Making Caffeine Work For You
Written by Lauren Smyth
Let’s face it: Caffeine is a drug. So is Tylenol. So are cough drops. So, in fact, are many of the everyday things we use to overcome life’s inconveniences.
Just like your average pharmaceutical, caffeine has its ideal dosage, its side effects, and its limitations. You wouldn’t triple your usual dose of Aspirin just because you didn’t sleep well last night and woke up with a dehydration headache. And if you did, you’d expect bad results. This is the same way we should approach caffeine, especially as college students who need to maximize this productivity powerhouse’s benefit—and yet, most of us slurp down enough coffee to revitalize an army, and we don’t even realize we’re overdoing it.
I’m no pharmacist, but I am a college student, which makes me an expert consumer of the world’s favorite molecule. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your daily cup of joe.
1. Caffeine can help you wake up. Caffeine stimulates the production of cortisol, a chemical the body releases in response to danger that improves awareness and alertness. This, in turn, can give you a morning boost–if you need it.
“Some may welcome the additional alertness while others may feel more anxious/jittery,” said Ashley Palmer, Hillsdale College’s resident dietician. “I would recommend if individuals do choose to drink coffee first thing in the morning, to hydrate first and consume caffeine with food.”
2. Don’t drink too late. Caffeine has a long half-life. It takes your body anywhere between 2 and 10 hours to metabolize. Thus, it’s best not to drink caffeine—especially coffee—in the afternoon.
3. Don’t drink too much. On average, an 8 oz cup of coffee or 1.5 shots of espresso contains about 100 mg of caffeine. It’s considered safe to consume up to 400 mg per day—but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. If you’ve ever gotten the caffeine jitters, it’s because you drank too much. When consumed at a reasonable speed and in reasonable amounts, caffeine should give you a gentle, gradual energy boost, not make you feel like you’re about to launch into space.
4. Drink water with your coffee. Caffeine is a diuretic. In English, that means it makes you pee. It’s not particularly dehydrating, according to recent research, but if your only source of fluid throughout the day is coffee, espresso, and energy drinks, you might find yourself running to the bathroom faster than you can replace your body’s water supply. This can lead you to over-consume those caffeinated drinks.
5. Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. Because your body absorbs caffeine faster without food, this can lead to jitters, anxiety, rapid heart rate, and other unpleasant side effects of a caffeine overdose.
6. Make sure caffeine is really what you need. If you’re desperate for a boost in the late afternoon, Palmer recommends heading to the fridge instead of the coffee pot.
“I usually recommend eating every 3-4 hours,” Palmer said, “so if students are feeling tired later in the afternoon, they should ask themselves when was the last time they ate.”
7. Boost your performance at the gym. Caffeine may improve strength, endurance, and alertness for gym-goers of all levels. The best benefits are unlocked by sipping a solo cup of coffee about 45 minutes before your workout. Note: Exercise temporarily reduces your digestive ability, which can lead to stomach upset if you overdo it. So, as always, consume in moderation.
8. Skip the energy drinks. For most people, energy drinks are simply too much caffeine mixed with too little fluid, then consumed too quickly. This can contribute to caffeine tolerance, in which you must increase your intake before you feel any beneficial effects.
9. Watch out for “decaf.” It’s still caffeinated—just a tiny bit, which I’ve discovered through bitter experience can become noticeable if you either drink a lot of it or if you’re one of the unlucky few who metabolizes caffeine slowly. And it can still keep you awake at night.
When consumed in moderation, caffeine is a reasonable option to help tired students compensate for a night or two of poor sleep, recover their energy early in the morning, and stay alert during class. The key is to avoid using it like a crutch.
Savor the taste, savor the effects, and savor the opportunity to hunker down in a cozy coffee shop—but make sure your caffeine is working for you.
Lauren Smyth, ’25, is an economics major and journalism minor. Outside of starting arguments in philosophy class, she enjoys curling up on a bench outdoors (sun, rain, or snow) to write novels or articles for her blog, www.laurensmythbooks.com.
Published in April 2024