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Topics: Health, Lifestyle, Food And Drink, Science
Jess Battison
Topics: Health, Lifestyle, Food And Drink, Science
An icy cold shower, a brisk walk around the block with the dog, a multi-step overly-complicated skin care routine – we all have our rituals for kicking off the day.
And of course, for many, an absolute must is a cup of coffee. Or two.
Perhaps you’re someone who simply can’t utter a word to anyone until you’ve downed yours.
But for whatever reason you drink coffee first thing in the morning, experts have shared a warning against it.
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It turns out that coffee buffs reckon that golden initial cuppa comes at a later, better time than when you've just been sleeping.
A spokesperson for Oddy Knocky Coffee explained to Bristol Live: "Jumping straight to coffee in the morning might not be the best idea if we want to stay awake without crashing in the middle of the afternoon.
"This is all down to our body's natural rhythms."
Yep, it all comes down to science apparently, and how our body produces adenosine (making us drowsy) and the so-called ‘stress hormone’, cortisol.
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“Both of these chemicals impact how well our daily dose of caffeine hits,” they added. “Adenosine starts off low in the morning after we first wake up, and increases more and more throughout the day, so by bedtime, you’re naturally tired.
"Cortisol, on the other hand, is at its highest levels in the morning.”
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So, the spokesperson explained that if you drink coffee the moment you open your eyes in the morning, it might effect how your body’s internal clock stays on track.
They added that the ‘conflict of chemicals’ then messes you up a bit, keeping you ‘unfocused and unproductive’.
And that’s not exactly the vibe most of us are going for when we’re downing our coffee in the rush to start work.
According to the team, the ‘pro tip’ is to have your first coffee about an hour after waking up ‘and no sooner’.
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“Balancing your caffeine intake with the body's natural cortisol and adenosine rhythm can improve the effectiveness of your morning cup, and avoid disruptions to your body's internal clock,” they added.
“And for the night owls, make sure to have your last cup of coffee at least six hours before bedtime to prevent caffeine from interfering with your sleep and keep you well-rested."
Well, that’s me now setting an alarm for a exactly an hour after I wake up in the morning then.