Many people drink coffee because they enjoy the effect it has on them.  In fact, many people have come to depend upon their morning cup of brew to help them wake up and get their day started.  Whether you drink coffee for its caffeinated pick-me-up or you prefer to drink decaffeinated coffee, you may be surprised to learn that your gender may play a role on just how much your cup of Joe affects you.

The Great Gender Difference with Caffeinated Coffee

According to a study conducted at the University of Barcelona, caffeinated coffee has a very real effect on the energy level of both men and women.  The study, which evaluated the effects of caffeinated coffee on 668 students averaging 22 years of age, found that caffeinated coffee had a greater effect on men than on women. 

“Although both the men and women saw an improvement in their activity levels with the coffee, which increased in later measurements, we observed a greater impact among the males,” researcher Ana Adan told Mail Online.

Oddly enough, the effects were not the same when examining the effects of decaffeinated coffee on men and women.

The Effects of Decaffeinated Coffee on Men and Women

In the same study conducted at the University of Barcelona, researchers also examined the effects of decaffeinated coffee on men and women.  It isn’t too surprising that decaffeinated coffee had an effect on both men and women.  After all, decaffeinated coffee does still contain some caffeine, though it is much lower than its caffeinated counterpart.  What is surprising is the fact that the decaffeinated coffee appeared to have a greater effect on women than on men.

The reason for the gender differences are not quite clear.  It is possible that the effects of the decaffeinated coffee are simply the result of the placebo effect, but it may also have something to do with hormonal differences between men and women or other differences between the sexes. 

Achieving the Maximum Coffee Effect

When it comes to how quickly caffeinated coffee affected men and women, researchers did not find the same difference between the sexes.  In fact, the researchers found that the caffeine in the coffee affected both men and women almost immediately.  In most cases, the caffeine just took 10 minutes to have an effect on the participants.  In order to gain the maximum effect, however, the researchers found that it took about 45 minutes.  It takes this extra time to achieve the maximum effect because the caffeine has to be processed by the body before it reaches the bloodstream and makes its way through the entire body.

So, the next time you reach for a cup of Joe, keep in mind that it is going to take about 45 minutes before you achieve the full affect – whether you are a man or a woman – so resist the temptation to indulge in multiple cups of coffee within a short period of time.  You may find that just one cup of coffee is plenty to give you the extra boost you need, so long as you give it the time it needs to do its job.

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