A cup of coffee early in the morning is helpful to make people start the day strong, especially after a long night, however, the important question is how much do people need to consume to get the best result.
Timing in taking coffee is also vital for optimum performance, when coffee is consumed early enough before the start of an active day, there will be enough time for the effects to wear off before bedtime, and if taken late in the day it will keep one awake all night.
Researchers working for the United States army have provided an insight in a new study on the manner of consumption as well as how much coffee is needed to stay alert during an active day.
The new US Army study was published in the Journal of Sleep Research.
The researchers in an attempt to strike a balance between the amount of caffeine and the time it is administered developed an algorithm that could offer solution.
An app called '2B-Alert' which will soon be released to the public will enable users conduct tests and input sleep and caffeine intake data, and they will then receive "sleep and caffeine schedules" to assist them "optimise performance " in future.
The team, led by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command’s Dr. Jaques Reifman, ran thousands of simulations across a wide range of doses and sleep-wake schedules.
“We found that by using our algorithm, which determines when and how much caffeine a subject should consume, we can improve alertness by up to 64 percent, while consuming the same total amount of caffeine,” Reifman explained." “Alternatively, a subject can reduce caffeine consumption by up to 65 percent and still achieve equivalent improvements in alertness.”
The researchers are optimistic that the app when released will assist people like students preparing for exams, pilots, truck drivers and people that are planning to undertake where they need to perform at crest cognitive levels for a specific period of time.
