Caffeine tolerance occurs relatively quickly between individuals. You could argue that depends on the consistent dose and how well you metabolize it, but tolerance does occur. Reason #1 why I monitor my intake.⠀

Sorry to burst your bubble Karen, your triple shot, white chocolate whip, creme brûlée frappachino you drink every day might be doing more harm than good. Especially if you’re drinking it with the intent of replacing proper sleep.⠀

Sleep is not an optional extra in life, it is a fundamental requirement that far too many people overlook.

Sleep has its physical, mental and emotional processing components, so when we have had no sleep, or insufficient sleep, these processes are not able to work effectively. We experience this in the form of lethargy, exhaustion, lapses in concentration, memory, and emotionally we may become irritable, or down.

Sleep is an automatic process and therefore under our voluntary control. Whether awake or asleep we are at the mercy of two biological processes:

(1) Sleep Homeostasis, known as 'Sleep Pressure' and⠀

(2) The Circadian Rhythm, known as the 'Body Clock'.

These two processes work in harmony to promote sleep at night.

Outside of impacting activities of day to day living, disordered sleep has further implications for those trying to optimize their health, maximize muscle gain, and fat oxidation.

A study by Spiegel et al. found that restricting sleep in 12 healthy men for two days, from 10 to 4 hours, resulted in a reduction in leptin (hormone involved in feeling 'full' after eating) and elevations in ghrelin (hormone involved in stimulating hunger). These hormonal changes were also accompanied by self-reported increases in appetite and hunger.

That explains your shit mood, double quarter pounder with fries for lunch, and deep dish pizza for dinner Karen.

This was this week's topic of discussion for @anabolicradio ’s latest episode ft. @willwalace where we dove into understanding the mechanisms/physiology of sleep, caffeine, light exposure, and much more.

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Available on all streaming platforms!