Coffee is more than just “that drink” people have during the mornings out of habit. It is the rocket fuel needed for your brain and body at 7am, 20pm, and even when the clock strikes midnight and all that is left to do is stare at a whirling cursor and a mountain of work that by all all means should have been done a year ago. It is about performance. You do not just consume it to wake your mind and body up, it is incorporated into your systems to enhance your processes. I do not think I am being out of line. Within a matter of minutes after drinking your mind becomes much more alert. You thoughts flow much more freely, as your mental blocks are all of a sudden a thing of the past. Not only does your energy rise, it soars. Sure, it may be chaotic and a bit jittery at times, but at the end of the day it is energy and sometimes, that is worth more than gold.
Coffee on the brain
The science-y stuff: caffeine enters the bloodstream and attaches to adenosine receptors, which tell the brain to relax and rest. Once blocked, the brain is then wide awake. This is why you feel alert. However, alertness is not just the absence of sleep. It is also having your reaction times sharply decreased and your focus greatly enhanced. Think of it as going from low-power mode to max brightness. This is why espressos are consumed before workouts. They greatly improve quickness, endurance, and mental focus. Caffeine is also used by gamers. It helps them play for extended periods of time, and is therefore referred to as the secret weapon.
The work grind
Sipping coffee during work is a savage productivity hack. That foggy brain at 9am makes those 9 neurons fire. Completing mini milestones isn’t as daunting, and prolonged projects aren’t as stifling. Also, the cultural side—coffee pauses aren’t just pauses. They are conceptual resets. They give “idle” time with the ability to feed and then “poop” useful ideas. I’ve had crush days, and the only thing that made me write half way decently was two mugs of bitter black coffee and plenty of stubbornness. There are days where I faced mountains of deadlines that made me crushed. Somehow, it makes you feel you can tackle even more. That productivity is attributed to… well, focus. Actually, it is a mixture of the two.
Physical performance boost
This isn’t purely cognitive either. The way coffee increases performance is an almost secret. It has been a fitness secret for decades. Cyclists, runners, and even lifters realize that caffeine helps the body use fat instead of glycogen. In simple terms, It means that you have more endurance before feeling tired. That’s endurance in a cup. It even works for the regular lifters in the gym. Try lifting with the pre so that you can have a strong coffee half an hour before. All of a sudden, the weights become easier, the reaction times become faster, and the motivation increases. All the “ugh” changes to more of a “let’s do it” attitude.
Final Opinion
There is no hiding the fact that sometimes ‘performance’ involves some of the more mundane aspects of life. In some cases, it is attending a seminar where the only purpose is so that you can scribble a few lines of content to refresh your memory. In other cases, it might mean ‘successfully’ exiting one’s home without misplacing one’s wallet. And still other instances involve ‘successfully’ completing an assignment of considerable magnitude. Accomplishing one’s ‘personal best’ in the gym is the cherry on top of the proverbial cake. Coffee enables you to execute all of the above. Therefore, it is correct to say that coffee enhances one’s performance. It is one’s ability to focus sets in, one’s level of activity increases, and one’s mood is lifted. It is raw and powerful. You might choose to love it or hate it, but coffee is a transformative beverage which, on a daily basis, creates an impact on one’s performance.
