Why you should never drink coffee first thing in the morning
Some of us can’t even muster up a ‘hello’ let alone start the day until we’ve had our go-to cup of coffee in the morning. But according to personal trainer Max Lowery, reaching for caffeine first thing will only make us more tired.
The 27-year-old told Femail: “Caffeine should be used as a performance enhancer, not something that allows you to function at a normal level.”
Instead, the Instagram-famous fitness expert recommends we have our cup of coffee within a two-hour window (between 9.30am-11.30am) in order for us to feel more awake ahead of a workout or big conference meeting.
According to Lowery, our cortisol levels peak between 8am and 9am so it is best to avoid drinking coffee during this time period.
And after waking up on a morning, he recommends reaching for a green tea to kickstart the day instead.
He explained, “Ideally, you want to get your caffeine during the lulls between cortisol spikes – otherwise, you start to develop a tolerance and have to drink more to get the same effect.”
Lowery also warns against drinking coffee too late in the day, as he explained that caffeine has a half-life of six hours. Therefore, if you choose to have a cappuccino at 4pm, you’ll still have 50mg in your system by 10pm.
But if you’re trying to give up caffeine yet can’t shake the tiredness, what does Lowery recommend?
“Rather than reaching for coffee at the first signs of tiredness, try some alternatives. Go for a walk, get some fresh air, stretch, or try diaphragmatic breathing,” he advises.
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