Adrenal Fatigue

However, prolonged stress is a very real condition that can “catch up” to you. For example, an individual may work hard and long hours on a project with a deadline. Once the project is complete, the individual may come down with a cold or flu. This is known as a long-time exposure to stress.
Here’s where caffeine plays an important role in stress, lack of sleep, anxiety and more. As we continue to work long hours completing mental or physical tasks, we reach for another cup of coffee. We know coffee is a stimulant and contains a drug that stimulates the brain and nervous system resulting in an increase of adrenaline and cortisol. However, caffeine doesn’t give you energy by naturally making you more awake and alert. Caffeine works as an adenosine antagonist, meaning, caffeine bonds to the same receptors as adenosine blocking their ability. Adenosine tells the brain when we’re tired, so by blocking adenosine, we’re tricking our brains into feeling alert and focused. Although, caffeine may only block adenosine for a short period of time, which will cause an uptake of adenosine resulting in a crash or tired state. Shortly after, we may go for another cup to finish our day. Since we’re blocking adenosine from performing its function, we may feel lingering effects at night, which we may find it difficult to fall or stay asleep, and we may experience wild and uncontrollable thoughts while laying in bed.

Coffee and caffeine aren’t the problem, but it’s a large part of the issue because of the way we cycle through stress. Coffee contains over 1,000 chemicals, and the relationship between caffeine and its other contents are still being studied or rather unknown. However, caffeinated drinks aren’t a better choice since extracts are more easily metabolized, which results in greater stimulation.

The cycle of stress and caffeine causes our bodies to constantly toggle between fatigue, energy, and stress, or also known as fight or flight response. As we continue the cycle of feeling tired and fatigue, and then consuming caffeine to buffer the feeling of being tired, then we’re caught in a stress- stimulate relationship that may increase our risk of nearly all cause mortality as it may compromise our immune system.