8 hours Ago By [email protected] (Sophie Buchan)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An NHS doctor has shared the surprising reason why energy drinks may leave you feeling exhausted despite their reputation for boosting alertness.
Known to many as quick pick-me-ups for situations such as pressing work deadlines or gearing up for major events, some have discovered that these caffeinated beverages have the reverse effect, making them feel drowsy and prompting a nap instead. Dr Karan Raj, an NHS GP, has pinned this phenomenon down to a genetic "glitch". Taking his insight to social media, he posted on TikTok under the handle @dr.
karanr, discussing how individual genetic variations affect our bodies' interaction with caffeine. He states: "If caffeine makes you feel tired, it might be because of a software glitch in your caffeine gene. "Broadly speaking, people can have fast or slow caffeine metabolizers.
It all depends if you have the fast or slow liver enzyme, CYP1A2. "This enzyme influences your body's sensitivity to caffeine. Depending on your metabolism, it could be anywhere from 2 to 8 hours to remove half the caffeine.
" Dr Raj goes on to explain that caffeine normally keeps us awake by blocking adenosine receptors. He explains: "Caffeine keeps you alert by blocking adenosine receptors. Because it shares a similar shape to adenosine, the sleep molecule, people with the fast metabolising mutation, break down caffeine more quickly.
" This allows the adenosine receptors to "free up more allowing the sleep inducing chemical, adenosine, to bind and make you feel more tired than a slow metabolism," reports the Mirror . Moreover, the medic warns that if you're a regular caffeine consumer, your body may overcompensate. He explains: "Those adenosine channels are constantly blocked.
"Your body actually does a system update and compensates by producing even more adenosine receptors in your brain." This is done to regulate your sleep cycle so you "don't glitch out", he concludes. When it comes to the popular drinks, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) has issued a warning.
They state that some individuals may experience physical effects from excessive consumption of these beverages, which are "mostly related to caffeine." Specialist Paediatric Eating Disorder Dietitian, Annabel Gipp, notes that an increase in caffeine consumption in children and adolescents can result in: In addition to physical effects, mental health effects due to consumption of energy drinks can include:.
