A cup of coffee has all the caffeine you need.
What should you drink to stay awake: a cup of coffee or an energy drink? I have been following the research on this and I say coffee. The caffeine in one eight oz. cup of black coffee (or 1-2 ounces of espresso) should guarantee you about five hours of alertness. Even better, researchers have found that coffee is packed with antioxidants! The jolt you feel from an energy drink comes mostly from sugar, which, aside from adding calories, sets you up for a sugar crash. In addition, engird drinks have been linked to health conditions including risk of miscarriage and heart problems. More information on energy drinks can be found at the American Heart Association’s website.
So why does caffeine keep you awake? It’s because the nerve cells in our brains mistake it for adenosine. Adenosine is produced by your daily activity and is the chemical that causes people to feel tired and sleepy. When caffeine bond with the adenosine receptors in our brains, it causes the cells to speed up rather then slow down as it would if it were bonded to adenosine.
While I’m talking about caffeine, I thought I would also take this opportunity to talk about the difference between my beloved shot of espresso and a cup of coffee. The main difference is the fineness of the grind and the brewing time. The brewing time for espresso coffee is much shorter than drip coffee. A shot of espresso is made by forcing 1.5 ounces of nearly boiling water through tightly packed, finely ground espresso coffee. The result is a magnificent, slightly thick liquid with a little foam on top.On the other hand, drip coffee is made by dripping boiling water over ground coffee beans. These grinds are more coarse than espresso coffee and the water filters through the coffee and falls into a pot. It takes more time to make a pot of coffee than a shot of espresso but, surprisingly, a cup of coffee has more caffeine in it! Go figure!
Moral of the story: if you need a quick energy boost, one cup of coffee should do the trick but I’m still an espresso fan.
Other interesting reads on engird drinks vs. coffee: Prezi.com, American Heart Association, reason.com