Opposing Forces; Caffeine and Cortisol

When opposing forces are balanced, an object remains in a state of equilibrium. Unbalanced forces cause an object to change speed, either speed up, slow down or crash and stop altogether.

How do we relate this back to coffee? Let’s take a look.

Firstly, coffee has a host of benefits and can in certain situations improve and support health.

• Improved cognitive function; Throughout the day levels of a neurotransmitter called Adenosine build up preparing us for sleep. Caffeine works to block this pathway immediately, taking as little as 20 minutes to reach the bloodstream and less than one hour to reach full effectiveness. Additionally caffeine also stimulates the release of other neurotransmitters like Dopamine and Norepinephrine which can improve mood, memory and general cognitive function.

• Improved physical performance; it stimulates the production of Adrenaline; which is effective in heightening awareness and increasing strength. It is important to note here that this is also signalled through our fight/flight pathway which our bodies will perceive as stress or danger, thus increasing cortisol.

• Potential to increase metabolism; a fairly short term effect, research has  highlighted that lipid oxidation (the breakdown of fat) is increased thus releasing fatty acids into the blood stream to be utilised as fuel. However, these effects can be inhibited by the sympathetic nervous system signalling a stress response and increasing cortisol.

• Potential to protect from neurological disease; Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of Dementia with Parkinson’s coming second. Research suggests that regular coffee drinkers have a significantly lower risk of developing both Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons disease, potentially via the increase in dopamine generating neurone in the brain.

• Potential to decrease the risk of certain cancers; More studies are needed to confirm this link but coffee drinkers have been seen to have a significantly lower risk of developing Cirrhosis of the liver.

Overall, there is some good research to suggest that caffeine has some impressive health and performance benefits but like most things, it’s easy to tip into the negatives when a diet is not fully compatible with optimal heath.

So do we dare venture into the negatives?

….I’m afraid we must.

Cortisol is a hormone, known as ‘The Master Hormone’ because if Cortisol is in abundance it dominates the whole show. One of it’s main objectives is influencing our sleep/wake cycle and when it goes out of balance we end up with issues such as insomnia and energy crashes.

Cortisol levels should fluctuate over 24 hours, peaking in the morning and gradually decreasing throughout the day, reaching its lowest point at midnight. When we are consuming high amounts of caffeine, especially in addition to high stress levels, we can start to disrupt this natural cycle.

And here we end up with the chicken and egg…we drink more coffee because we have slept poorly; round and around we go.

It is not just sleep that high cortisol levels will disrupt. Have you ever noticed that you’re more likely to get bloated or suffer digestive issues when things are really busy or you’re highly stressed? That is simply Cortisol doing it’s job. The body cannot differentiate whether you’re running from a grizzly bear or late for the train so our fight or flight response is ignited and in turn slows down bodily functions, like digestion, leading to the aforementioned bloating. 

So how does the imbalance play out in the short and long term?

In the short term we see the suppression of processes such as digestion, sleep and even mood but then in the long term we can see an increase in fat storage and cravings due to fluctuating energy levels; which can play a part in appetite regulation.

So how can we best enjoy the benefits of caffeine without the negative consequences?

My golden rules for consuming caffeine

1. Hydrate before you caffeinate

2. Quality over quantity

3. Ideally consume with a little food

4. Don’t consume within 90 minutes post intense exercise

5. Don’t drink after 12pm

6. Ideally no more than 2 cups. 3 cups max.