How Too Much Coffee Could Affect Your Work Performance
Could caffeine negatively affect your work performance?
At a recent seminar, the presenter – a friend of mine – seemed anxious on stage. He kept pacing back and forth and wiped sweat from his brow several times. At the break, I went up to him and asked, “Are you doing OK? Would you like me to get you a glass of water?”
“I’m fine,” he replied. “I think I just had a little too much caffeine this morning. I was really tired and wanted to be on my game. Guess the shot of espresso I added to my drip coffee wasn’t such a great idea after all.”
While the caffeine in coffee can be a great pick-me-up (especially when you’re tired), could too much caffeine negatively affect your work performance? To find out more about coffee, I sat down with Cristen Harris, PhD, RD, CSSD, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition & Exercise Science at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington (Seattleites are actually 94% more likely to prefer espresso to bottled water than the average American).