Excessive caffeine led to the death of a 16-year old in South Carolina named Davis Allen Cripe. As a biochemist studying energy drinks, I share my understanding of what happened and what caffeine research tells us about caffeine and heart issues.
Contents (click to jump):
For Day 5 of the GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge, we talk about when MONDAY RUINS your SUNDAY! We talk about the importance of planning ahead, why 400 is a magic number for caffeine consumption, and what countries exceed that magic number. ***PLAY ALONG – post a picture of your tricks to nurse your caffeine on Instagram/ Facebook/Twitter and tag @GreenEyedGuide, or add your pictures to the Caffeine Challenge Event page at Facebook.com/GreenEyedGuide/events
March is Caffeine Awareness Month! For Day 4 of the GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge, we talk about how caffeine can SAVE LIVES!
One of the most important reasons to use the 5 Levels of Fatigue is so you don’t build up a tolerance, so caffeine will still work for you when you need it the most! It’s also important to remember that the 5th Level of Fatigue is Zombieland, in other words, that point at which there is no amount of caffeine that can save you. At that point, only sleep will help.
Learn more about the 5 Levels of Fatigue here
Through this challenge, you’ll learn how to use the 5 Levels of Fatigue to reap the benefits of caffeine while avoiding addiction, dependence, tolerance, and toxicity.
For Day 3 of the GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge, we discuss the Friday Night Dilemma: what do you do when you get tired at 10 pm but you want to enjoy a night on the town and have an alcoholic beverage?
References in the video - FoodNavigator on the DAWN report and Caffeine Informer on alcohol and energy drinks
Through this challenge, you’ll learn how to use the 5 Levels of Fatigue to reap the benefits of caffeine while avoiding addiction, dependence, tolerance, and toxicity.
PLAY ALONG – post a picture of your WAKE-UP tool/trick on Instagram and tag @GreenEyedGuide, or add your pictures to the Caffeine Challenge Event page at Facebook.com/GreenEyedGuide/events
HOW QUICKLY you consume caffeine is JUST AS IMPORTANT as HOW MUCH caffeine you consume.
❎This is why I don’t like energy shots! If it’s more caffeine than you can handle, it’s too late because you’ve consumed the whole thing in one gulp.❎
Sipping your caffeine and even breaking the 1 can = 1 serving suggestion (treating 1 can = 4 servings) you can decrease the total amount of caffeine you consume in one day and ultimately teach your body to work just as well with slightly smaller doses.
Consider the Book Excerpt of the Week from PART TWO: Do They Work Energy – Synergy and the WHO, HOW, and WHEN
Mr. Thrift sips his caffeine throughout the day to make it last. Mr. Swift makes sure to drink every last drop of a 16 ounce can containing 160 mg caffeine on his way to work. By the end of his shift, he feels like he needs another can. With caffeine’s half-life of ~4 hours, there is still ~80 mg in Mr. Swift’s system. However, with his consumption habits, this won’t feel like enough.
Story Time
When I was in grad school I would drink a full bottle of water, then pour half my energy drink in that empty bottle and save it for the next day. The carbonated energy drinks would lose all the carbonation overnight, but I didn’t care. The caffeine still worked. To this day, I rarely finish a whole energy drink in one day. Those days that I do, it’s a long drawn out consumption, to ensure I don’t consume more caffeine than I absolutely need.
Get your copy of my book, “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star-A Guide to Energy Drinks: How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely” on Amazon and wherever books are sold.