Scienceblogs has an interesting post up explaining how to maximize the benefits of caffeine for everyday use –
A landmark 2004 study showed that small hourly doses of caffeine (.3mg per kg of body weight [approx 20 mg per hour; thanks digg!]) can support extended wakefulness, potentially by counteracting the homeostatic sleep pressure, which builds slowly across the day and acts preferentially on the prefrontal cortex (an area of the brain thought responsible for executive and “higher” cognitive functions).
It’s often tempting to go for that uber-sized java when you’re trying to finish something important – but if you need a boost that’ll last more than an hour or so you’ll want to spread out those milligrams. The article includes other info like “How to play to your cognitive strengths” as well as a dizzying amount of journal citations (appears the author’s following his own advice). –Link
From the pages of MAKE:
The Bottomless Portafilter – MAKE:04 p.117 –Link
6 thoughts on “HOW TO – Use caffeine efficiently”
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weird to see drugs advertised on the MAKE blog.
I can testify from personal experience that a 20 min dosing schedule works better than a one hour schedule. Also, the resulting muscle shakes from doing this over an extended period (12 hours overnight) vibrate at around 2-3 Hz.
Next article: “HOW TO – Keep your coffee mug warm all day.”