If I just had high caffeine tolerance I’d guess it’s either because of fast caffeine metabolism or my ADHD. Sometimes a regular cup of coffee is more than enough to wake me up and improve my ability to concentrate and sometimes not even a 4x Espresso is enough, with no discernible reason why. I have tried drinking coffee on an empty / full stomach, which doesn’t seem to make a difference. Any idea why this might happen?
Edit: Things that might matter:
- I am getting enough sleep
- I have normal body weight (BMI slightly below 24)
- I would consider my diet balanced, although I do like eating fastfood sometimes
Caffeine sensitivity refers to how the body processes caffeine, due, in large part, to genetics.
Caffeine tolerance describes how the body responds to caffeine over time. A tolerance develops when the desired effects of caffeine eventually decrease with regular consumption.
Your sensitivity can be determined by:
Liver Metabolism Caffeine is metabolized (broken down) in the liver by an enzyme (protein) known as CYP1A2. The gene associated with this enzyme helps predetermine how sensitive a person may be to caffeine consumption. Studies have found people with a high caffeine sensitivity don’t produce as much CYP1A2.
Medications Some medications and supplements can interact with caffeine sensitivity.
Genetics Research has shown that a person’s genetic makeup has a lot to do with how they respond to caffeine.
In addition to the CYP1A2 gene that influences how quickly the liver breaks down caffeine, another gene known as ADORA2A impacts how the central nervous system (communication between the brain and body) reacts to caffeine’s stimulating effects. People who have a variation of the ADORA2A gene are likely to have a high sensitivity to caffeine that affects their sleeping pattern.
Wow, thank you for the extensive answer. I am still wondering why my tolerance seems to vary so much, seemingly randomly. I am not on any medication. I would assume it should stay roughly the same if I don’t build a tolerance naturally by regularly drinking coffee.
I used to teach at a college for kids with disabilities, a lot of ADHD kids self medicate with caffeine and rather than have the buzz that happens to others it calms their minds and improves their focus.
No scientific data but I assume it reacts differently with the ADHD brain in a similar way that amphetamines are proven to.
Well, ADHD is (greatly simplified) caused by your brains “control center” not being able to do its job properly. (We don’t know why). This leads to being easily distracted, having trouble controlling and keeping track of thoughts and all the other symptoms - the brain just runs a bit wild with things.
Caffeine, and indeed amphetamines, boost your brains processing power, and your control center benefits from this. Thus, it can do its job better and keep the rest of the brain focused on stuff.
