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- 4 Minute Read
- 05th July 2017
Boosting office productivity – why does planned coffee intake matter?
By Rudy Caretti & Lorenzo Agostinelli of Gimoka Coffee UK
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When somebody mentions office, coffee is probably one of the first things that come to mind. Many of us cannot imagine coping with our busy days without coffee. Coffee brings us to that much-desired state of alertness and gives us the boost to make it through hard tasks. Office life just wouldn’t be the same if there wasn’t that magical mug of Joe. Although some argue on it, coffee, besides its awesome aroma and taste, has really good health benefits and drinking it properly can be an even more powerful tool.
Is Drinking First Thing In The Morning A Good Decision?
Coffee drinkers just love to take that first sip first thing in the morning, but is it really that good for our bodies? Well, according to a research conducted by Steven Miller of Geisel School of Medicine, drinking coffee first thing in the morning can be counterproductive. It just shrinks and cripples the boost caffeine brings. In lots of cases, people tend to develop resistance and their morning amount just isn’t enough anymore to keep them alert and on-the-go.
Dr Miller’s research mentions that we humans have natural biological clocks and the most well-known one is the circadian rhythm. It's our inborn 24 hour body cycle that regulates many bodily processes, including ones connected to “booting” our systems when waking up. It also regulates how drugs (one of which being caffeine) infect our bodies and resistance development. Turns out, the best we can do - regarding coffee - is to let our circadian rhythm wake us up by naturally producing and dispersing cortisol hormone. Cortisol is responsible for keeping us alert and awake.
What Is The Best Intake Period?
The circadian clock is largely influenced by natural sunlight and so is cortisol production, which reaches its climax between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. Caffeine just won’t do much for us at this time of the day, and it’s just waste of coffee if you are taking the strict amount of cups per day. Other time-frames of the day, when our body is naturally alert and pumped with blood, are midday 12:00 – 01:00 PM and 5:30 – 06:30 PM.
That leaves us with a couple of periods throughout the day when we can enjoy our coffee and get the maximum out of it, making ourselves alert and chugging that busy office day away. It’s still in the morning, but a bit later than we’re used to. Somewhere between 09:30 – 11:30 AM our morning alertness fades away slowly and our body is ready to receive some external stimuli. Take a short break and have yourself that well-deserved cup. In 20 minutes time cortisol will gladly make his way for caffeine to bind with your receptors. Within 20 minutes, you’ll be up and running and just for the perfect amount of time when midday natural alertness kicks in.
The other desirable intake period comes between 01:30 and 5:00 PM. It’s probably the time when all of us feel it the most.
The other desirable intake period comes between 01:30 and 5:00 PM. It’s probably the time when all of us feel it the most. Well into the day, we’re feeling the tiredness our work imposed and most of us have also had their lunch-break. This contributes to that groggy feeling of not being so eager to get back to work. It’s recommended to take a cup - even two for us heavy addicts - to keep us running that last mile in the office.
How Much Should You Take?
Well, there’s no one answer if you ask a high variety of coffee drinkers out there. Even some scientists argue that it really isn’t a matter of how much, but more how we feel. Some people experience negative sides of taking too much and some don’t. We definitely won’t advise overdosing and overstuffing yourselves (although lethal dosage is more than anyone could ever drink). European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends up to 400 milligrams per day. This amounts to a more-than-enough 4 healthy cups a day.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends up to 400 milligrams per day. This amounts to a more-than-enough 4 healthy cups a day.
You should definitely take into account things like your age, illness, pregnancy or anything that might be a problem if you’re a coffee drinker, but you shouldn’t be too afraid if sometimes you overdo it. Luckily, caffeine will only cause you feeling irritable or jittery, even restless. Some other side effects are stomach upsets, headaches, faster heart rate and in rare cases, muscle tremors. But don’t get yourself into a panic: just drink plenty of water and/or grab something to eat and the side effects should all subside shortly after.
Coffee is an awesome beverage and a daily ritual for many. It keeps us alert and is a great assistance when tired, not to mention its ability to keep lots of illnesses at bay. Nevertheless, you should enjoy your cups of Joe at the right times and in safe amounts to get the best health benefits each and every day.
Rudy Caretti has over 15 years of experience in the coffee industry, a passion that started in Italy within the family business and brought him to found Gimoka Coffee UK and G Coffee Pod with a group of friends, who share the same passion. Since he roasted his first batch of coffee seeds as a teenager, he has been fascinated by the many ways it can be processed to get the many different distinctive flavours we all love.
As a coffee connoisseur, Rudy has always been aware of the vital role played by coffee in most people's social life and he is especially active through the company's social media and blog. He loves sharing his knowledge with readers around the world, writing and posting articles that range from the coffee brewing techniques to raising awareness of the importance of responsible production to help protect the rights of farmers and protect the environment.
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