In the 21st century, few people could imagine starting a day without a cup of coffee. Ever since it’s been discovered in the 1600s, it’s become the infatuation drink of the West, and today America drinks on average 400 million cups a day.

When we say coffee, we usually think of the magical brew that makes us more vibrant, energized and productive at work. But is that actually true, or is coffee mankind’s most effective placebo? The following study from international communications provider Tollfree Forwarding might just tell us the answer.

The best times to drink coffee

The human body produces cortisol which naturally “caffeinates” us. The peak times for cortisol production are in the early morning around 7-8 a.m., at midday around 12, and in the evening. Drinking coffee around the peak times of cortisol release actually diminishes the effects of coffee and builds a greater tolerance to it. The more tolerance you have, the smaller the duration of the wide-awake state is.

Best times to drink coffee:

    Between 9:30 and 11:30 A.M

    After lunch, between 1:30 P.M and 5 P.M.

The tasks that will benefit most from coffee

While coffee is a powerful stimulant, it’s commonly mistaken for a creativity booster. Studies have actually found that caffeine doesn’t benefit creative work that requires a lot of thinking and concentration. If you truly want to reap the rewards of the high-caffeine state, you need to get started with a repetitive, more mindless job first. 

How to make the caffeine effect last

It’s no surprise that the more coffee you drink, the more tolerance to it you build, which in the long-term will make the caffeine effect last less time. This is also true for people who smoke regularly. On average, it takes between 15 to 45 minutes for the coffee to kick in. The half-life of its effect is roughly 5.5 hours. However, an individual’s lifestyle contributes significantly to it. Women using birth control or only drinking rarely have coffee will benefit from a much stronger and long-lasting effect. 

 
Beware the headaches

Some of the times when coffee certainly makes one unproductive is when the coffee-withdrawal headache appears. Particularly long-term coffee drinkers can experience these when their favorite brew is taken away. To prepare for such (hopefully rare) occasions, make sure you drink a lot of water, have some peppermint candies on hand, or take a ginseng pill. 

 
How to keep the productivity feel going

Another way to make yourself feel awake and energized even when the caffein effects have worn out is by eating grapefruits or having small amounts of sugar and healthy fats. It’s also worth remembering that smaller, yet more frequent doses of caffeine are much more effective than single large doses – so try swapping those extra-large lattes for some americanos sometimes! 

Editor's Note:

Alex Neag​​

PR Specialist

alex.neag@searchlaboratory.com

www.searchlaboratory.com