To get through difficult classes and loads of homework, many students resort to caffeine — sometimes, too much of it. Below, University of Maryland students share their habits related to caffeine and a professional provides insight and advice on caffeine intake.
Bella Swipes, a freshman biochemistry major, consumes roughly 400 milligrams of caffeine every day to keep up with her heavy workload. She most commonly drinks Celsius, a highly caffeinated energy drink that contains 200 milligrams of caffeine in a 12 ounce can and 270 milligrams of caffeine in a 16 ounce can.
As a result of her caffeine intake, Swipes has experienced unpleasant side effects. After drinking Reign, another brand of energy drink, and having pre-workout, she said she had a panic attack in the gym.
This side effect of too much caffeine that Swipes experienced is not unusual. Beverly Jackey, a family and consumer sciences senior agent at the University of Maryland Extension, an outreach program that works on improving the economy, environment and community, said the FDA recommends no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, but this number can vary.
“Some people may feel the jitters with more, some maybe less, but that’s generally what their threshold is,” Jackey said.
Freshman biochemistry major Grace Ganoe has similar caffeine habits to Swipes, but said she typically consumes around 200 milligrams of caffeine daily.
“If I drink too much of it, I’ll get really tired and it makes my head hurt,” Ganoe said.
When caffeine is consumed for an energy boost, the adverse effects of overdoing it can be undesirable, especially in Ganoe’s case.
Jackey added that other negative effects of caffeine can include rapid heartbeat and sleep problems such as insomnia. She also discussed the issue of overestimating the amount of caffeine one consumes.
“A cup of coffee is really about eight ounces, but not too many people drink an eight ounce cup of coffee anymore,” Jackey said. She further explained that if an eight ounce cup of coffee is used as a baseline with 150 milligrams of caffeine, that is just a ballpark estimate of a normal amount of caffeine. Many people drink much more than eight ounces of coffee in one sitting.
For someone who wants to cut back on caffeine, Jackey advises not to get rid of it right away. She suggests slowly cutting back on caffeine to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
“It’s just like any kind of stimulant, you have to ease out of it,” Jackey said.
Other than caffeine, Jackey said that good, more natural sources of energy are physical activity and a healthy diet.
“I'm not a big proponent of energy drinks, because I feel that they can take the place of something more nutritious,” Jackey said. She encourages avoiding foods and beverages with added sugars. “That's another reason why to steer clear of those energy drinks because they are just jolts of sugar with caffeine added.”
Caffeine can be a helpful stimulant, but too much of it can prove to do more harm than good, especially during finals season.