Earlier this year, a UK study showed a significant disparity in the amount of caffeine different coffee chains deliver in their cuppas.
Which? A UK-based consumer rights group and reviewer found that a cappuccino from Costa had almost five times the amount of caffeine in it as a Starbucks equivalent.
Now, if you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I’m an advocate of cycling caffeine if you choose to consume it.
Watch my video take on caffeine over on @coachjackmann
Wherever you get it from or however you take it, it’s worth recognising – and remembering – that it’s one of the most potent psychoactive drugs that most of us will have access to.
Used in moderation, caffeine has been reliably shown to promote alertness and improve mood and even athletic performance. Indeed, so impactful can caffeine be, it was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from competitive sports for almost 20 years and still remains on their watchlist.
If you consume caffeine everyday, however, you might not notice these effects.
To note, up to 400mg of caffeine a day has been considered safe by the US-based FDA, and there are a number of health benefits associated with caffeine consumption, particularly, it seems, for females.
I’m not telling you to stop drinking coffee – and you know that I love sugar-free energy drinks – but, if you struggle to sleep, find that you’re often stressed and a coffee helps you to feel normal, then you’re likely addicted to it without feeling its performance enhancing benefits.
If this sounds like you, I encourage you to learn how much caffeine you do consume in a day and try going cold turkey or decaf for a week and then coming back to one cup a day the week after. You should find – after the initial withdrawal, which could be unpleasant! – that you suddenly don’t need it, and/or a lot less goes a lot further…