Stop doing coffee wrong.
Energy levels throughout the day can feel like a roller-coaster. You wake up, somehow feeling both stress and sleepiness, and decide to have your first coffee.
Then energy levels spike, you feel jittery, you heart is racing, but at least now you’re ready to face the day.
But why should things feel that way? Last time we checked, you aren’t fleeing a lion on the golden fields of the savannah.
To have the energy to get in your car, or in the tube, you accept unreasonable levels of stress. Your body keeps telling you it’s not sustainable, your sleep is poor, you feel chronic fatigue, so what do you do?
Drink another big cup of coffee, perhaps later in the day. And so the cycle continues, the roller-coaster of energy levels keeps going round and round.
The Stress Equation
Let’s use our magnifying glass and look at this loop more closely. As you have been told many times, hormones are responsible for a lot.
Take cortisol, he is often portrayed as a villain. But that’s not the full picture.
He is the primary stress hormone after all. But also responsible for giving you the energy to get up in the morning. This is called ‘cortisol awakening response’.
It’s why you might feel both stress and sleepiness at the same time while still in bed in the morning.
That sleepiness? It is closely tied with another friend, this time an organic compound called adenosine.
So coffee comes into the picture. You have a cup, and that sleepy feeling fades, because it helps your brain temporarily block that adenosine.
Coffee is great then, right?
Not only does it silence that pesky sleepiness, but it also invites some new friends to the party, boosting both dopamine and noradrenaline.
The result? More energy, and better mental performance, including short term and long term memory.
Second result? You manage to put your trousers on the right way around.
Third result? This one is a little less great. It spikes your cortisol even further, often resulting in increased stress, raised heart rate, and disrupted sleep, meaning more adenosine and in the morning, and perhaps more coffee.
Caffeine, adenosine, cortisol, this seems like a pretty dysfunctional relationship. It might remind you of an unpleasant Christmas party from years past.
Adapotgens: The Key to Stable Energy
Is the energy of coffee drinkers destined to be drained then? Not necessarily. You can invite some others friends the party, to help balance out the vibes.
Meet adaptogens. They are naturally occurring ingredients that help your body deal with stress. Think of them as that mellow friend that gets along with everyone.
They are great on their own, but they always balance out the energy in a group.
So if you want all the benefits of coffee, but not so much the cortisol spikes and stress, you should look into some of these:
Ashwagandhahas become a favourite among gym-goers (anyone?) in the last few years. It has active compounds, called withanolides, that have been shown to reduce stress and balance out cortisol.
There is also the very fierce sounding Lion’s Mane. This mushroom has compounds that can boost brain-supporting proteins (BDNF and NGF), leading to a clearer, calmer mind.
Another herbal partner to your coffee hits could be Rhodiola. Italso helps cortisol levels, andkeeps your body producing ATP, its main energy molecule, especially when you are feeling drained.
Lastly, if you ever find yourself roaming the highlands of Mongolia, for whatever reason, consider picking up some Siberian Ginseng. Packed with more fancy sounding compounds, called eleutherosides, it can help reduce the build up of lactic acid, which causes fatigue, and support glucose metabolism, to keep your brain running like a wild horse across the steppe.
You have probably guessed it at this point, but to get the combined benefits of coffee and adaptogens, you really need to try adaptogenic coffee. It’s a blend of delicious coffee plus adaptogens (duh).
The way they can interact with the coffee in order to draw out its best qualities, and minimise its side effects, is pretty neat.
Our Pick
We highly recommend London Nootropics’ Adaptogenic Coffee, there is a reason why they’re one of our brand partners. All their ingredients are tested for heavy metals, toxins and mould and they use best-in-class clinically studied extracts rich in active compounds in their blends – each designed for a specific purpose depending on what you need in your day. Their delicious blends with renowned and award-winning extract partners, means you are actually getting all of those lovely adaptogens in your day.
They have three different blends we use in the office, and can wholeheartedly recommend:
Zen for calming energy: (I am sipping this right now): L-theanine and KSM-66 Ashwagandha (5% Withanolides)
Flow for mental clarity and focus: Hifas da Terra Lion’s Mane + Rhodiolife® Rhodiola Rosea
Mojo for a natural boost: Hifas da Terra Cordyceps + Siberian Ginseng
So if you are a coffee drinker, and suffer from the dreaded energy roller-coaster,you may not even need to give up coffee. Instead, you could just invite the adaptogens to the party. And if you really want to give it a try, then London Nootropics are a great starting point.
Enjoy 20% off London Nootropics adaptogenic coffee blends with code MINDJUMP, designed to help you stay balanced and elevate your day.
For more on energy and stress, check out our articles on Strength Training and Running.
