For many of us, our coffee fix typically follows the same sophisticated non-scientific formula: wake up, locate coffee, consume immediately. Scientists, however, suggest there may be considerably better ways to deploy caffeine, depending on whether you want energy, sharper performance or, conversely, to sleep better at night.
Don’t necessarily drink coffee the minute you wake up
The first coffee may feel medically necessary, but your body should already be naturally alert when you wake, which means caffeine may be more useful a little later, once that initial energy begins to dip. Those who consume large amounts of coffee should also know that the urgent need for caffeine first thing can be partly due to overnight withdrawal. Charming.
For peak performance, drink it 30 to 60 minutes beforehand
Caffeine reaches peak absorption around 30 to 60 minutes after you drink it, so if you have a workout, an important meeting, a presentation, or anything else requiring unusually impressive signs of life, time your coffee accordingly. Drinking it as you walk through the door is simply poor caffeine management, and in many cases, can make you look weaker than you’d like to appear. Coffee as a crutch doth not maketh the deal.
The older you get, the earlier you should drink it
Age changes the equation because the body generally metabolises caffeine more slowly. Scientists suggest shifting coffee consumption earlier in the day as you get older, particularly if sleep has become more elusive. That innocent 4 pm flat white may be enjoying a much longer evening than you intended.
If you can’t sleep, look at your afternoon coffee
There is no universal caffeine curfew because metabolism and tolerance vary, but coffee too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep. If you are regularly lying awake at night, moving your final coffee earlier is one of the more obvious variables to test.
Three is enough
For most healthy adults, around 400mg of caffeine per day is generally considered the upper limit before unwanted effects become more likely, which translates to roughly three café coffees if each is made with a standard double shot. Whether you order a flat white, long black, or latte makes little difference if the espresso base is the same, although caffeine levels will still vary according to the beans and extraction.
