We’re continuing our dive into caffeine again this month, this time discussing the amount of caffeine one should, or perhaps shouldn’t, have.
To review, last month I talked about how caffeine works in the body alongside cortisol, and encouraged you to delay your morning cup of coffee 1.5 to 2 hours in order to maximize alertness and avoid an afternoon slump. I’ve been faithfully delaying my coffee and taking a 15-minute walk each morning for the past 1-2 months, and I truly believe it’s helping my sleep. Unfortunately, those new morning walks brought on some unexpected seasonal allergies, but I think overall I’ve experienced less afternoon tiredness and improved sleep quality.
Last month, I mentioned that I felt I was someone Andrew Huberman refers to as ‘not caffeine-adapted.’ This could not be truer of me. If I even have the hint of too much caffeine, my cheeks get a flush, my stomach gets a bit upset and I feel jittery and irritable.
Again, much of this information was taken from Huberman’s podcast entitled “Using Caffeine to Optimize Mental and Physical Performance,” and I encourage everyone to give it a listen as this article is simply scratching the surface of all there is to know about caffeine.
First of all, what is considered a dose of caffeine?
According to Huberman, approximately 1-3 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per kilogram (kg) of body weight per occasion is a dose. You can easily take your body weight in pounds and multiply by .45 to get how much you weigh in kg. So, let’s use a 150 pound person as an example. This person weighs 67.5 kg, so a reasonable dose of caffeine per occasion is somewhere between 67.5 – 202.5 mg.
A ‘typical’ cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup, although different brands and roasts vary greatly. Many packaged coffees and teas state their caffeine content, and if not, you may be able to find it online or inquire where the item is sold. For example, years ago I realized that any time I drank a coffee from Panera, I felt jittery and over-caffeinated, so I stopped drinking coffee there. When I looked it up online, that particular roast of coffee had three times the amount of caffeine that my normal cup at home had.
If you find yourself jittery after one cup of coffee, consider experimenting to find the amount that makes you feel awake and alert without the jitters. Ways to do this include lessening your overall caffeine intake by mixing in some decaf coffee, or drinking your coffee on a full stomach rather than an empty one.
Additionally, if you drink caffeine, sodas, teas or energy drinks throughout the day, you have to take that caffeine into account, too. Doses are measured by occasion, but your overall daily caffeine intake matters, too.
Second, how much caffeine should YOU have?
According to the podcast, that depends on your tolerance to caffeine, which is based on two things: your own disposition and how caffeine-adapted they are.
Disposition includes a person’s unique genetic makeup as well as their current state of health and stress level.
Caffeine-adaption refers to whether you become jittery and anxious or more relaxed with caffeine. Caffeine will make most people feel more awake and alert, but if you’re someone who is not caffeine-adapted, it will also make your heart rate increase, lead to anxious thoughts and jittery feelings, etc. According to Huberman, those who are not caffeine-adapted may benefit from less caffeine, or perhaps even having caffeine every other day.
The goal in using caffeine is to feel more awake and alert without the jitters or any negative affects to your sleep. If you find yourself falling asleep in the afternoons and reaching for coffee or an energy drink, or you aren’t getting quality sleep, I encourage you to re-evaluate how much caffeine you’re consuming and when.
Here are some quick takeaways from this month and last month:
-A dose of caffeine is 1-3 mg per kg of body weight per occasion
-You will feel the most alert by consuming your coffee by 90-120 minutes after waking
-Caffeine has a quarter life of 25%, which means that 12 hours after consuming it, a whopping 25% is still circulating in your body
Up next month: using caffeine wisely for better sleep and performance!
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