Why do I feel shaky after only a small amount of caffeine?
I like coffee, but caffeine seems to 'wire' me much more extremely than most other people. I feel energized or even shaky after less than half a normal cup, and a whole 8 ounces will usually cause me to sweat or make my heart race uncomfortably.
Even decaffeinated coffee seems to have this effect, which seems strange to me (although I am aware that it still contains a small amount of caffeine). I typically drink green tea instead of coffee, since the effect is more mild.
Is this an indication that my body metabolizes caffeine faster (or slower?) than normal? What else can cause caffeine sensitivity?
(2)2 Comments
Sorted by latest first Latest Oldest Best
Caffeine metabolism has to do with your genetic makeup. The slower you metabolize caffeine, the more effect it will have on you. The cause for the differences that people have in how fast they metabolize caffeine has to depend on the CYP1A2 gene. Variants of this gene can cause you to metabolize faster or slower. The C allele variant in the AHR gene, which controls the turning on and off the the CYP1A2 gene, is common in people who have a high metabolism for caffeine. You probably do not have this variant. That with a few other factors that depend on variants in your DNA are the reason that caffeine has a strong effect on you.
Caffeine Consumption
All caffeinated beverages like coffee (even decaffeinated) and soft drinks give short bursts of energy, temporarily raise blood pressure, and reduces blood flow to inactive limbs.
Soon after you drink coffee (containing caffeine), it’s absorbed through the small intestine and dissolved into the bloodstream and it’s able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain.
Your sensitivity really depends on your body tolerance threshold (e.g. renal threshold for blood) and your average daily intake, in other words it's determined by the efficiency of the human body to process and metabolize caffeine. It's usually to do with person’s unique DNA which determines to what degree a given amount of caffeine will affect a person (as described in the other answer).
See also: What are the side effects of drinking too much coffee?
Terms of Use Privacy policy Contact About Cancellation policy © freshhoot.com2025 All Rights reserved.