which is associated with relaxed, wakeful attention rather than either agitation or drowsiness.57

Beta · 13-30 Hz Wired, but scattered
Alpha · 8-12 Hz Calm and alert The state L-theanine is studied for
Theta · 4-7 Hz Drifting off

Illustrative. Frequency bands are shown at representative shapes, not to scale. Alpha-band increases following L-theanine have been reported in controlled EEG studies at doses from 50mg upward.5

What the research shows.

In controlled trials, L-theanine has been associated with increased alpha-band EEG activity - the pattern seen in calm, alert attention rather than drowsiness.57 In one study, alpha activity rose steadily across the 45 to 105 minute window after a single dose.5

Separate trials have reported reduced stress markers in healthy adults,4 and improvements in verbal fluency and executive function over four weeks of daily use.6

Why that matters at work.

A stimulant raises arousal. In a day built on interruption that can leave you alert but scattered. L-theanine is studied for close to the opposite: lowering the noise floor so attention has somewhere to settle.

It is structurally similar to glutamate, the brain's main excitatory messenger, which is the route researchers think the effect runs through.7

Why it pairs with coffee.

Naturally caffeine-free, so it works alongside your coffee rather than competing with it. No second stimulant, no crash to manage, and none of the tolerance caffeine builds.

In tea, the two occur together. That combination is the reason a cup of green tea and a double espresso can deliver caffeine and still feel nothing alike.

Per serving120mg
Studied range50-200mg
CaffeineNone

For context: a cup of brewed green tea contains roughly 20-60mg of L-theanine depending on leaf, grade and brew, so 120mg is in the region of five cups of average-strength green tea. Matcha is more concentrated, because you drink the whole leaf.

120mg

Inside the range the research actually used. Printed on the pack.

Controlled studies have reported effects from 50mg upward,5 with most trials running between 100mg and 200mg.67

Plenty of products put L-theanine on the front and a fraction of that in the tub, because it is expensive and a proprietary blend need not say how much. Ours is 120mg, and it is on the label.

120mg of L-theanine per serving
Figure 2

Where 120mg sits

Against the doses used in published L-theanine research, and against a cup of tea.

GOMO120mg
050100150200250mg
  • GOMO · 120mg
  • Most controlled trials · 100-200mg
  • A cup of green tea · 20-60mg
  • Lowest dose with a reported effect · 50mg

Tea range reflects typical brewed green tea; content varies with leaf, grade and brewing. Matcha is more concentrated than brewed tea because the whole leaf is consumed.

The rest of what a long day costs you. Covered in the same drink.

Focus is why GOMO exists. Hydration and recovery are why one drink is enough. Every amount is on the label.

Figure 3

What the 960mg is made of

Four electrolytes, weighted for daily use rather than race day. Sodium is deliberately the smaller share - enough to help fluid absorb, without the salty hit of a sports drink.19

  • Potassium400mgMuscle and nerve function
  • Calcium250mgNeurotransmission
  • Sodium230mgFluid absorption
  • Magnesium80mgTiredness and fatigue

Sweat sodium losses vary widely between people and conditions. GOMO is formulated as a daily drink, not as a race-day replacement for heavy sweating.320

Hydration
Hydration

Four essential electrolytes

Charged minerals that regulate fluid balance at a cellular level. When you sweat you lose more than water - you lose the minerals your cells need to absorb it.19 Replacing them is what separates hydrating from drinking more.

Four electrolytes · 960mg per serving
Potassium400mg

Contributes to normal muscle function and to the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Calcium250mg

Contributes to normal muscle function and normal neurotransmission.

Sodium230mg

From pink Himalayan salt. Deliberately low - enough to hydrate properly without the salty hit of a sports drink.

Magnesium80mg

In the dimagnesium malate form, which is gentler on the stomach than cheaper oxides. Contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Low sodium, balanced for daily use rather than race day.

Recovery
Recovery

Seven vitamins & minerals

Exertion depletes more than electrolytes. The B complex supports energy metabolism and nervous system function,1314 zinc supports cognitive and immune function,16 and vitamins C, D3 and E contribute to immune function and the protection of cells from oxidative stress.8911

Seven vitamins & minerals · B12, C, D3, Zinc and more
Vitamin B12100µg

Contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, and to normal energy-yielding metabolism.

Vitamin D350µg

Contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to normal muscle function.

Vitamin C40mg

Contributes to normal immune function and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

Vitamin B35mg

Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to normal psychological function.

Zinc5mg

Contributes to normal cognitive function and to the normal function of the immune system.

Vitamin E4.5mg

In the natural D-alpha tocopherol form, which the body uses more readily than the synthetic version.

Vitamin B60.5mg

In the active P-5-P form, ready for the body to use as it is.

Up to 80% of adults do not get these from diet alone.2122

One scoop. Whenever the day asks for it.

Naturally caffeine-free, so there is no wrong time to drink it. Most people settle into one of these three.

Figure 4

When the research took its measurements

In the EEG study at 50mg, alpha activity was recorded at intervals from 45 minutes after the dose and rose steadily across the window measured.5 It is a useful guide to when to drink it, rather than a promise about how you will feel.

Drink 45 60 75 90 105 min

Alpha activity measured at each point, rising across the window.

Based on the measurement schedule in Nobre, Rao and Owen (2008).5 Individual response varies. This describes what was measured in a study, not an effect guaranteed for any individual.

Morning

Start sharp.

Rehydrate after sleep and set the tone before the day gets loud. Alongside your coffee, not instead of it.

Midday

Stay on.

The 3pm slump is usually dehydration and a scattered head rather than a need for more caffeine.

Evening

Recover properly.

Replace what training or a long day took, without a stimulant sitting between you and the end of the day.

1 scoop 300-500ml cold water Stir or shake Caffeine-free

Show your working. Here is ours.

Every numbered claim on this page traces back to one of these. Click a number anywhere above to jump to its source.

The full reference list
  1. Benton, D. and Young, H.A. (2015) Do small differences in hydration status affect mood and cognitive performance? Nutrition Reviews, 73(S2), pp.83-96.
  2. Ganio, M.S. et al. (2011) Mild dehydration impairs cognitive performance and mood of men. British Journal of Nutrition, 106(10), pp.1535-1543.
  3. Sawka, M.N. et al. (2007) ACSM position stand: Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(2), pp.377-390.
  4. Kimura, K. et al. (2007) L-theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biological Psychology, 74(1), pp.39-45.
  5. Nobre, A.C., Rao, A. and Owen, G.N. (2008) L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 17(S1), pp.167-168.
  6. Hidese, S. et al. (2019) Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 11(10), p.2362.
  7. Mason, R. (2001) 200mg of Zen: L-theanine boosts alpha waves, promotes alert relaxation. Alternative & Complementary Therapies, 7(2), pp.91-95.
  8. Carr, A.C. and Maggini, S. (2017) Vitamin C and immune function. Nutrients, 9(11), p.1211.
  9. Aranow, C. (2011) Vitamin D and the immune system. Journal of Investigative Medicine, 59(6), pp.881-886.
  10. Bikle, D.D. (2020) Vitamin D: Production, metabolism, and mechanisms of action. In: Feingold, K.R. et al. (eds.) Endotext. MDText.com, Inc.
  11. Traber, M.G. and Atkinson, J. (2007) Vitamin E, antioxidant and nothing more. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 43(1), pp.4-15.
  12. Meydani, M. (1992) Protective role of dietary vitamin E on oxidative stress in aging. AGE, 15(3), pp.89-93.
  13. Kennedy, D.O. (2016) B vitamins and the brain: mechanisms, dose and efficacy - a review. Nutrients, 8(2), p.68.
  14. Calderon-Ospina, C.A. and Nava-Mesa, M.O. (2020) B vitamins in the nervous system. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 26(1), pp.5-13.
  15. Hsu, C.C. et al. (2023) A functional evaluation of anti-fatigue and exercise performance improvement following vitamin B complex supplementation in healthy humans. Medical Science Monitor, 29, e939777.
  16. Prasad, A.S. (2008) Zinc in human health: effect of zinc on immune cells. Molecular Medicine, 14(5-6), pp.353-357.
  17. Haase, H. and Rink, L. (2014) Zinc signals and immune function. BioFactors, 40(1), pp.27-40.
  18. Wessels, I., Maywald, M. and Rink, L. (2017) Zinc as a gatekeeper of immune function. Nutrients, 9(12), p.1286.
  19. Shirreffs, S.M. and Sawka, M.N. (2011) Fluid and electrolyte needs for training, competition, and recovery. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(S1), pp.S39-S46.
  20. Maughan, R.J. and Shirreffs, S.M. (2010) Development of hydration strategies to optimise performance for athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(S2), pp.59-69.
  21. World Health Organization (2023) Micronutrients. Geneva: WHO.
  22. Public Health England (2020) National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Results from Years 9 to 11 (2016/17 to 2018/19). London: PHE.

Seen the science? Now see what it feels like at 3pm.

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