The NHS doctor has said that it’s all down to a “glitch”
An NHS doctor has explained the exact reason you feel tired after consuming an energy drink. Many people consume them to feel more alert, such as during work or before a big event.
However, other people have said that it has the opposite effect on them, and rather than staying awake and feeling full of energy, they feel tired and end up taking a nap.
The reason for this according to Doctor Karan Raj, and NHS GP is all down to a “glitch”. Taking to TikTok, @dr.karanr, notes that people’s genes have different speeds.
He explains: “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 and 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.”
Talking about the thing most often found in drinks like coffee and teas, 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.”
Additionally, the doctor notes that if you regularly consume caffeine your overcompensate. He reveals: “Those adenosine channels are constantly blocked.
“Your body actually does a system update and compensates by producing even more adenosine receptors in your brain.” It does this regulate your sleep cycle so you “don’t glitch out”, he concludes.
Energy drink warning
According to the British Dietetic Association (BDA), some people may have physical effects from over-consumption of energy drinks and are “mostly related to caffeine.” As noted by Specialist Paediatric Eating Disorder Dietitian, Annabel Gipp, young people in particular are affected by the side effects of some drinks.
They explain that an increase in caffeine consumption in children and adolescents can result in:
- increased blood pressure
- sleep issues
- headaches
- stomach aches
In addition to physical effects, mental health effects due to consumption of energy drinks can include:
- sensation-seeking behaviour
- self-destructive behaviour
- insomnia
- problems with behavioural regulation
- poor lifestyle behaviours – e.g poor diet
