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
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Your body doesn’t need more energy, it has plenty of it unless you’re completely starving. Caffeine temporarily prevents your body from telling you it’s time to sleep, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to stay awake.
There is mental and physical exhaustion. Mental exhaustion comes way before physical exhaustion and is often “fake” exhaustion.
Like if you go for a run, your brain is going to be screaming to stop long before your body gives out on you and you are so tired you hit a wall and can’t physically continue. But drugs help augment our mind so it doesn’t tell us to stop
Caffeine looks very much like adenosine. ( that’s the A in ATP which is the energy currency of the cell). While we are awake we are constantly using ATP and as a result produce excess adenosine. Normally adenosine binding to adenosine receptors ( yes we are that lazy with names in biochemistry sometimes) triggers us ‘feeling tired.
Caffeine looks similar enough to adenosine that it can bind the same receptor, but it’s different enough that it doesn’t activate the receptor. Since now the receptor can’t actually sense the adenosine present, we feel awake. This also describes some of the side effects. The ‘crash’ is the caffeine releasing from the receptor and the receptor being able to sense the adenosine again. Also the reason you drink more caffeine now than when you first started to get the same result has to do with the fact that our body is actually kinda smart. It ‘knows’ that it should be feeling tired at some point and its solution is to up-regulate(make more of) the adenosine receptors. Now it will take more caffeine to blocks those.
Also. Koffeine effect also only last 6 hrs or so. So to be alert at end of workday its best not to take First cup at home 07.00 but better at like 10.00 fika or whatever.
Consider that you are probably also consuming other things alongside that caffeine in most cases. Sugar in energy drinks and often in coffee for example.
Pretty much. Caffeine makes you use more of the calories already in your system. I discovered this when I always got hungry after a cup
Caffeine doesn’t give energy, it blocks receptors telling your brain it’s tired. Ingesting caffeine first thing in the morning is also the reason people have an afternoon crash.
Neural pathways are like light switches .The coffee stimulates and turns the switch on which causes electricity (neural pulse) then the brain sends notes or hormones to the ans system the fight or flight this causes adrenaline gogo juice to be expelled then back to the brain. The brain feels the adrenaline and starts to make the body react physically so clammy skin ,heat receptors,increases heart rate pupil dilation and sends out an acid off sorts called cortisol, to help regulate and bring the brain back to normal homeostasis
the coffee circulates the pleasure zones of the brain and that’s where the energy occurs/alertness tdlr : coffee light switch flicks brain rapidly messes with feedback loop brain fights back to go back to calm
I’m sure this has already been said in the comments, and I didn’t read a single one because I felt like explaining it. Caffeine is an adenosine antagonist. That means it blocks adenosine.
Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that controls your sleep drive. It builds up while you’re awake and makes you feel tired. Drink some coffee and the adenosine gets blocked and you feel more awake.
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