Attention men who love coffee: Next time you’re in a tough meeting, lay off the java. When men have to work in groups under stress, caffeine actually hurts performance, finds a small Bristol University study.
Researchers split men and women up into same-sex pairs and gave them about 3 cups of either decaf or regular coffee, though the subjects weren’t told which kind they were getting. Then they did a series of memory tests and puzzles—all while researchers stressed them out by telling them they’d win or lose money based on their performance.
Men who drank decaf finished the puzzle in nearly 6 minutes—20 seconds faster than caffeinated guys. But for women, the effect was reversed: Caffeinated women finished about 100 seconds quicker than their decaf counterparts.
Coffee isn’t doing much for your confidence if you’re stressed, either. When researchers asked caffeinated men how well they thought they did after the puzzle, many underestimated their performance.
Don’t worry, the effects only apply under stress: When researchers did the same experiment but didn’t stress out the subjects, the caffeine didn’t have much of an effect on guys’ performance either way. The java even boosted their confidence, too.
What gives? It’s all about how men handle pressure, explains study co-author Lindsay St. Claire, Ph.D., of Bristol University in the U.K. In a stressful situation, women naturally work together. But men tend to use a more aggressive fight-or-flight response—which makes them less cooperative with coworkers, St. Claire says.
Caffeine only magnifies this response to stress—hurting guys’ success in team tasks. (In fact, surveys the subjects filled out after the test confirmed that guys who drank real coffee trusted each other less than guys drinking decaf.)
The researchers couldn’t speculate why caffeine affects confidence.
Lay off the coffee if you have to negotiate a big sale or have to work in a high-pressure group. Otherwise, sip away: Coffee can help fight diabetes and even ward off prostate cancer. It’s also one of the 8 Foods that Pack on Muscle.
If you’re still not ready to make the switch, at least make sure you Brew A Better Cup.
Researchers split men and women up into same-sex pairs and gave them about 3 cups of either decaf or regular coffee, though the subjects weren’t told which kind they were getting. Then they did a series of memory tests and puzzles—all while researchers stressed them out by telling them they’d win or lose money based on their performance.
Men who drank decaf finished the puzzle in nearly 6 minutes—20 seconds faster than caffeinated guys. But for women, the effect was reversed: Caffeinated women finished about 100 seconds quicker than their decaf counterparts.
Coffee isn’t doing much for your confidence if you’re stressed, either. When researchers asked caffeinated men how well they thought they did after the puzzle, many underestimated their performance.
Don’t worry, the effects only apply under stress: When researchers did the same experiment but didn’t stress out the subjects, the caffeine didn’t have much of an effect on guys’ performance either way. The java even boosted their confidence, too.
What gives? It’s all about how men handle pressure, explains study co-author Lindsay St. Claire, Ph.D., of Bristol University in the U.K. In a stressful situation, women naturally work together. But men tend to use a more aggressive fight-or-flight response—which makes them less cooperative with coworkers, St. Claire says.
Caffeine only magnifies this response to stress—hurting guys’ success in team tasks. (In fact, surveys the subjects filled out after the test confirmed that guys who drank real coffee trusted each other less than guys drinking decaf.)
The researchers couldn’t speculate why caffeine affects confidence.
Lay off the coffee if you have to negotiate a big sale or have to work in a high-pressure group. Otherwise, sip away: Coffee can help fight diabetes and even ward off prostate cancer. It’s also one of the 8 Foods that Pack on Muscle.
If you’re still not ready to make the switch, at least make sure you Brew A Better Cup.
