Is Coffee Okay To Drink?

Coffee

Sour? Or Sweet...

Mmm, coffee. The magic bean that gave life to those late nights in the library and tough morning workouts we’d rather pass up. From the ever famous Starbucks Shop in Seattle, to the realatively popular Dunkin Donuts brand, coffee has been a common staple in our culture for years and one that, in my opinion, is definitely here to stay. Now...

This Got Me Thinking However

Thinking as to what coffee actually is and if it's mostly safe for us to consume. Myths like "it stunts your growth" and that coffee "ages you faster" were around when I was kid, but little to no explanation was given as to why these phenomena's might actually occur.

And Besides! Outside of having a relatively high caffeine content and being somewhat high in calories when cream and sugar are used... are there any other downsides to the drink we all love that aren't often talked about or generally discussed? Hm...(sips beverage)

I Think we Need to Talk About This

So without further ado, let's talk about coffee and what's under its hood. Let's check out its caffeine content (and discuss what caffeine actually is) while discussing the pros, as well as the cons, to the drink so common in our daily lives. But first? I think I'll brew myself a fresh batch here. Hey now, all this coffee talk is making me tired.

Let's Start With Caffeine | What Is It And How Does It Work?

Now, starting with caffeine, or the reason we tend to drink coffee, each 8oz cup of joe contains roughly 70-140 mg of caffeine depending on the roast and the strength of your brew.

Caffeine

Caffeine, or a substance that's traditionally classified as a stimulant [1], is also a ring like, carbon based molecule that is uniquely comprised of different "chemical pieces" that are commonly referred to as functional groups (see below).

Functional Groups Outlined in Red

These functional groups, which are so important for that "alert" feeling we get from caffeine after its consumption, work by mimicking another molecule in the body called adenosine which is a chemical important for helping us sleep.

Therefore, when we ingest caffeine (or coffee in this case), caffeine will actually disguise itself as adenosine by wiggling its way into what are known as adenosine receptors since the two molecules are so similar in structure [39]. These are located within the brain.

As a result, this ends up blocking adenosine from binding as should, which hinders the process of sleep, and ultimately leads us to not feeling tired.

Coffee & Caffeine | Is It Okay To Consume?

So, the big question now remains: does this make our daily coffee consumption bad since coffee alone is loaded with caffeine? And based on studies and the advice generally given, in moderation? No, not at all. Coffee seems as though it can have its place in our day-to-day lives so long as we don't go overboard and consider its pros and cons.

The Pros Of Coffee

Pro #1 - Antioxidant Boost

To many people's surprise, coffee, outside of its rather large caffeine profile, is surprisingly high in antioxidants and phytochemicals which tend to be important in the body for a variety of protective reasons. Free radicals, or those chemical substances in our bodies that tend to damage our DNA, protein, and other various cell membranes [2], tend to be neutralized by antioxidants, which protects these molecular structures just mentioned [38][37][2]. This results in less "oxidative damage" in our bodies which may be linked to various types of cancers and disease [36][38][37].

But how high in antioxidants are we talking here?

Compared to green kale, which has a total antioxidant capacity of 1,770 μ mol TE/100g, coffee actually comes out higher with a whopping score of 2,780 μ mol TE/100g. And, considering that some people don't like kale, or fail to eat foods that are generally high in antioxidants, coffee can definitely be a great addition to a person's diet given that some other healthy options are included in there as well [36].

Pro #2 - Higher Activity Levels

Coffee, and the caffeine it provides, can be a valuable tool for getting us up and motivated. Plus, when it comes our total daily energy expenditure and the amount of calories we burn over the course of the day, coffee tends to do a good job at increasing both of these variables, simply as a result of us being more active.

For example, in a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consumptions of 100mg of caffeine consumed in a single dose were shown to increase the resting metabolic rate of both lean and post obese volunteers by around 3-4% [3]. In addition, when these same volunteers consumed 100mg of coffee in 2 hour intervals over a 12 hour period, energy expenditure increased in both of these groups by 8-12%. This created an extra 150 calories burned in the leaner group and 79 calories burned in the obese group [3].

And besides, consuming coffee in moderate doses tends to increase how much we fidget, and just move around in general, which is actually one of the biggest contributors to how many calories we burn each day (also referred to as NEAT) [32]. See below.

NEAT

Or non exercise activity thermogenesis (the activity we do outside of exercise while awake) is arguably the largest contributor toward our total daily energy expenditure outside of our basal metabolic rate [32][33]. This means, activities such as cleaning the house, walking around the grocery store, and just fidgeting more in general, all add up more to the amount of calories we burn in a day outside of a generic, 1 hour gym session. NEAT accounts for roughly 20%-50% of the total calories burned in a day [33].

EAT

Or exercise activity thermogenesis is the energy burned during a planned exercise session. And, although this number is going to vary between every individual, EAT is actually not a major contributor to our total daily energy expenditure as compared to NEAT [33]. Roughly accounting for 1%-30% of our total daily energy expenditure, EAT plays a less of a role toward how many calories we actually burn.

TEF

Or thermic effect of food, is the energy needed to actually process the food we eat. Now, depending on your diet composition and whether or not you choose to eat either more or less calories, this number is going to vary. In general though, 10% of our total daily calories burned is a pretty good estimate to start with [34].

BMR

Or basal metabolic rate, is the energy burned to sustain our basic metabolic processes. Typically referred to as the base amount of calories we need to function while at rest, BMR is usually the largest contributor to how many calories we burn in a single day (roughly 60%-80%daily [33]). Bigger people? Bigger BMR. Smaller people? Smaller BMR. Gender and other genetic factors will also play a role here.

Pro #3 - Physical Performance Boost

And lastly, let's talk about coffee's advantage when it comes to the gym and our physical performance. Because as most of you have probably experienced, a little extra coffee? Can go a long way.

Now, this may be a hit or miss thing depending on the person and their ability to metabolize caffeine [4][8], however, a good chunk of research does seem to show that caffeine coming from coffee does seem to improve athletic performance in some way shape or form [5][6][7][27]. For example, when looking at cycling performance in a study published in the Journal of Plos One, subjects were given caffeine slightly over a moderate amount (5mg/kg of bodyweight) about one hour prior to their time trial biking session. When compared to a placebo and decaf coffee group receiving a non caffeinated pre-workout about 1 hour prior to exercise, time trial performance was roughly 5% faster in both the caffeine and coffee groups as compared to the decaf coffee and placebo groups respectively [9].

Other activities such as running [28][29], weight training [29][31] and your more anaerobic based activities like sprinting [30] have also shown improvements in subject performance when caffeine in controlled amounts were in fact consumed. So, if you happen to be feeling a little extra sluggish one day, a little extra pre workout espresso may just do the trick.

The Cons of Coffee | What We May Not Conisder

Con # 1 - Disrupted Sleep.

Consuming too much coffee a bit too close to bed time can easily keep you up at night despite your efforts to want to sleep [6][26]. Coffee's half life, or the amount of time it takes for your body to get rid of half of the amount of caffeine you just consumed, tends to be the culprit for this, lasting 3-5 hours, which is why that evening cup can sometimes be a bad idea [10] [26].

Studies have shown that consuming high amounts of coffee (400mg of caffeine's worth to be exact) just 6 hours prior bedtime was more than enough caffeine to disrupt a person's 4 stage sleep cycle. And, although consuming 400mg of caffeine is on the higher end of the spectrum that close to bedtime, other studies, like this review published in the Dovepress, even went on to find that consuming just 200mg of caffeine (roughly 2-3 cups) at 7am was still enough of a stimulant to impact the onset of sleep just 16 hours later [26].

Talk about delayed gratification

Combine this with the fact that: the less you sleep, the more fatigued you'll feel, and the more fatigued you feel, the more coffee you're tempted to consume the next day. Not a good cycle to be caught in.

Con #2 - Masked Fatigue.

Now, going off of con #1, coffee can also do a good job at masking our true fatigue which can definitely lead to problems if we're not careful. For example, exercising with weights in a low rep range or partaking in an activity that requires a well rested mind; a group of well rested muscles; and well rested joints and connective tissue, are all perfect examples in which you may not want to solely rely on coffee to get you by.

In adolescent athletes for example, a chronic lack of sleep was shown to be associated with a greater risk of injury, while other research around football athletes showed that increases in fatigue during their season may also increase their risk of injury during it as well [23][24].

Not to mention, our tendons, or the structures in our body that connect our muscle tissue to our bone, actually take longer to recover from in terms of the damage/stress placed on them, which can potentially lead to a sudden injury despite us feeling relatively rested [11][12].

And, aside from exercising with less than ideal recovery modalities, driving while sleep deprived or doing any other activity that requires a high degree of focus and attention, isn't best tackled when using coffee as your primary fuel source. More mistakes, slower reaction times, and significant drops in our critical thinking abilities are all likely to occur when the brain and body aren't well rested [15][16][26]. So trying to push through those critical times with coffee in hand? Again, perhaps not the best idea.

Con #3 - The Tolerance Effect.

Or simply put, you need even more coffee, up to a point, in order to gain the same effect [19].

Sound familiar? And, although this may not seem like much of an issue at least at first, there are some downsides to this phenomena when choosing to consume more coffee.

Aside from the risk of a poor night's sleep, too much coffee, or any stimulant for that matter, can start to increase your levels of anxiety, feelings of nervousness, and your overall mood when a person’s coffee intake starts to creep too high [17][18][21]. Plus, when you fail to keep your coffee consumption at these newly established levels, you can actually start to lose out on coffee's energy boosting effects, while any sudden drop in your intake can leave you feeling sluggish [19][22].

For example, according to the Mayo Clinic and Dr. Hall-Flavin, M.D., it was stated that although there is no clear link between caffeine intake and depression, stopping your consumption on a dime can actually be the cause for a depressed mood up until the point in which your body begins to adjust [20]. Symptoms like headache, fatigue, and irritability are all noted to set in which is why it's advisable to keep your consumption moderate [20].

So.. The Verdict?

Coffee can be your friend, and your foe, but it's ultimately up to you as to which one it will be. And I know, I know, not the most creative conclusion out there, but utilizing coffee mindfully is a great way to look at things here. In excess, coffee can come equipped with a list of unfavorable tradeoffs, but when used strategically in your day to day routine? It's going to come loaded with some benefits as well.

So in sum, coffee is sort of like your personal sour patch kids commercial. It can be sour. It can be sweet, but in reality? It doesn't have to be the evil candy that ruins your day. So cheers to you dear coffee, and thank you for being the best breakfast companion known to man. Because tomorrow morning, I might be needing a little boost.

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