Caffeine addicts get no real perk from morning cup

news.yahoo.com...

LONDON (Reuters) – Caffeine addiction is such a downer that regular coffee drinkers may get no real pick-me-up from their morning cup, according to a study by British scientists.

(visit the link for the full news article)

You know, I have always felt that coffee becomes a crutch with excessive consumption, plus I think it tastes really bad.

[edit on 2-6-2010 by Nathwa]

I could have told you that. I just enjoy my cup of espresso every morning, I don't look to it for a pick me up. I enjoy one before bed too.

reply to post by Mr Headshot


Well, at least there is some science to back it up. ATS is always looking for evidence, so I thought I would share the findings.

Guys... it must depend on the strength and dosage of coffee... Years ago I drank a lot of coffee and still was getting buzz from a large serving of Starbucks, forgot which blend. What I ultimately did get was heart palpitations, at which point I quit. Scary.

Knew that one. Im making a break every few weaks from caffeine to not get a tolerance against it. Cause coffee is too strong for me I'm only drinking Yerba Mate...

I think this is bogus, or only applies to certain people. I've been drinking 1-2 cups of coffee every morning for years. I have not built up a tolerance to it. I can definitely tell when the caffeine is kicking in. It still stimulates me the same way it did when I first started drinking it years ago. It always takes me above my "baseline level of alertness".

reply to post by Nathwa


I know man, it just seems that these scientists do these studies on things which many people already know is basic knowledge. Thanks for the link though!

SF for you.

Actually a lot of starbucks coffees are somewhat low on the caffeine scale. It's the cheap brands, the gas-station coffees which have the most caffeine. It's dependent on the roast and most of starbucks are roasted pretty dark which gives them their signature flavor, the darker the roast the less caffeine; depending on the way you measure it and most people measure by volume not weight.

But yes it does depend on the strength of the coffee, still though, you'll get immune to it at some point. Like me.

It is my understanding that the heat from the coffee has a stronger and more immediate re-action than the caffeine in it as a quick morning pick-me-up.

If I recall correctly, it expands the blood vessels in your head just enough to increase bloodflow, which gives increased alertness, etc.

To rule out this possibility, they need to also analyze the temperature coffee is served at - and not everyone likes it the same temp.

Sounds like a biased report I've been drinking coffee over 50 yrs,and yes the 1st cup always gives me a jolt,otherwise why would I drink it?

Yeah it takes me about 3 cups if im really tired to wake up.

I love coffee!!

What would the Brits know about coffee?

Never met any who could brew a decent pot...it's always weak and see-through.

If they want a cup of real coffee, just drop by my house: I guarantee it'll perk 'em up.

Originally posted by buddhasystem
Guys... it must depend on the strength and dosage of coffee... Years ago I drank a lot of coffee and still was getting buzz from a large serving of Starbucks, forgot which blend. What I ultimately did get was heart palpitations, at which point I quit. Scary.

I had the same thing. Very scary indeed. I'd notice them at night when all was quiet. I thought I was going crazy.
I also had migraines at the time, and one day a migraine caused vertigo, which I mistook for a heart attack. I tried to walk down the street to the hospital, heart was pumping like mad, then the whole world was spinning and I blacked out and collapsed.
Wife found me and took me to the hospital, and the ER soon ruled out heart-attack and confirmed vertigo by making me lie half off the bed and then lifting me rapidly; passed out again.
I was told to ween off the coffee. I switched to half-caff for about 6 months. The palpitations went away. Still get migraines from time-time.

Another stup1d study, does not apply to me and i am very level hormoned normally.

I drink 1 - 2 cups in the morning and 1 cup in the afternoon. I know it picks me up because when I wake up and find I have run out of coffee I don't have the energy and its more difficult to wake up. Love my coffee!

So, I guess the questions that need to be asked are:
1. How was the study biased?
2. What could the study have done differently?
3. Perhaps their pool of test subjects are too similar in how they are effected by the coffee.
4. Was there a varience in the brew that was supplied to the test subjects?

Just trying to remain scientifically objective.

[edit on 2-6-2010 by Nathwa]

"Although frequent consumers feel alerted by caffeine, especially by their morning tea, coffee, or other caffeine-containing drink, evidence suggests that this is actually merely the reversal of the fatiguing effects of acute caffeine withdrawal," wrote the scientists, led by Peter Rogers of Bristol's department of experimental psychology. As a heavy coffee drinker I can agree with that, I can drink a whole pot of coffee in the morning and feel no more awake than if I drank just one. Now if I make 4 shots of espresso add a tiny bit of milk and a lil bit of syrup and slam it ... that definitely "perks" me up.

Too many omitted variables.

How often did the subjects drink coffee? That morning cup won't effect the person who drinks 10 cups a day like it will the person who has a morning cup and that's it.

How much sugar do they add?

How strong is the coffee?

How much sleep did each person get the night before?

Do they have lots of other caffeine intake from other sources? (soda, tea, redbull, monsters, 5 hour energy shots, etc.)

The article only says half were low/non caffeine users, and other half med/high. But no information of how to classify how much is a lot-- nor if they suffer from sleep deprivation, anxiety, chronic headaches or any other symptoms similar, but unrelated, to the effects and side effects of caffeine.

Originally posted by apacheman
What would the Brits know about coffee?

Never met any who could brew a decent pot...it's always weak and see-through.

If they want a cup of real coffee, just drop by my house: I guarantee it'll perk 'em up.

yeah right. it's becoming a HUUUGE market in the UK recently.

We never used to have all these filter coffees in the supermarkets when i was a kid, now there are entire isles of new brands.

Most people over here, if you ask for coffee you get instant. A lot of poeple dont have coffee makers.

I personally HATE instant coffe, and i make great coffee, its not difficult.
add coffe to machine add water. turn on...

[edit on 2-6-2010 by MR BOB]

The article also postulates that there is a gene that effects anxiety, and that this correlates with how the consumption of coffee affects the subject. Therefore, based upon this, it is safe to assume that how a person is affected by coffee may be determined by their genes.

Originally posted by Nathwa
So, I guess the questions that need to be asked are:
1. How was the study biased?
2. What could the study have done differently?
3. Perhaps their pool of test subjects are too similar in how they are effected by the coffee.
4. Was there a varience in the brew that was supplied to the test subjects?

1) It focused on caffee and associated that with coffee - which are two different things. However, the researcher states there is a connection - even though he never tested all variances relating to it.
2) Test flavored waters without caffeine.
3) They are all from England, so that is one possibility. Perhaps including people from extremely diverse cultures would assist - a native tribe that has never had caffeine compared to an American, for example.
4) There was no coffee used in the experiment!

The team asked 379 adults -- half of them non/low caffeine consumers and the other half medium/high caffeine consumers -- to give up caffeine for 16 hours, and then gave them either caffeine or a dummy pill known as a placebo.