How to Use Caffeine to Be More Productive

Caffeine is everyone’s favorite drug.

When you think of caffeine, you can’t help but think of coffee. The number one way people consume caffeine is by grabbing a cup of joe when they need a boost. Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee every day.

But the big question is: Is caffeine good for you?

And if so, how much can we have?

Like any supplement, caffeine has good and bad parts. People abuse caffeine, becoming dependent on its powers, which is why it’s gotten a bad reputation over the years. However, when consumed strategically, caffeine can be your best friend, aiding you in reaching your health goals and increasing your productivity.

Let’s explore caffeine's positive and negative sides and how to properly incorporate it into your life to get the best benefits. 

Where Does Caffeine Come From?

Caffeine naturally occurs in the seeds, nuts, or leaves of certain plants.

These natural sources are harvested and processed to produce caffeinated foods and beverages.

Here are the amounts of caffeine expected per 8-ounce (240-mL) serving of some popular drinks:

• Espresso: 240–720 mg

• Coffee: 102–200 mg

• Yerba mate: 65–130 mg

• Energy drinks: 50–300 mg

• Brewed tea: 40–120 mg

• Soft drinks: 20–40 mg

• Decaffeinated coffee: 3–12 mg

• Cocoa beverage: 2–7 mg

• Chocolate milk: 2–7 mg

Some foods also contain caffeine. For instance, 1 ounce (28 grams) of milk chocolate contains 1–15 mg, whereas 1 ounce of dark chocolate has 5–35 mg.

You can also find caffeine in prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs like cold, allergy, and pain medications. It’s also a common ingredient in weight loss supplements.

The Positives

Caffeine has a lot of good to it so strap in.

Improved Mood and Brain Function

Caffeine blocks the brain-signaling molecule adenosine.

This ability causes a relative increase in other signaling molecules, such as dopamine and norepinephrine. This change in brain messaging benefits your mood and brain function.

One review reports that after participants ingested 37.5–450 mg of caffeine, they had improved alertness, short-term recall, and reaction time.

In addition, a study linked drinking 2–3 cups of caffeinated coffee (providing about 200–300 mg caffeine) per day to a 45% lower risk of suicide. Another study reported a 13% lower risk of depression in caffeine consumers.

Drinking between 3–5 cups of coffee per day or more than 3 cups of tea per day may also reduce the risk of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by 28–60%.

Boosts Metabolism and Fat-Burning

Because of its ability to stimulate the central nervous system, caffeine may increase metabolism by up to 11% and fat burning by up to 13%.

Studies have shown that consuming 300 mg of caffeine daily may help you burn an extra 79 calories. This amount may seem small, but it’s similar to the calorie excess responsible for Americans' average yearly weight gain of 2.2 pounds (1 kg).

It Increases Testosterone

Caffeine has been found to increase anaerobic performance for those exercising if consumed prior to the workout. And that even worked in sleep-deprived men.

Several studies were conducted on this topic, and many found similar positive conclusions.

Caffeine consumption (up to 800mg) was linked with higher testosterone levels of up to 14% if taken before a workout. However, cortisol levels also increased (more on this later), with one study citing a 21.3% increase and another at 44%.

Therefore, caffeine can help when it comes to increasing testosterone levels concerning working out.

May Protect Against Heart Disease and Diabetes

Despite what you may have heard, caffeine doesn’t raise the risk of heart disease.

Evidence shows a 16–18% lower risk of heart disease in men and women who drink 1–4 cups of coffee daily (providing approximately 100–400 mg of caffeine).

Other studies show that drinking 2–4 cups of coffee or green tea daily is linked to a 14–20% lower risk of stroke.

It may also protect against diabetes.

A review noted that those who drink the most coffee have up to a 29% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Similarly, those who consume the most caffeine have up to a 30% lower risk.

The authors observed that the risk drops by 12–14% for every 200 mg of caffeine consumed.

The Negatives

While caffeine has some incredible benefits, you should avoid it if you’re caffeine-sensitive.

However, the real issues take place when people consume way too much caffeine. The recommended daily intake is 400 mg.

Here are some potential adverse side effects from too much caffeine:

Insomnia

Caffeine is a stimulant. It increases our heart rate and increases energy.

However, caffeine has been shown to disrupt sleep and diminish the quality of deep sleep (recovery) we get.

It’s suggested not to have caffeine within 8 hours of going to sleep. Otherwise, you may experience low-quality sleep–if you even fall asleep at all.

Headaches

While caffeine revs up your central nervous system, helping you feel more awake, it can also cause headaches when it wears off.

After the body metabolizes the caffeine, the blood vessels around the brain will narrow, causing headaches or caffeine “withdrawals.”

Dehydration

Caffeine is a natural diuretic.

Meaning it causes us to urinate more than usual. When this occurs, we remove water and electrolytes from the body.

If left unchecked, over time, the individual will become dehydrated, leading to fatigue and mental fog.

Anxiety

Being the stimulant that it is, caffeine can lead to feelings of anxiety.

Rapid heartbeat, sweating, feelings of uneasiness, and restlessness are all byproducts of too much caffeine.

If you’re prone to anxiety, stay away from excess caffeine.

The Plan

There’s plenty of evidence that shows the benefits of caffeine.

So, if you love your coffee, this is excellent news for you.

But what is the best way to reap the benefits of caffeine without experiencing any adverse side effects?

If you aren’t caffeine-sensitive, try this out:

To maximize productivity from caffeine, you want to have your caffeine earlier in the day.

Researchers have shown that the best time to have coffee is after “cortisol peaks.” Neuroscientist Steven L. Miller coined the phrase after extensively studying our natural rhythms.

According to Miller, 8 AM to 9 AM is the most dramatic cortisol peak - but it’s not the only one. Smaller peaks happen again between 12 and 1 PM.

Miller claims that this point is immediately after a cortisol peak.

So in the morning, 9 AM to 11:30 AM and in the afternoon, between 1 PM and 5 PM.

These periods between natural cortisol boosts are when that caffeine jolt will be most productive. Instead of crashing between peaks, you’ll maintain alertness.

So, to get the greatest effect from caffeine, have it in those times and stop drinking caffeine 6-8 hours prior to bedtime.

NOTE: If you train in the morning and use a pre-workout before your session, this is okay because you’re using the caffeine to boost aerobic and anaerobic activity. Putting the caffeine to physical use is encouraged.

However, if you train in the evening, limit caffeine intake because it will interfere with your sleep cycle.

The BMM Takeaway

Caffeine is excellent. We’re big fans of it over here.

However, you want to make sure you’re having your caffeine earlier in the day so you don’t screw up your sleep, and you don’t want to have more caffeine than necessary. When you exceed the amount needed, you will run into problems.

The daily recommended amount is 400 mg, but that’s a blanket recommendation because not everyone works out regularly.

If you train consistently, you can get away with more, and you’ll want to have more for better performance in your workouts.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) has concluded that caffeine is an effective ergogenic aid when consumed in doses of 0.9–2.7 mg per pound (2–6 mg per kg) of body weight. This equals around 135–405 mg for a 150-pound (68-kg) person.

But test it out for yourself. Go slowly with caffeine and monitor its effects on you and your body.

And don’t forget to drink your water with it.