“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

Connect with me:

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For more useful science for your everyday life, grab my best selling book “This Book May Save Your Life”: https://geni.us/DrKaranBook

An OG Podcasts production.

Why Your Coffee Habit Might Be Better Than You Think - Dr Bryan Saunders