Did you know that caffeine does not increase energy? Instead, caffeine blocks our ability to feel tired. The neurological process of caffeine absorption in the body also can mimic a trauma response.
The body naturally produces a chemical called adenosine which is the "sleepy hormone" that allows us to feel tired. The endocrine system (aka hormonal system) releases adenosine when we are needing to rest. That chemical travels through our blood stream to our brain. Our brain has specific adenosine receptors which allow us to feel tired once the chemical attaches to the receptors.
The chemical makeup of caffeine mimics the adenosine and attaches to the adenosine receptors instead, therefore blocking our ability to feel tired. When we consume caffeine regularly, our brain produces more adenosine receptors which means that we need more caffeine to feel the "energizing" effects. This also means that when we do not consume caffeine, the adenosine attaches to the excessive amount of adenosine receptors so we feel even more tired.
The other chemical that is released during caffeine consumption is adrenaline (aka the stress hormone). When our body experiences a stressed response and we are not in danger (i.e. casually drinking a cup of coffee), our brain may begin to think we are in danger and it may trigger a trauma memory if we have experienced trauma. Even without a trauma history, this stress response may also result in feelings of anxiousness.
These physiological side effects are undesirable. yet many people still consume caffeine. This is because the pleasure centers of the brain are also activated during the actual intake process and this overrides the undesirable effects of caffeine.
So, what can we do with this information? I'm personally someone who enjoys a good cup of coffee, matcha, or tea, however with this knowledge, I have learned how to consume caffeine in moderation. If I have a busy day and I do not have the ability to go for a walk or take a moment outside to re-charge or take a 10 minute nap, I will resort to caffeine.
Here are a few ideas if you want to scale back caffeine consumption:
go for walk
take a break outside
eat a healthy snack
drink water
talk to a friend or family member to stimulate your brain
stretch
I just read this before going down for my first cup of coffee 🤦🏻♂️. I never knew any of this, but it makes total sense now why we feel that crash afterwards. I will definitely start drinking more in moderation. Loved this post.