Choose the Right Time to Drink Coffee for Maximum Benefits

Coffee is a popular beverage worldwide, known for its ability to help people feel more awake and focused during work. This effect is due to caffeine, a stimulant that is found in coffee, as well as in other drinks like tea.

Many people have the habit of drinking coffee right after waking up to feel more alert. However, some believe that drinking coffee a few hours after waking is more beneficial. So, when is the best time to drink coffee?

Drinking Coffee in the Morning

Many people drink coffee right after waking up. However, if you drink coffee too early, its stimulating effect will be reduced. When you first wake up, cortisol, a stress hormone, is at its highest level. This hormone helps keep the body awake, focused, regulates metabolism, blood pressure, and immune responses.

Cortisol follows a natural rhythm in sync with the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Its level peaks 30-40 minutes after waking up in the morning and gradually decreases throughout the day.

Therefore, the best time to drink coffee is from mid-morning to late morning. At this time, the cortisol level is lower, making it more effective.

However, there is no specific study that shows the superior energy-boosting effects of delaying coffee consumption in the morning compared to drinking it right after waking up.

Drinking coffee in the morning helps keep the body awake and the mind focused on work. Coffee can also increase the amount of cortisol in the body due to caffeine. This means that drinking coffee while cortisol levels are high can further raise the hormone's concentration. Prolonged elevated cortisol levels can weaken the immune system and lead to health problems. There is no long-term research on the effects of increased cortisol due to coffee consumption on health. Furthermore, people who frequently consume caffeinated beverages tend to have a lower cortisol increase from caffeine.

This means that drinking coffee right after waking up isn't harmful to health. However, delaying coffee consumption for a few hours in the morning will help you maintain energy and alertness better.

The time between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. is considered the ideal time to drink coffee. By this time, cortisol levels have decreased. Drinking coffee will help you stay awake and focused without increasing stress due to excessive cortisol.

Drinking Coffee in the Afternoon

Between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., you can also have a cup of coffee to feel more awake. In the afternoon, many people feel sleepy after lunch. Drinking coffee can help boost energy and keep you alert.

Drinking coffee in the afternoon also helps maintain alertness and focus during work.

Drinking Coffee Before Exercise

Coffee has the ability to stimulate focus and alertness. This beverage also helps improve exercise performance.

Some studies show that drinking caffeine can delay fatigue during exercise and improve muscle strength.

To optimize the benefits of coffee for exercise performance, you should consume it 30-60 minutes before your workout.