{"id":388231,"date":"2025-11-18T19:31:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T19:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/388231\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T19:31:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T19:31:17","slug":"experts-reveal-the-best-time-to-drink-coffee-for-an-energy-boost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/388231\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts Reveal the Best Time to Drink Coffee for an Energy Boost"},"content":{"rendered":"

So many rely on coffee to power up each day, sometimes long before they eat breakfast. But if you are trying to maximize the boost you get from your cup of Joe, is there a best time to drink coffee to reap the most health benefits?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re after coffee\u2019s big energy boost (which comes primarily from caffeine, a natural stimulant), timing matters. \u201cCaffeine works by blocking adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel tired,\u201d explains Amy Davis, R.D., L.D.N.<\/a>, a registered dietitian based in New Orleans. \u201cAs a result, caffeine can provide a boost in energy and focus. It also slightly increases dopamine and adrenaline, which contribute to that elevated feeling many experience after drinking coffee.\u201d Caffeine is so effective for boosting energy that oral caffeine is actually an FDA-approved treatment for restoring mental alertness or wakefulness in people experiencing fatigue or drowsiness, according to the National Library of Medicine<\/a> (NLM).<\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Amy Davis, R.D., L.D.N.<\/a>, a registered dietitian based in New Orleans; Michelle Routhenstein, M.S., R.D., C.D.C.E.S., C.D.N., a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Another reason caffeine is so effective for increasing energy is that it has nearly 100% bioavailability, per the NLM, which means your body absorbs every milligram in your cup of coffee. Plus, it is quickly broken down and distributed to the brain, reaching peak concentration between 30 minutes and two hours after consumption.<\/p>\n

Now, knowing all that, when is the best time to drink coffee? Experts explain when to drink it for the biggest energy boost, plus a few more ways to feel more awake. <\/p>\n

When is the best time to drink coffee for energy?<\/p>\n

If you guessed that it would be right when you wake up and feel your sleepiest, you\u2019ll need to guess again. That\u2019s because cortisol<\/a>, the body\u2019s natural \u201cwake-up\u201d hormone, rises to its peak shortly after you wake up, explains Michelle Routhenstein, M.S., R.D., C.D.C.E.S., C.D.N., a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com<\/a>. \u201cDrinking coffee during this peak is less effective because the body is already signaling wakefulness, so caffeine\u2019s ability to block adenosine and boost stimulating neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine is reduced,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

For this reason, it\u2019s best to wait until mid-morning, or about 60 to 90 minutes after you wake up, to start drinking coffee. \u201cCortisol is highest first thing after waking, then falls throughout the day,\u201d says Davis. \u201cTherefore, you may get a better boost from coffee once cortisol levels start to dip.\u201d <\/p>\n

That said, if you are someone who swears by that first thing in the morning cup of coffee, it may be giving you an energy boost\u2014but it may not be from the caffeine. A 2023 study<\/a> found that the ritual of making and drinking coffee, plus the belief that it is going to wake you up, may exert a kind of placebo effect that increases your energy separately from the chemical effects of the caffeine.<\/p>\n

How to maximize the energy boost you get from coffee<\/p>\n

In addition to drinking your coffee at the right time to maximize its energizing effects, the dietitians we spoke with recommend these strategies for turbocharging your boost:<\/p>\n