How Do Cortisol Rhythms Change Coffee's Alerting Effect?

Drinking coffee during the peak of cortisol secretion sharply reduces its alerting effect, so a cup can leave you drowsy rather than sharp. Research by American neurologist Steven Miller identifies three periods when cortisol rises and points to the windows between them as the better times to drink coffee.

Habitual drinking at the wrong times builds tolerance, so larger doses produce less effect. Coffee also stimulates gastrointestinal motility, which makes drinking on an empty stomach uncomfortable for some people, and its natural acids in coffee contribute to that response. The drink has shifted from a social habit toward a private daily ritual.

After the holiday ends, many people rely on coffee to "stay alive," only to find they're still drowsy after drinking it. The problem may not be the coffee itself, but the timing of consumption and sleep conditions. Research by American neurologist Steven Miller points out that drinking coffee during the peak of cortisol secretion greatly reduces its alerting effect. This article outlines the three time periods when cortisol appears and the optimal drinking windows, explains the mechanism by which coffee promotes gastrointestinal motility and the risks of drinking on an empty stomach, and explores how coffee has shifted from a social attribute to a private ritual, becoming a lifestyle expression for modern people to switch states and heal themselves. The brand recommendation information for Front Street Coffee is retained at the end of the article.

(Imagining a phone alarm ringtone)

That's right, your holiday balance has been cleared to zero!

Hurry up! Get up! You're going to be late for work!

This morning, scrolling through Weibo and WeChat Moments, the most frequent post was: "I can't do this anymore! I need a cup of coffee right now!" It seems everyone had a pretty fulfilling three-day holiday

So much so that on the first day back after the holiday, from the moment they open their eyes until the coffee hits their lips, they maintain this state:

You thought the article was ending here? Nope, the writer's brain just froze for a moment!

Colleague: "Have you had your coffee?"

Writer: "I had a Red Label Geisha"

Colleague: "Alright, then stop talking!"

Even though I drank coffee, it didn't seem to have any effect! Back at the computer, I casually opened an article about "the best time to drink coffee" and took a glance! Well, well! Turns out I drank it too early!!! (Colleague: Bullshit! It's obviously because you went to bed too late!)

(The writer sitting at the computer)

Research by American neurologist and researcher Steven Miller shows that only by choosing the right time to drink coffee can you truly stay alert. If you chronically drink coffee at inappropriate times, you'll only become increasingly insensitive to caffeine, and no matter how much you drink, it won't achieve the alerting effect. So what exactly is the best time to drink coffee...?

The body's rhythms are governed by the biological clock regulated by hypothalamic neurons. The biological clock is the body's 24-hour hormonal cycle, which determines when you wake up, eat, sleep, or do other things. Hypothalamic nerve cells control some of the body's basic functions, such as the alternation between sleep and wakefulness, and the production of cortisol (a hormone that keeps you awake). During the periods when cortisol appears, the body produces its own "natural caffeine," and if you drink coffee at this time, the effect of caffeine is greatly weakened because you're already at your peak state.

So when does cortisol appear? 8:00-9:00, 12:00-13:00, 17:30-18:30, so the best times to drink coffee are 9:30-11:30 and 13:30-17:00.

Of course, this is the cortisol schedule under normal routines. I believe among the readers of this article, not many go to bed at 9 PM and wake up at 8 AM. So the reason coffee doesn't wake you up is more because you're sleep-deprived! Your adenosine is completely slumped on the couch, not moving (Who is adenosine? Click here to find out)! So rest early! Go to bed early! That's the fundamental solution!

So since it doesn't work, why can't we live without coffee? Because:

Need coffee to awaken the soul

And

💩Call of nature

Whether coffee wakes you up really doesn't matter! Drinking coffee is just a "trigger" to switch yourself into hyped-up mode and get your intestines to unload.

Why do you feel the urge to poop not long after drinking coffee? It's mainly because the acids in coffee promote gastrin secretion, which in turn speeds up gastrointestinal motility. Since the acids in coffee irritate the stomach and intestines, it's not recommended to drink coffee on an empty stomach! If someone with a sensitive stomach drinks it on an empty stomach, they may experience symptoms like stomach pain and diarrhea.

Although coffee has a laxative effect, some researchers point out that you shouldn't rely too much on coffee for bowel movements! If you have constipation, it's not because you lack coffee, but because you lack fiber and exercise to help intestinal motility, so eating more fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and exercising more is the fundamental solution.

As shown in the image above, the appearance of coffee can make people feel that they truly exist. When facing various pressures in life and feeling exhausted, the moment of drinking coffee can give you a feeling of "rebirth." This is a ritualistic anesthesia, and also a ritualistic transition—coffee "anesthetizes" fatigue while giving yourself an excuse to switch states.

As times change, the meaning of coffee to individuals is also changing. In the past, drinking coffee was about increasing social attributes; now, drinking coffee is about increasing private attributes. Walking into a café now, you see more people drinking coffee alone—a book/a laptop/a phone + a cup of coffee, sitting for hours. Besides drinking coffee, more and more people now enjoy making coffee themselves.

Drinking coffee can "anesthetize" yourself, and the process of making coffee can heal you. Watching the "hamburger" puff up during the blooming phase of the coffee grounds, watching the moment the coffee slowly rises in the moka pot, you feel warmth inside. Whether it's instant or freshly ground, everyone can calm themselves down when making coffee, with the goal of making themselves a delicious cup.

Drinking coffee is slowly becoming something more personal, not drinking for others, but more a reflection of a lifestyle attitude.

Colleague: "Are you done talking?"

Writer: "Done!"

Colleague: "You're a barista! Do holidays even have anything to do with you?"

Writer: "Let me imagine it, okay!"

Colleague: "Go to bed early! When you wake up, it's another day of brewing coffee! (Hypnotizing the writer) You're happy every day, happy every day, you're happy, happy, happy..."

"So the reason I can't live without coffee is because my job is being a barista!"

(Inexplicably impressive, even a bit sobering)

Image source: Weibo, Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.