Caffeine has almost no calories, but it gives us energy. Where does this energy come from? Is caffeine making the body use its stored fat?
In: Chemistry
Oversimplified, but I think of it like this. Narcan blocks opioid receptors, caffeine blocks adenosine receptors.
Caffeine is does not provide us any energy. It blocks your receptors in your brain that tell you you’re tired so you only feel more awake. That’s also why caffeine crashes can be real rough. The tired signal has still been building up but was being blocked. Once the caffeine wears off, all that tiredness hits like a truck
Caffeine conveniently fits into adenosine receptors in the brain, blocking the body’s ability to feel fatigue. It only masks it, though — it doesn’t actually provide energy in and of itself. Consider, however, that most people don’t drink their coffee black. Instead, they add cream, sugar, chocolate, whipped cream…the list goes on! Those will give *some* energy but probably nothing significant.
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It tricks you into using existing energy reserves yes, which is why it’s actually counter-productive, and causing the caffeine dump you get an hour or so afterwards.
Great podcast describing how caffeine works and why it is a mood elevator as well. May not ELI5, but will explain it like you are not a science expert.
https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/ep-54-wake-up-and-smell-the-caffeine/id1299915173?i=1000485591796
Caffeine doesn’t give you energy. Caffeine is a stimulant, meaning it excites your body and your body “wakes up” and uses more of the energy it already has because it’s being forced to do more stuff (stay awake, breathe faster, pump the hear faster, move more muscles, etc.).
the “energy” comes from the caffine blocking our receptors in the brain that makes us feel tired, also its a toxin that makes our heart pump faster
Posts like these absolutely blow my mind. The feeling of knowing the reason behind something why it is the way it is, is awesome.
It’s like the sims. We have a food bar and a sleep bar. Caffeine restores a little of the sleep bar, not the food bar
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