How Long Does Caffeine Last?

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world. Whether you love your morning cup of java, depend on your afternoon frappuccino, enjoy a post-dinner espresso, or guzzle down an energy drink before your workout because it gives you a nice kick in the butt to get through your exercise regimen, you're not alone!

Some people seem to be able to drink cup after cup, even right before bed, with no issues. Others say they spin like a top on the mattress if any less than half a day has passed since their last cup of joe.

Each individual will feel the effects of Caffeine differently, and some may last longer than others. But how long does this last exactly? Keep reading to find out!

 

What Exactly Is Caffeine?

Caffeine is a popular fast-acting stimulant that works on your central nervous system. It can boost your energy and improve your overall mood. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over eighty-percent of U.S. adults take some form of it every day!

Soda, coffee, and energy drinks are the three main beverages that come to mind when most think about this popular drug. But besides these drinks, Caffeine has shown to be increasingly prevalent in many different foods, beverages, and supplements.

How Long Does Caffeine Stay In The Body?

Once you consume Caffeine, you'll feel its full effects within 15 to 45 minutes. After that, your liver will start breaking down (metabolizing) the Caffeine into Caffeine Metabolites, which you will eventually excrete in urine.

In the average healthy adult, the half-life of Caffeine is about five to six hours - this means that once you take a dose of Caffeine, you'll break down about half of it in your body after five to six hours. So, if you take in 200mg of Caffeine at 9 am, you'll still have around 100 mg coursing through your body between 2 and 3 pm.

 

How Long Does Caffeine Affect Different People Specifically?

So by now, you know that the average person experiences a Caffeine half-life of around five to six hours. But how long after consuming that cup of coffee or throwing back an energy shot will you still be feeling a buzz? How long does this popular stimulant stay in your body in particular?

The answer depends on a variety of factors:

Your Metabolism

Caffeine is processed and metabolized by a set of enzymes found in your liver. How much of those enzymes you produce is determined by genetics. This means that some people break down Caffeine extra-slow, and some people break it down so fast they barely feel the effects of this powerful stimulant.

The only way to really know how you break down Caffeine is to have some and see what happens. If you happen to be hypersensitive to Caffeine, even a small dose may give you the " jitters," which can include feelings of restlessness, dizziness, and general discomfort. However, if you are hyposensitive, you won't feel much of a stimulating effect from Caffeine at normal dosages, even if you've never had it before. 

Size of Caffeine Dose

Whatever your body’s specific response to Caffeine may be, the size of the dose you take will make a pretty substantial difference in how long you will feel the effects of the Caffeine that you consume.

If you drink one espresso shot, which usually has around 50-65mg of Caffeine, and your personal Caffeine half-life is around five hours, you'll have a pretty insignificant amount of Caffeine in your system come ten hours after consuming it. However, if you drink four eight-oz energy drinks in a row, taking in a little more than 400mg of Caffeine, you'll still have 100mg in your system after ten hours - enough to keep you feeling energized. 

Your Caffeine Tolerance

The more Caffeine you consume, the more tolerant you become to its effects. Those who regularly drink coffee and energy drinks will need to drink more and more over time to get the same stimulating effects from Caffeine that they did initially.

If you're new to these energizing beverages, expect to feel the effects of Caffeine much more intensely than if you were to drink them on a regular basis. (Unless of course, you are hyposensitive to Caffeine.)

Other Substances You Take

Other substances that you consume can also affect how your body breaks down Caffeine, impacting your Caffeine half-life. For example, hormonal contraceptive can slow down how quickly you process Caffeine, making you much more sensitive to its effects. By contrast, regular smokers have a Caffeine half-life of roughly three hours, making them less sensitive to the effects of Caffeine.

Other drugs and substances can also impact how you process Caffeine, so look up how Caffeine interacts with any supplement or prescription drug that you're taking.

 

Can You Speed Up The Half-Life Of Caffeine?

Are you feeling a little restless, anxious, or battling a headache, Caffeine shakes or jitters? Although there are really no reliable ways to speed up the processing of Caffeine by your liver, there are some things you can do to help you feel better:

Drink Water

Since Caffeine is a natural diuretic, it can sometimes leave you feeling dehydrated. Drinking H2O won't "flush" your system of Caffeine, but it will help to minimize dehydration, alleviating some of the negative effects.

Eat Food
Caffeine can suppress your appetite, which can cause you to forget to eat. This can impact your blood sugar levels, and cause anxiousness, nausea, or jitters. Taking Caffeine with a meal will slow down your body’s processing of Caffeine, which will make you less likely to feel like a jitter-bug.

Exercise

While exercising won't exactly make your body break down Caffeine any faster, it will help you burn off some of the extra pent-up energy caused by Caffeine's adrenaline release, which should help to make you feel better.

Clean, Plant-Based Energy Drinks

Synthetic Caffeine is believed to increase the negative side effects associated with Caffeine use. Rather than chugging down a commercial energy beverage made with synthetic Caffeine, reach instead for a plant-based energy drink like the ones found at Proper Wild. These powerful shots are made with organic Caffeine from green tea and provide clean, long-lasting energy, all day long. Proper Wild's Clean All Day Energy Shots can also help with focus and productivity, with reduced jitters!

In Summary

So, how long does Caffeine last, you ask? The answer is: it depends. 
For the average adult, Caffeine has a half-life of around five to six hours. However, everyone is different, and this tends to vary based on a few factors such as your unique metabolism, the caffeine dosage, your tolerance, and any other drugs that you may take in conjunction with Caffeine.

Caffeine comes in many forms, but the best Caffeine you can take comes from naturally-occurring, plant-based sources - not synthetic Caffeine made in a lab. When looking for a long-lasting energy jolt without the negative side effects, stick with products that use organic Caffeine from green tea to provide clean, long-lasting energy to boost your focus and help your productivity, naturally.