Good AND bad news for coffee lovers as studies show they walk more but sleep less

Coffee increases the number of calories people burn during the day but robs them of vital sleep at night, according to a new study.

The results suggest that people who drink coffee regularly walk 1,000 more steps each day than non-drinkers, but lose about 30 minutes of sleep at night.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, said, “The reality is that coffee isn’t just good or bad — it has different effects.”

His study, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 100 adult men and women for two weeks. Their exercise and sleep patterns were monitored on days when they did or did not drink coffee.

Coffee is perhaps the most widely consumed beverage in America, consumed by up to three quarters of adults every day.

Some studies suggest the drink may promote heart health and reduce the risk of conditions like diabetes. It can even increase performance in the gym.

These effects appear to be powered by caffeine, which blocks receptors in the brain that signal exhaustion, allowing someone to stay alert for longer. It also helps increase heart rate.

But caffeine can also be harmful because it takes up to 10 hours to flush caffeine — a stimulant that makes it difficult to sleep and stresses the nervous system — from the body.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone needs at least seven hours of sleep a night. But a third of Americans can’t do it.

Not getting enough sleep has been linked to numerous health problems, including trouble concentrating, memory problems, and a higher risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s and obesity.

Some studies have shown that it is possible to get many of the health benefits of coffee by drinking the decaffeinated version.

“In general, this study suggests that coffee consumption is almost certainly safe in general,” added Dr. Marcus added.

“But people should recognize that there are these real and measurable physiological effects that – depending on the person and their care goals – can be harmful or helpful.”

For the study, the researchers recruited 100 healthy men and women in San Francisco who drink coffee. They were about 39 years old.

Each was equipped with a FitBit to track their steps and sleep, and an electrocardiogram to monitor their heart rate and blood glucose meters.

They then followed a strict schedule for two weeks.

For two days, they could drink as much caffeinated coffee as they wanted and the costs were reimbursed by the scientists. But for the next two, they had to abstain. This cycle has been set to repeat.

On the days they were allowed to drink coffee, the participants drank an average of one to three coffees per day, but some had as many as six cups.

The results showed that they took an additional 1,000 steps a day while drinking coffee, increasing the average step count from 9,665 to 10,646 per day.

Researchers said this is most likely due to the energy and motivation boosts caffeine provides.

On the other hand, they also found that the participants’ sleep was affected when they drank coffee.

When they didn’t drink coffee, they slept an average of seven hours and 12 minutes a night. But when they did, that dropped to six hours and 37 minutes, or around 35 minutes.

Coffee blocks hormones that make people sleepy.

Since caffeine takes up to 10 hours to break down in the brain, this means the effects of a 2pm coffee may not wear off until midnight.

The study also looked at the effects caffeine had on people’s hearts.

They found that on days when they ate more caffeine, they were 50 percent more likely to have premature ventricular contractions — when the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart, are beating early — and nine percent more likely to have premature atrial contractions — when the atria, or upper ventricles, beating early.

Experts said it wasn’t dangerous in a healthy person, but could pose a risk in someone with heart problems.

dr Amit Khera, a cardiologist at the University of Texas who was not involved in the study, told the Washington Post, “In healthy people with normal hearts, I would call this a quality of life issue, not a life-threatening issue.”

“If you feel like your heart is jumping and it’s bothering you, then based on these study results, not drinking coffee may reduce these symptoms.”