Men Get Bigger Boost from Caffeine

Over half of the adult population in the U.S. are regular coffee drinkers, each downing an average of three to four cups of the brew each day. But despite all the flavors and varieties, taste is not what drives coffee’s popularity—it’s the caffeine buzz that coffee drinkers crave. Caffeine is one of the fastest acting drugs known to man, working its magic within minutes of consumption by blocking adenosine, a chemical the body releases to signal the brain it’s tired. This quick fix allows Americans to sharpen their minds and improve their performance; however, men may be getting a better buzz for their buck when they grab that espresso from Starbucks.

Researchers from the University of Barcelona studied the effects of caffeine on 668 students (238 male and 450 female) with an average age of 22. The participants were asked to drink either a classic espresso containing 100 mg. of caffeine or a decaffeinated espresso with 5 mg. of caffeine. Their sleepiness and activity levels were measured before drinking the espresso and afterward at 10, 20 and 30 minute intervals. Also, to check for differences caused by the time of day, measurements were also taken at mid-day, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and in the afternoon between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The researchers found that, regardless of gender, caffeine had an almost immediate effect. Although both men and women saw an improvement in their activity levels, men responded more quickly than women, perking up after only ten minutes. “Forty-five minutes is the time needed for maximum caffeine concentration to be reached in the blood, but levels reach half this concentration after just a few minutes,” explained lead author Ana Adan, a researcher in the university’s psychiatry and clinical psychobiology department. The energy-boosting effects of caffeine usually last two to three hours, but can extend to four or five hours depending on an individual’s sensitivity, metabolic rate and age.

Ironically, the students who drank decaffeinated coffee also showed a small improvement in their state of alertness, except this time the effect was more noticeable among the women. “Although we can’t say it is a placebo, we did note an effect resulting from drinking a decaffeinated coffee (at a quantity insufficient to actually affect mood),” Adan said, adding, “It remains to be evaluated whether these effects are simply subjective, or if they do have an impact on performance.” For those of you who cannot drink normal coffee, a decaffeinated one might provide some benefits.

Anna Denny of the British Nutrition Foundation said, “This study provides an interesting insight into how the effects of specific foods and nutrients may differ between men and women. Research into ‘gene-nutrient’ interactions is moving forward quickly and we are finding out more about how our genetic make-up affects our requirements for certain foods and nutrients, and how our bodies react to these. In the future this could allow scientists to formulate dietary recommendations based on our genetic makeup, as well as our age and body size.”