Does Coffee Give You Energy? (Solved & Explained!)

Coffee increases energy because it contains caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that alters the neurotransmitters in your brain to increase energy and decrease fatigue. However, your body often crashes later on during the day, making you feel more tired than before you drink coffee.

To learn more about how coffee gives you energy, keep reading.

Does coffee actually give energy?

Yes. Coffee actually gives energy. The drink contains a stimulant called caffeine, which increases energy and decreases fatigue by altering some of the neurotransmitters in your brain. As a result, you will feel more energized and awake within 30 minutes to an hour after drinking the coffee.

Of course, this increase in energy does not last forever. The caffeine levels in your bloodstream peak 1 hour after consumption and can remain for a couple of hours. As this peak starts to fall, you can start to feel more tired since your body is recuperating from the changes in your brain and bloodstream.

What this means is that coffee does give energy, but that energy doesn’t stay. This explains why you have to continue to drink coffee to maintain the increased energy levels.

Does coffee reduce fatigue?

Yes. Coffee reduces fatigue. The neurotransmitters responsible for increasing energy also help to reduce fatigue. This explains why coffee is sometimes given when individuals feel sluggish and tired, even when they don’t exactly need a huge boost in energy.

Still, that fatigue will come back within several hours. The individual may feel more fatigued than before, depending on the environment and how much caffeine was consumed.

What causes coffee to boost energy?

Coffee boosts energy because of a natural stimulant found within the drink: caffeine. Caffeine is found in natural substances, including tea and coffee. In fact, it is found in a total of 60 different plants.

Although that wasn’t enough, there is also some synthetic caffeine that is added to drinks, foods, and medicines. Many over-the-counter medications and energy-boosting gum include synthetic varieties.

In coffee specifically, caffeine is almost always natural. That’s because the plant from which coffee is made naturally contains caffeine. There is no need to include synthetic caffeine in the drink.

How does caffeine work in coffee for energy?

Caffeine has a similar structure to ATP, which is essentially how your body gets energy. Because caffeine has a similar structure, it can bond with ATP receptors in your brain. Your body responds to this bonding by releasing more adrenaline, which makes your central nervous system feel more alert.

Additionally, caffeine triggers dopamine responses. Dopamine is a natural chemical that makes you feel happy or good. Between the adrenaline and dopamine, coffee makes you feel alert and happy, helping to fight any fatigue you are experiencing.

How fast does coffee give you energy?

Many factors will impact how fast coffee gives you energy. On average, it will only take 10 to 15 minutes to experience the first jolt of the caffeine. If you are caffeine tolerant or have other food in your system, it may take a bit longer. In contrast, those that are caffeine sensitive or who have not eaten food will experience the energy faster.

Most individuals do not feel the peak of the coffee until 45 minutes to an hour after consumption. This period is when coffee is the most potent in your system. This peak can last for a couple of hours until it starts to wear off.

How long does energy from coffee last?

Just as there are many factors that impact how quickly you can experience the benefits of coffee, there are many factors that impact how long it lasts. On average, coffee will still be affecting your body up to 8 hours after the initial consumption.

Most studies have found that you still have half of the initial amount of caffeine in your body six hours after consumption. After that, it starts decreasing even further. Some people may experience caffeine in their system for as long as 12 hours after the drink.

When is the best time to drink coffee for energy?

Even though most people like drinking a cup of coffee as soon as they wake up, this is actually not the best time to drink coffee. Your body has a specific hormone and chemical rhythm that is dependent on the time of day.

Whenever you first wake up, you might feel initially exhausted, but you will be energized by the time you put on clothes and wash your face. When mid to late morning hits, you will likely experience fatigue. That’s because your natural hormone cycle causes you to release less amount of cortisol during this time.

What this means for your coffee consumption is that the best time to drink coffee for energy is in the mid to late morning. This will help to get you out of that mid-morning slump and energize you through the rest of the workday.

Can coffee make you more tired?

People experience a crash after drinking coffee. The reason for this is that caffeine blocks adenosine, which makes us feel tired. Even though coffee blocks it, it is still being produced by your body. Whenever caffeine leaves your system, you then have an overload of adenosine, causing you to feel more tired than before.

What coffee is best for fatigue?

If you are very fatigued, you want to select a coffee with a high amount of caffeine. Light roast Robusta beans tend to have the most amount of caffeine. In light roast coffee, more caffeine is present due to the roasting cycle. Similarly, Robusta beans naturally have twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans.

Is tea or coffee better for fighting fatigue?

Coffee technically contains more caffeine than tea. This makes it a good option if you need energy fast. However, tea is better if you want slow releases of energy and do not want a terrible crash at the end of the day. So, you will want to select your coffee based on your ideal day and cup.