Coffee before breakfast spikes your stress hormones and sets you up for a crash.

 

 

Coffee before breakfast spikes your stress hormones and sets you up for a crash.

Many people rely on a morning cup of coffee to jumpstart their day, but consuming caffeine on an empty stomach may be doing more harm than good.

 

When you wake up, your body naturally experiences a peak in cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Introducing caffeine during this window—especially without food—can significantly amplify this hormonal response. Research from the University of Bath indicates that this sequence can intensify metabolic stress, leading to a more volatile start to your day than your body is designed to handle.

 

The physiological impact of coffee-first routines often manifests as increased jitteriness, heightened anxiety, and the dreaded mid-morning energy crash. By ensuring you eat even a small meal before your first sip, you provide a biological buffer that moderates the release of cortisol and stabilizes your blood sugar. This simple adjustment helps maintain a more balanced stress response, allowing the caffeine to provide its intended focus without the negative side effects of metabolic strain and hormonal spikes.

 

source: Betts, J. A., Richardson, J. D., Chowdhury, E. A., Holman, G. D., Tsintzas, K., & Thompson, D. (2020). Glucose control upon waking is unaffected by coffee consumption prior to a disrupted night’s sleep. British Journal of Nutrition.