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Java’s Jolt of Caffeine Universally Felt

Those of us who can’t open our eyes in the morning before downing a nice, steaming cup of coffee eagerly anticipate that java jolt that gets our hearts pumping, our blood flowing, and clears the cobwebs out of our sleepy thoughts, even though some coffee critics think the beverage’s energizing boost is all in our heads.  In an effort to prove the energizing boost that comes from caffeine is real, not imagined, Canadian researchers tested the after-effects of a cup of coffee on regular coffee drinkers and on others who almost never touch the stuff.  Turns out the jolt of energy that comes from caffeine is universally felt, regardless of the extent of one’s coffee habit.

At the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where lead researcher Michael Kennedy is a professor of exercise physiology, he and his team of research colleagues recruited a group of 10 women who drink coffee on a daily basis and 10 more who drank no more than two servings a week.  All women in the study were between 18 and 37 years of age.

Kennedy’s study participants enjoyed a normal breakfast, which they followed with a 350-milliliter serving of coffee containing about 140 milligrams of caffeine.  Fifty minutes after drinking the coffee, to allow for full absorption into the bloodstream, all study participants completed two tasks involving word exercises.  Before and after performing the tasks, participants were measured for blood pressure, heart rate, and level of alertness.

Test results showed a measurable effect of the caffeine on all the study participants.  Both groups of women were found to be more alert after drinking the coffee and their heart rates had calmed.

One finding of the study that did produce difference however is that the habitual coffee drinkers were found to have a higher baseline blood pressure rate before drinking the coffee than those who drink coffee only rarely.  Acknowledging his study sample is small, Kennedy says the results are both clinically and statistically significant nevertheless.  He expresses special concern for the elevated baseline blood pressure in habitual coffee drinkers, suggesting caffeine intake may need to be adjusted to accommodate long-term cardiovascular fitness.  He speculates a reduction in caffeine consumption may be beneficial in reducing blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

The full details of the Kennedy study are available in the latest issue of the journal, Nutrition Research.

Source: University of Alberta

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