Our health advisors often have backgrounds in sports science and nutrition and Paskal Prowse, one of our health advisors at Blackberry Clinic Croydon, shares his thoughts on a topic which may be part of your daily routine – coffee!
At Blackberry Clinic Croydon we offer Bupa Health Assessments, Our MSK service includes Pain Management, Pain Clinic and Interventional Pain Medicine with Mr Purna Banerjee and Dr Sanjay Kuravinakop as well as Physiotherapy with Michele Bianucci.
Caffeine and you!
Caffeine is the most ubiquitous, widely consumed psychoactive substance around the globe and it is found in a variety of natural products such as coffee, tea, and cocoa. Generally, and in sport, it is found in a good old cup of coffee or tea, energy drinks, energy bars and soft drinks, with the latter’s consumption increasing since the early 2000’s. But what do we know about ‘rocket fuel’? Where did it come from and what does it do?
Caffeine, first discovered in the 1800’s but consumed for thousands of years, is a central nervous stimulant, used by many to reduce tiredness, increase alertness, and prolong fatigue. Most cannot go without their morning (or evening) dose because we can become so reliant on the substance. But why is this?
Caffeine’s chemical structure mirrors that of adenosine, a compound found in the brain that binds to its receptor and promotes drowsiness in a continued wakeful state. Caffeine, therefore, blocks the adenosine receptor meaning there is no binding for adenosine and no promotion of a drowsiness state, preventing drowsiness and restoring alertness for the lifetime of caffeine in the body. In essence, more adenosine needed to bind means more adenosine receptors need to be produced. This works as an antagonist with caffeine, meaning the consumer needs more caffeine to get the same effects as before. With less caffeine to block the receptors, the consumer suffers symptoms such as headaches, over tiredness and fatigue. This works in direct contrast to an overdose of caffeine where symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, gastric issues and muscular trembles can be seen.
So, what does this mean for the general consumer? Well, this is all down to your tolerance, your current consumption levels, and your routine. If you drink a lot of coffee, chances are you will need more as time goes on, as described above. You build up a big tolerance for caffeine over time and this is down to how much you consume. If you are a nightshift worker or an early bird, chances are you rely on caffeine to get you through those tough cold mornings and evenings. This increases tolerance to caffeine meaning you will need more and more.
The take home message is caffeine is safe. A tried and tested psychoactive substance that many consume recreationally. However, there are risks associated with high consumption levels. 150mg-200mg is considered a safe dosage of caffeine, which is roughly a cup of coffee or two. For sports performance, higher doses are acceptable under supervision.
In summary, drink your cup of joe… just do not become TOO dependent.
Paskal Prowse
