This client believed his problems stemmed from increased levels of stress in his personal life. While I agreed that likely played a part, I also identified another culprit: The massive amounts of caffeine he was drinking every morning. Thomas was drinking black coffee to mask underlying issues such as morning tiredness due to suboptimal sleep. Sure, the coffee was powering the early part of his day. But the side effects he was experiencing in the midafternoon were what we call a caffeine crash. A few hours after drinking moderate or high doses of instant-release caffeine, many people experience a caffeine crash. Side effects vary in intensity from person to person, but include dozing off during the day, feeling irritated, and not being able to concentrate—the opposite of the desired effect people are drinking caffeine for in the first place. For some people, a caffeine crash can also feel like you’ve spent the previous night bar-hopping, with side effects including gastrointestinal issues and sensitivity to light or sound. Sustained-release caffeine2 is a relatively newer form and technology. It delivers a slower (less steep) release profile of the caffeine phytonutrient and thus, prolonged physical and cognitive energy and focus benefits (while also buffering against the aforementioned “crash”).* As a naturally stimulating compound, caffeine fires up the central nervous system, allowing you to become more alert and focused.* You may have more energy. An increase in adrenaline may raise your heartbeat or blood pressure slightly. For most people, these physiological changes are temporary. But for some people, caffeine can create undesirable effects. Mild side effects of caffeine include feelings of anxiousness, restlessness, irritability, agitation, gut upset, and subpar sleep. Why do some people experience these things after they consume caffeine while others handle it just fine? When you consume caffeine, a liver enzyme called CYP1A2 breaks it down. The gene that codes this enzyme varies greatly among people. Scientists divide people into three groups, depending on how quickly their livers metabolize caffeine: high, regular, and low metabolizers. For high (aka fast) metabolizers, this enzyme breaks down and helps clear caffeine very quickly. Low metabolizers, on the other hand, break down coffee at a much slower pace, so its effects stick around much longer. Your brain also plays a role in caffeine metabolism. The primary way caffeine increases alertness and provides energizing effects is by blocking adenosine from attaching to brain receptors.* One of adenosine’s main roles is to build up during the day and slow down brain activity, making you sleepy. Once your body has metabolized that caffeine and its effects wear off, that adenosine floods brain receptors and tells your brain that it’s sleepy time, even if it’s in the middle of the afternoon. This can result in that dreaded caffeine crash sensation (i.e., the infamous afternoon slump). Consider why you rely on caffeine. Is it suboptimal sleep or stress management, or feelings of boredom or hunger? Or is it leveraging the power of this nootropic phytonutrient for cognitive energy, focus, and performance?* Investigating those underlying reasons, along with these strategies, can help eliminate a caffeine crash: Eating foods (i.e., emphasize fibrous vegetables and limit refined sugars) that support your gut also helps to balance blood sugar. As a result, you will have more energy and focus, be able to maintain a healthy body composition, and bolster your immune system. mbg’s focus+ features both instant- and sustained-release caffeine that’s 100% plant origin (from whole coffee berry and green coffee bean, respectively), so you can feel stimulating effects right away and throughout the day, minus the crash.* It’s all the energy, focus, and attentiveness you want with none of unwanted side effects!* To minimize these side effects, I taper my clients off of caffeine. Switching to half-regular and half-decaf, then gradually moving into 100% decaf over the course of three to seven days makes the weaning process more bearable. If side effects appear that are simply too much to handle, I will have the individual add back a small amount of caffeine and slowly continue the taper. The same goes for all caffeine-rich beverages, including sodas. The best way to avoid this issue is to set a daily cutoff point for coffee consumption. For most people, it’s best to not continue drinking coffee after noon, but that’s not set in stone. You should figure out what works best for you individually.
