Coffee & Sex
Appetizer — Did the title catch your eye? I hope it did. These two things have literally nothing in common, but one can lead to high cortisol levels and the other can also lead to decreased cortisol levels. ;)
Entree — Alright, as we all know, I am in PA school. Caffeine is necessary and absolutely needed. This information is not to dog on caffeine, because I am sadly addicted, but to inform you of what you should actually be drinking and how to pick the best energy drinks, coffee, green tea, etc.
Also - before I forget to mention this and before I dog on coffee/caffeine, HAPPY CHESTNUT PRALINE SEASONBABYYYYY!!
Anyways…
The FDA recommends up to 400 mg of caffeine a day is ~safe~. This is roughly the size of four brewed coffees, two/three shots of espresso, 4-5 green teas, a few scoops of preworkout, etc.
Your large coffee (venti?) at Starbs is probably 3-4 shots of espresso. Take this into account the next time you order a coffee! The “negative” side effects of insane caffeine intake include, jitters, anxiety, etc. You have probably heard these a thousand times. In reality, if you are also in school, getting caffeine jittery is not good for you. The high amount of caffeine can actually decrease testing performance, impact your sleep (which kills your performance), and overall disrupt focus.
Is there a huge difference between coffee and energy drinks? No, but you definitely look more sophisticated holding a black coffee than a red bull, I don’t make the rules. One of the main differences I could find between the two drinks is the additives in energy drinks. Your red-bulls, monster, etc, most of the time have amino acids, massive amounts of supplement in them (super unnecessary), and sometimes strange preservatives, dyes, flavorings. If you don’t check nutrition labels of the energy drinks, I recommend doing this the next time you drink one. The sugar content is insane for your small can of red-bull, or you may be getting 300% of your daily value of one of the vitamins added (which isn’t great for you?)
Another way energy drinks are typically consumed is in a fast fashion, somewhat of a “chug”, if you will. This causes a huge energy/sugar increase followed by a crash. Coffee is typically sipped (unless you chug this as well) and seems to have more mild and spread out stimulation.
Overall, if you are a die-hard energy drink person, a recommendation that I have tried and researched are the V8 energy drinks (no, they don’t taste like tomato juice). Other recommendations are moderate your intake, and slow down when consuming.
If you are a coffee person, remember that the fancy drinks you get may have your daily caffeine intake in one cup. Be mindful of these things! If you’ve had a venti espresso from starbucks, you probably should not be taking 2 scoops of preworkout at 5 pm to get you through the night.
Dessert — Things to decrease your stress/cortisol levels so you can chill the f**k out sometimes. (This list may or may not be approved by research - use at your own risk.)
Sex (if you’re into that)
Working out (you probably should be)
Reading a sm*t book ( I mean seriously can I even wait for the new fourth wing to drop?)
Maybe just reading a normal book (boo)
Drinking some water (also lame)
Sticking to a routine / schedule (necessary)
Etc.
Almost the holidays!! Keep pushing through lovely people.
Love,
Jadon
Extras:
UoPeople, W. of. (2024, June 19). Coffee vs Energy Drinks: The battle to keep you awake. University of the People. https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/coffee-vs-energy-drinks-the-battle-to-keep-you-awake/
Cleveland Clinic. (2024c, August 12). The buzz about coffee, chocolate and the caffeine we consume. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/know-whats-in-your-coffee
Commissioner, O. of the. (n.d.). Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much
Communication, M. and. (2024, August 22). How much caffeine is too much? understanding the risks. University of Utah Health | University of Utah Health. https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2023/08/how-much-caffeine-too-much-understanding-risks
