“If you enjoy coffee, just go and enjoy coffee, and the data in general suggests that actually caffeine or coffee consumption overall is very beneficial for a number of health outcomes.” -Dr Bryan Saunders

Dr Bryan Saunders is a researcher at the University of São Paulo, who specialises in the study of caffeine, and in particular its effects on exercise performance. He’s co-authored multiple studies on the topic and sheds light on many of the myths that are perpetuated online.

In this episode, I ask Bryan how caffeine is affecting our bodies, everything from the mechanisms behind its ergogenic effects to the truth behind habitual coffee consumption.

Stay tuned to find out:

• Whether your morning coffee really is bad for your health
• How caffeine improves exercise performance
• Whether caffeine actually stops affecting you the more you consume it
• If genetic variations mean some people are immune to its effects
• When you need to stop drinking caffeine for a good night’s sleep

Chapters

(1:56) Morning coffee effects and your adenosine system

(8:27) Does caffeine affect habitual coffee drinkers?

(10:58) Placebo effect of morning cuppa

(14:29) Non-caffeine benefits of coffee

(15:40) Boosting exercise performance

(21:57) The dose you need

(24:10) Ideal time to consume caffeine

(25:38) Negative effects of overconsumption

(30:13) Feeling more TIRED after caffeine?

(34:23) Do you need a caffeine fast?

(37:45) Half-life of caffeine and sleep impacts

(43:34) Long-term physiological effects of caffeine

(45:33) Differences between coffee beans

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An OG Podcasts production.