Why Coffee Makes You Wired — and Then Crashes You: Adenosine Explained

☕ Adenosine, Coffee & Why Tiredness Is Supposed to Happen

Midlife Mayhem Podcast

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🎙 Episode Topic: Adenosine, Coffee & Energy in Midlife

This episode came about very organically — a stale cup of coffee on my desk and a realization that I haven’t really talked about adenosine, and you cannot talk about coffee without talking about adenosine.

So today we’re winging it — and breaking this down in a way that actually makes sense.

😴 Why We Naturally Get Tired as the Day Goes On

Adenosine is the system that controls natural tiredness.

It builds up in the brain the longer we’re awake. Not because the body releases it intentionally — but because it’s a by-product of energy use.

Every time your brain works, thinks, focuses, or stays alert, it burns energy. That energy currency is called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

As ATP is used, adenosine accumulates.

As adenosine builds up, it attaches to receptors in the brain — and once enough of those receptors are occupied, the message is clear:

It’s time to slow down.

That heavy-eyed feeling in the evening? That drop in motivation? That “I just can’t do one more thing” sensation?

That’s not weakness. That’s adenosine doing its job.

⚡ How Coffee Actually Works (and What It Doesn’t Do)

Caffeine does not give you energy. It does not fix fatigue.

What caffeine does is block adenosine receptors.

Adenosine is still present — but it can’t attach. So the brain doesn’t receive the tiredness signal.

You don’t suddenly have more energy. You’ve just silenced the message that says you’re running low.

That’s why coffee can make you feel:

• Alert and exhausted

• Wired but tired

• Fine initially… then crash later

🔄 Cortisol vs Adenosine: The Push–Pull

Adenosine slows us down. Cortisol wakes us up.

Cortisol naturally rises in the morning — that’s normal. That’s why cortisol is typically tested between 7–8am.

When caffeine is added on top of that morning cortisol rise:

• Adenosine is blocked

• Cortisol is stimulated

For some people, this feels like clean energy. For others — especially in midlife — it feels like anxiety, jitters, or overstimulation.

The difference usually isn’t the coffee. It’s what the nervous system was already dealing with before the coffee arrived.

☕ Why Coffee Tolerance Builds

When adenosine receptors are blocked repeatedly, the brain adapts.

It simply says:

“If these receptors keep getting blocked, we’ll make more of them.”

So over time:

• The same coffee stops working

• You need more to feel the same effect

• Skipping coffee feels awful

Nothing is broken. This is normal neurological adaptation.

🚫 What Happens If You Suddenly Quit Coffee

If you stop caffeine after years (or decades) of use:

• All those extra adenosine receptors are suddenly available

• Adenosine floods the system

This is why people feel:

• Heavy

• Foggy

• Achey

• Like they’ve been hit by a truck

This phase does pass, but in midlife it often takes longer than expected.

🦋 Thyroid Medication & Coffee (Especially T3)

This is why thyroid meds are advised to be taken away from coffee:<