Caffeine: It makes you feel like a human in the morning, is a known performance-enhancer, and gives you the pick-me-up you need at 3 p.m. But in order to make the most out of your habit, there are specific ways to drink your joe. And sometimes, a cup of coffee when you crave one isn't a good idea. Here's a look at how to give your brain and body a boost--while still being able to sleep at night.
Drink coffee within 30 minutes of a meeting--or right after
Your body absorbs about half of the caffeine in your cup in seven minutes, explains Frank Ritter, Ph.D. who developed Caffeine Zone--an app that helps you monitor your body's caffeine levels. And if you drank 200 milligrams (mg)--about the size of a small premium coffee--you'll have absorbed 187.5 mg after 28 minutes. You'll probably remember more from that morning meeting, too. Caffeine activates your sympathetic nervous system and stimulates the release of norepinepherine, a stress hormone that helps raise blood pressure and increase heart rate. The chemical sends a signal to your brain that something important is happening, and prompts your brain to store that information for later, explains Michael Yassa, Ph.D., a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University. When's the right time for your a.m. jolt? Yassa recently conducted a study that showed that consuming 200 mg of caffeine five minutes after learning something enhanced memory for at least 24 hours.
Enhance performance with a small caffeine boost an hour before your workout
Caffeine has been shown to improve muscle strength and endurance, which is why you see runners downing coffee before a race. You'll see this benefit by consuming low-to-moderate doses of caffeine--considered 3 to 6 mg per kg of body weight--15 minutes to one hour prior to exercise, according to a review paper in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. If you're a 170-pound guy, that's between 213 and 463 mg of caffeine--roughly the amount found in a tall and venti Starbucks coffee, respectively. But cap it there: Downing higher amounts will not have you running like a track-and-field star. You'll only increase your risk of suffering caffeine side effects, like the shakes.
Quit at noon
Think you can brew a pot in the p.m. and still be fine? You may be duping yourself. When normal sleepers were given 400 mg of caffeine before bed--either six hours, three hours, or immediately before--all of them saw their sleep suffer, a small study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found. Strangely enough, these drinkers were unable to detect the sleep-wrecking effects of caffeine, possibly because nighttime awakenings can be difficult to notice, says study author Christopher Drake, Ph.D. Cut yourself off at least 6 hours before bed.
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