ORLANDO, Fla. - Do you wake up in the morning and immediately go for a cup of coffee to give you the caffeine buzz you need to start your day? If so, scientists say you are doing it wrong.
To get the optimum effects from a cup of joe, experts suggest waiting an hour before downing your first cup of coffee upon waking up. Sounds like a long time, especially if you rely on it to get energized in the a.m., right? Hear us out.
Cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, naturally spikes in the morning, giving us an energy boost that helps us get focused. Now, if you add a hit of caffeine on top of that, experts say you are kind of wasting it since your body is already getting energy from the natural cortisol.
Instead, they suggest waiting until your cortisol levels die down, which is about an hour after waking up. Then when you have your coffee, your energy source switches, giving the caffeine a chance to work on its own and prolonging the energy boost.
Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, a registered dietitian, says your alertness tends to peak 30-45 minutes after waking up.
"So in order to experience the true caffeine buzz, you may want to wait a beat before sipping your coffee, which will allow cortisol to mellow out."
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There are some exceptions. If you don’t tend to get jittery from coffee and need a big jolt of energy before a workout, Dr. Steven Gundry, a cardiothoracic surgeon at The International Heart and Lung Institute Center for Restorative Medicine, says go ahead and combine the two.
"Cortisol generally starts to rise around 4 a.m., as does epinephrine (adrenaline), to get you ready for the day. Both cause blood sugar (glucose) to rise so you have plenty of available fuel," he told the Huffington Post. "The caffeine in coffee also increases glucose, so if you want to get up and going, especially for a workout or just walking the dog, have that cup of coffee."