#75 The Coffee Buzz Is Just Temporarily Borrowing Your Energy
Episode Description:
We all love that morning cup of coffee, but do you ever wonder if it’s really giving you the energy boost you need? Well, today we’re diving into the science behind caffeine and how it affects our bodies.
BONUS EPISODES Patreon: ✨www.patreon.com/latinamericaneo✨
👉Website: www.latinamericaneo.org
👉Instagram: @latinamericaneo
🛍 Merch:https://latinamericaneo.org/shop
🔗LISTEN EN ESPAÑOL: https://anchor.fm/latinamericaneoes
EPISODE INTRODUCTION
Cold Opening:
[Cue intro music]
Hello and welcome back to the LEO podcast! We’re thrilled to be back and have you with us again as we dive into a range of educational topics that are not only informative but also have a significant impact on the Latin American community. I know it has been a while and longer than I’d anticipated to put out new episodes but nonetheless we are back and super excited to be back with new episodes, so sit back, relax, and join us as we explore new ideas and perspectives on this week’s episode.
We all love that morning cup of coffee, but do you ever wonder if it’s really giving you the energy boost you need? Well, today we’re diving into the science behind caffeine and how it affects our bodies. Is coffee actually giving us energy or just borrowing it for a short time? How does it impact our sleep? And what about other caffeinated beverages? Join us as we explore these questions and more, and find out what we can do to truly re-energize our bodies.
Before we jump into today’s episode, we would like to invite you to become part of our Palomitas community on patreon.com/latinamericaneo. By doing so you can gain early access to future episodes and receive exclusive bonus content.
But don’t worry if you haven’t joined our Palomitas community yet, this episode is filled with amazing content that we’re excited to share with you!
So, grab your favorite caffeinated beverage, get comfortable, and let’s dive in!
[End intro music]
Topic:
[Intro music]
Today, we’re discussing a topic that many of us might be familiar with – coffee. With more than two billion cups consumed every day, coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. But, is it actually giving us the energy we need to get through our day? Let’s find out.
[Segue music]
The main ingredient in coffee that gives us an energy boost is caffeine. It works by changing the way the cells in our brain interact with a compound called adenosine. Adenosine is part of the system that regulates our sleep and wake cycle. As we do things and use energy, adenosine levels rise, making us feel drowsy and sleepy. This is why you feel tired after a big day of activity.
Caffeine can help temporarily by binding to the adenosine receptor and blocking the drowsy feeling. But here’s the catch – caffeine won’t bind forever and the adenosine that it blocks doesn’t go away. Eventually, the caffeine breaks down, releases the receptors, and all the adenosine latches on, bringing back the drowsy feeling. The only real way to repay the debt to the caffeine is to sleep.
[Pause music]
The timing of when you drink your coffee can also make a difference in how much it wakes you up. The amount of free adenosine in your system and how drowsy you are will impact how much caffeine wakes you up. Drinking coffee later in the day, when you have more drowsy signals, might feel more powerful. But, if it’s too late in the day, caffeine can make it hard to fall asleep at bedtime. The half-life of caffeine is about five hours, but it varies for everyone. Regular coffee drinkers might feel less of a caffeine punch as their tolerance to the stimulant builds over time.
[middle of episode ad break]
Don’t go anywhere we’ll be right back after this quick break
—————————————————————————————————————————-
[Segue music]
It’s also important to note that caffeine can raise levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can make you feel more alert. This might mean that caffeine feels more effective later in the morning when you already have a natural rise in cortisol when you wake up. If your caffeinated beverage is also sugary, this can exacerbate the peak and crash feeling. The free sugars in your drink can cause a spike in blood sugar, making you feel tired when the dip comes afterwards. Drinking coffee with or after a meal might hit you more slowly, as food might slow down the rate at which the caffeine is absorbed.
[Pause music]
Coffee isn’t the only caffeinated beverage that can loan you some energy. The caffeine in tea, energy drinks, and other beverages still impacts the body in the same way. But, since the ingredients mostly come from plants, each caffeinated beverage has its own profile of additional compounds that can have their own stimulant effect, or interact with caffeine to change its impacts.
[Outro music]
So there you have it, folks. Caffeine can be useful, but it isn’t magic. To create energy and re-energize our bodies, we need enough food, water, and sleep. Thanks for listening to the LEO podcast. If you have any questions or ideas for future episodes, feel free to send us an email. And, remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date on the latest.
[End of podcast]
THE END
That concludes today’s episode of the LEO podcast. I’m Kevin Muñoz and don’t forget, you can always reach out to me and share your thoughts or suggest future topics by sending a voicemail through latinamerianeo.org. Simply click on the purple “send voicemail” button and record away.
For our Patreon supporters, I’ll catch you there.
Until then, I look forward to joining you all again next week for another exciting episode of the LEO podcast.
Sources:
