Juan Guerrero

Profesor Bustamante

ENGL 1302 401

11 August 2023

The Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Caffeine

Introduction

The topic of caffeine and its consumption is one that has been researched in depth by

many scholars across time ever since humans learned to grind and boil coffee beans. Caffeine is

described Crystal Grant et al. as “[A] stimulant regularly used to mitigate fatigue and

performance deficits during sustained operations, with widely acknowledged benefits for

performance … and ratings of tiredness and mental sharpness” (2). Caffeine is a substance with a

variety of both positive and negative effects on the human body, with heavy discourse on

whether the benefits or disadvantages are the ones with the heavier impact. The articles chosen

for this essay all covered a plethora of different angles for the use of the substance and such

related drinks, and the magnitude of its consumption. The various prospects of the discussion

surrounding caffeine range from the way that it might impact the heart (Ellerman et al.), how it

may impact wakefulness (Beaumont et al.) and anxiety (Clemente-Suarez and Roblez-Perez),

and even its heavy use and the unknown dangers of irresponsible consumption (Gunja and

Brown).

Neurological vs Physical impact:

 While the scholars have agreed on the effectiveness of caffeine as a stimulant, both Grant

et al. and Christian Ellerman et al. disagree on the overall effect caffeine has on the individual.

According to Grant et al. “[h]unger ratings remained stable … suggesting neither sleep

deprivation nor caffeine intake altered hunger” (7). Although the neurochemical effects of

caffeine seem to be beneficial, there is still the physical effect that working the body past the

need for rest can result in. In contrast to that, Ellerman et al. claims that caffeine is detrimental

for people to consume on a regular basis, “Caffeine intoxication leads to hypokalemia …

resulting in an increased risk of arrhythmias and especially of triggered activity like torsade de

pointes” (1295). Despite the different aims and the methods of testing, the truth is that both of

the sources set out to answer the same overall question, the effects of caffeine as a stimulant,

simply that both chose to approach the problem through different angles. Grant et al. discusses

the noted positive effects of caffeine by helping people to be more alert and be a productive

individual, and other such things related to the dosage (9). Meanwhile Ellerman et al. contrasts

that information by talking about the negative effects that caffeine has on the heart, albeit

through the example of the denervated dead rabbit hearts and a limited administration of

caffeine, to see the stress given to the vital organ (1291) (1296). Both sources add to the double-

sided coin that is the topic of caffeine consumption, and reveal the truth that while caffeine will

allow people to temporarily recover from the need for rest, overcoming the lack of sleep comes

at the cost of tiring the heart with prolonged use; this information reveals the notion that caffeine

should not be used regularly, and more so as absolutely necessary in the occasion that sleep is

not a negotiable factor.

Stress and Lack of Sleep:

 While both sources agree that caffeine influences vigilance, they disagree on the degree

of its influence. M. Beaumont et al. conducted an experiment on an improved type of caffeine on

16 male volunteers to test its effectiveness (266). Through their research, Beaumont et al.

claimed that caffeine can help increase vigilance and cognitive performance after sleep

deprivation with no side effects as “[no] clinical or psychological impairment was observed

under [experimental caffeine]” (268). Conversely, Vicente Javier Clemente-Suarez and Jose Juan

Robles-Perez claim that caffeine worsened the vigilance and cognitive performance of the active-

duty soldiers used in their experiment, as well as increasing the feelings of anxiety in stressful

situations for them as “Soldiers … presented a significant increase in [anxiety] after the [Close

Quarter Combat] simulation … with caffeine ingestion” (1848). Both sources talk about the

effect that caffeine has on vigilance, but disagree on the strength of its influence, as well as the

environment it was tested. Beaumont et al. tested its caffeine in terms of sleep deprivation

through the analysis of vigilance likely trying to emulate an overload of work, and the effects it

had at negating those impairments, in a possible “stressful” situation for their test subjects (267).

Meanwhile, Clemente-Suarez and Robles-Perez used the term stressful situation in terms of

warfare, Close Quarters Combat (CQC), and life or death (1842). Or possibly just the effects that

caffeine will have on active soldiers suffering through sleep deprivation due to the grueling

schedules typical of the military. Both of the sources aimed at the same idea of challenge, the

difference lied in how they challenged the idea of stress; Clemente-Suarez and Robles-Perez

took the stress factor in terms of life-or-death situations where reflexes are the difference

between defeat or survival while Beaumont et al. took stress in terms of lack of sleep and the

need to say awake. The sources reveal the logical ladder of escalation, showing that caffeine’s

effect is not universal, and only applicable to situations of personal stress to the individual. In
terms of perceived stress, or stress caused by society rather than a need for survival, caffeine

should suffice as a viable option to extend wakefulness, but in situations of true stress, such as

dire situations of life or death, caffeine is detrimental. This opens the conversations for the idea

that the usefulness of caffeine is not just related to what it does to the body, or to the amount of

work being done by the individual, but to the different kinds of stress and anxiety that may come

with the different kinds of work done by the individual. After all, doing stressful paperwork in an

office at midnight can hardly compare to the stress of the battlefield and late-night guard duty on

hostile territory.

Over-spread and Misuse:

Both Tom McLellan et al. and Naren Gunja and Jared A. Brown compound onto the idea

that caffeine is too widespread despite the lack of proper knowledge about its dangers. McLellan

et al. asserts through a survey they provided for soldiers in Afghanistan to fill that soldiers in the

military consume more caffeine depending on their relation to active combat, “Caffeine

consumption assessed by [the survey] was greatest among soldiers in the combat arms

occupational classification, the soldiers … involved in combat, and caffeine consumption was

greater for soldiers sleeping less than 4 hours per day” (774). From beverages, to coffee, to tea,

all the branches depend on it for success, and is recommended to them by the government itself

(McLellan et al. 774). Building upon that idea, Gunja and Brown talk about the overall

widespread image of energy drinks, and the dangers that they present, not do most people drink

far above the recommended amount of caffeine given by doctors, but many mix them with other

substances, “In [parties], [energy drinks] may also be combined with alcohol and recreational

drug such as ecstasy (MDMA; 3,4-methyl-enedioxymethamphetamine) or other

amphetamines” (46). Both these sources talk about the notoriety that caffeine/energy drinks
have, and how widespread it is. While McLellan et al. talked about its presence in the branches

of the military, and it’s recommendation by the government itself (774), Gunja and Brown talk

about the dangers of consumption, and how most ignore the proper safety precautions around

these substances (48). Both sources add one side of the problem, one talks about how the issue

spreads everywhere as a way to resolve one’s problems with faulty schedules and overworking,

while the other talks about the dangers of irresponsibility and overuse of caffeine (both of which

the military is likely to do).

Conclusion:

As can be noted, there are many similarities with the numerous sources that were picked

for this essay. They each speak about their own corner of the subject yet manage to paint a

proper picture of the topic at large, both benefits and downsides for the use of caffeine on people.

With all the information gathered, it is important to note that while caffeine may pose a threat to

health, in cases of abuse, it is still a helpful tool for many people around the world. To make

caffeine safe for consumption, there might need to be some serious regulations to place, or

maybe improve the work schedules of millions over the globe, although one seems a lot more

likely than the other to happen.

 Work Cited

Beaumont, M., et al. “Slow Release Caffeine and Prolonged (64-H) Continuous Wakefulness:

Effects on Vigilance and Cognitive Performance.” Journal of Sleep Research, vol. 10, no.

4, 2001, pp. 265–276. Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-

2869.2001.00266.x. Accsessed 22 July 2023

Bertasi, Raphael A., et al. “Caffeine Intake and Mental Health in College Students.” Cureus,

2021. ProQuest, https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.14313. Accessed 21 July 2023.

Clemente-Suarez, Vicente Javier, and José Juan Robles-Pérez. “Acute Effects of Caffeine

Supplementation on Cortical Arousal, Anxiety, Physiological Response and Marksmanship

in Close Quarter Combat.” Ergonomics, vol. 58, no. 11, 1 May 2015, pp. 1842–1850.

Taylor & Francis Online, https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2015.1036790. Accessed 22

July 2023

Ellermann, Christian, et al. “Cardiovascular Risk of Energy Drinks: Caffeine and Taurine

Facilitate Ventricular Arrhythmias in a Sensitive Whole‐heart Model.” Journal of

Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, vol. 33, no. 6, 2022, pp. 1290–1297. Wiley Online

Library, https://doi.org/10.1111/jce.15458. Accessed 21 July 2023.

García, Andrés, et al. “Acute Effects of Energy Drinks in Medical Students.” European Journal

of Nutrition, vol. 56, no. 6, 2016, pp. 2081–2091. ProQuest,

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1246-5. Accessed 22 July 2023

Grant, Crystal L., et al. “The Impact of Caffeine Consumption during 50 Hr of Extended

Wakefulness on Glucose Metabolism, Self-Reported Hunger and Mood State.” Journal of

Sleep Research, vol. 27, no. 5, 2018. Wiley Online Library,

https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12681. Accessed 20 July 2023

Gunja, Naren, and Jared A Brown. “Energy Drinks: Health Risks and Toxicity.” Medical

Journal of Australia, vol. 196, no. 1, 16 Jan. 2012, pp. 46–49. Wiley Online Library,

https://doi.org/10.5694/mja11.10838. Accessed 21 July 2023.

Knapik, Joseph J., et al. “Prevalence of Caffeine Consumers, Daily Caffeine Consumption, and

Factors Associated with Caffeine Use among Active Duty United States Military

Personnel.” Nutrition Journal, vol. 21, no. 1, 14 Apr. 2022. ProQuest,

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-022-00774-0. Accessed 23 July 2023

Laitselart, Philippe, et al. “Severe Sympathomimetic Toxidrome in a French Soldier: How

Caffeine Overdose Can Lead to Severe Consequences.” Military Medicine, vol. 183, no. 1–

2, 2017. ProQuest, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usx062. Accessed 23 July 2023

McLellan, Tom M., et al. “Caffeine and Energy Drink Use by Combat Arms Soldiers in

Afghanistan as a Countermeasure for Sleep Loss and High Operational Demands.”

Nutritional Neuroscience, vol. 22, no. 11, 11 Mar. 2018, pp. 768–777. Taylor & Francis

Online, https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415x.2018.1443996. Accessed 23 July 2023