Morning coffee: when it is most effective to drink coffee

Coffee in the morning is a fixed ritual for many. However, the early time immediately after getting up does not seem to be the best for the pick-me-up. When we should and shouldn't drink coffee depends on many factors.

Theoretical principle: This is how coffee wakes you up early in the morning

Caffeinated coffee makes you happy. So much is undisputed. From a physiological point of view, caffeine develops its effects by docking on so-called adenosine receptors in the nervous system. It works like this:

• The adenosine receptors normally bind the substance adenosine that is naturally present in the body. This process signals the cells that dopamine and glutamate - both nerve-stimulating transmitters - should be inhibited. The organism should come to rest.
• If caffeine leverages this regulatory mechanism via competition to the adenosine receptor, the Ruheim pulse is missing. The result: the central nervous system continues to be stimulated and you remain in an alert state.
• Whether this stimulant effect of caffeine on the body works early in the morning was questioned, especially last year, by two Canadians who dealt with the topic.

Cortisol: Why coffee in the morning may not work as well

Contrary to the perception of numerous morning coffee drinkers, the Canadians Gregory Brown and Mitchell Moffit, two science bloggers, presented the following theory last summer, which is supposed to prove that morning coffee does not produce the desired effects.

• The linchpin: A central wake-up mechanism of every organism works via the body's own cortisol production. Cortisol is a hormone that is formed in the adrenal cortex.
• Cortisol is known as the so-called stress hormone. Basically it is an "activation messenger". It brings body and mind into a kind of "alarm state" - so it really wakes you up.
• In the morning, immediately after getting up, the average cortisol level is usually at its highest. This is logical, because then the body should be attuned to "activity and attention".
• During the day, the cortisol toy gel decreases in the evening until bedtime. There are also small peaks between 12:00 and 13:00 and 17:30 and 18:30.
• The two Canadian science bloggers conclude: If the cortisol level is already quite high, then a stimulating additional impulse from caffeine does little good.
• Her conclusion: In the morning immediately after getting up, coffee cannot have the desired effect. You were already well rested when you slept. Likewise, the cortisol peak times at noon and early evening are not the right time for coffee consumption.
• The recommendation is therefore: wait with the first cup of coffee until the cortisol level has decreased somewhat. One or better two to three hours after getting up, coffee can really unfold its qualities as a stimulant.
• However, there is also contradiction to this generalized recommendation. The background: everyone ticks differently. The so-called circadian rhythm, which determines the daily up and down of the cortisol level, does not work the same for everyone.
• For example, if you belong to the "night owls" or the "early larks", your times for the highest cortisol levels are different.
• If your main concern is the "stimulant qualities" of caffeine, ideally you should know what makes your personal clock tick when you take your first cup of coffee a day.

A question of genetics and lifestyle

In addition to the stimulant effect, caffeine has other effects in the body: It accelerates heart activity, stimulates metabolism and breathing, constricts the blood vessels in the brain, increases muscular performance and promotes digestion.

• So if you suffer from sluggish digestion and want to promote it a little, then the morning coffee can already be a good recommendation for you.
• If you belong to the type of ambitious athlete and would like to arm your body well for training sessions, coffee before exercise can increase the performance of the muscles. This also applies to competitions.
• Caffeine reaches its maximum effect about 30 minutes to an hour after consumption. There are again quite large differences in the duration of action: women usually break down caffeine much more slowly than men.
• Overall, you should consider: Coffee consumption also increases your cortisol level. Therefore, people who are under constant stress and therefore have a constantly high, harmful cortisol level are advised against coffee consumption as a whole.
• On the other hand, there is a certain habituation effect with daily consumption. The effects on cortisol and, above all, its effectiveness are then not as strong as if you only drink coffee occasionally.

In the video: Why coffee on an empty stomach is a bad idea

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