Caffeine works quickly and stimulates – that’s a well-known fact. But most people don’t know exactly how caffeine works in the body and what the side effects are. We show you what coffee, cola and co. do to your body.
Caffeine
Caffeine takes effect after just 30 minutes and is distributed throughout the body via the blood. The effect of the caffeine lasts for about four hours:
- High doses of caffeine make the heart beat faster and thus increase the pulse rate. Blood pressure also rises in people who rarely consume caffeine.
- Even in small doses, caffeine can improve concentration and temporarily eliminate tiredness.
- Caffeine often also constricts the blood vessels in the brain and can therefore relieve mild headaches and migraines.
- The muscles can be better supplied with oxygen when we consume caffeine. This is why some athletes take caffeine before training, for example in the form of tablets.
With regular consumption, our body becomes accustomed to caffeine. As a result of this habituation effect, many of the above-mentioned effects only occur weakly or not at all.
Side effects of caffeine
Anyone who consumes too much caffeine can suffer from the consequences of a caffeine overdose. Doctors speak of an overdose of one gram of caffeine or more. This corresponds to 15 to 20 cups of espresso. The symptoms include:
- Sleep disorders & restlessness
- Headache
- Nervousness
- Panic attacks
- Gastrointestinal complaints
- Circulatory collapse (overdose)
Some of the symptoms do not even require an overdose – they can occur even with excessive consumption. However, this is usually harmless due to the aforementioned habituation effect, so that many people can tolerate several cups of coffee or energy drinks in a row.
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