Caffeine, particularly in the form of coffee, is the most used stimulant on the planet. There is more research done on caffeine than nearly any other natural substance.

So why do some people say ‘oh, caffeine has no effect on me.’ … OR… ‘I only need one cup of coffee and I’m climbing the walls.’

Different tolerances, different sensitivities, different coffee making techniques are responsible for the differing reactions to caffeine.

If you remember the first time you had a cup, you might recall feeling a little bit high with euphoria. A laser like focus and serious lack of fatigue may have followed.

Perhaps you felt nauseated and never touched the stuff again.

Tolerance is the coffee-lover’s worst enemy. The more you drink over time, the less of an effect it has, until your triple-shot espresso barely does anything at all but stave off sleep for another hour.

In fact, caffeine has no tolerance ceiling, meaning when you reach a certain level, you cannot overcome it by drinking more…and we don’t recommend trying. You’ll poison yourself before you beat the tolerance you’ve built.

About the only way to reset your tolerance level is to come off caffeine for a while. Two weeks gradual weening should do it for most people. Gradual being the operative word. If you go from 5 cups a day to zero, you’ll get some monster withdrawal symptoms, including headaches for days!

Why Use Caffeine?

Aside from the fact that it scrapes you from the floor in the morning, there’s a couple of major benefits to using caffeine

Fat Burning is increased via a thermogenic effect and lipolysis, where triglycerides are broken to release fatty acids for fuel. This is the primary reason most fat burners contain caffeine in some form.

People who have built their tolerance up will miss out on the fat burning effects. The best thing to do is cycle caffeine and take a couple weeks off it (by weening off not going cold turkey) evey 2 months.

Cognitive Function can be improved via caffeine intake. it increases neurotransmitter signalling, thereby improving mood and concentration.

The downside is that, once tolerant, you need caffeine to perform at ‘normal’ cognitive levels. The boosting effect goes away with habitual use.

Physical Power can be increased from caffeine intake, but again, it’s not going to work if you consume it every day. The best way to maximize caffeine for strength training purposes is to only take it before your workout.

There are studies supporting caffeine’s use after a workout as well. It is believed to increase glycogen replacement when consumed with carbs.

Conclusion

If you drink coffee every day, you are not alone. However, it becomes virtually worthless in terms of benefits once daily intake becomes habitual.

When you have built a tolerance of caffeine, there is no way to get over it – certainly not by consuming more – except to ‘come off’ it for a while. And the best way to do that is ween yourself off it rather than going cold turkey so as to avoid unwanted side effects.

There are benefits to caffeine consumption, but they are only as good as the user’s sensitivity to it.

Cycling caffeine is a good way of ensuring that you never become too tolerant of it. Weening off for a week and staying off it for another week (2 weeks total) every 8 to 12 weeks is helpful.

Another way is to only use caffeine when it is needed, this is especially useful for people using it for situational purposes like studying, exams, physical training and so on.

Coffee-lovers, it may sound like it goes against everything you believe in to reduce caffeine intake, or reduce intake frequency.

If you ever want it to feel like the first time again, then you have to make sacrifices 😉

What happens if I skip breakfast and just drink coffee?