Traditionally among college students and professionals, drinking coffee or tea has proved to be the method of becoming energized for the long day ahead soon after waking up. But for many, consuming caffeine before getting their day started is a challenge: either they don’t have the time to make or buy coffee or tea, they don’t enjoy the way caffeine makes them feel, or they simply do not the taste of coffee or tea. So without caffeine, how can these people start the day off with a burst of energy right out of bed? The science behind several methods suggests that caffeine is not so essential after all.
Perhaps the most direct way is to take a cold shower. Effectively, putting a body into full contact with the cold water will jolt certain parts the brain associated with diminishing fatigue. A study mentioned in an article from the U.S. National Library of Medicine suggests that taking a shower at the temperature of approximately 20 degrees Celsius, “can result in activation of behavior and increased capacity of the Central Nervous System to recruit motoneurons.” This stimulation of motoneurons renders the participant feeling more active and ready to take on the day almost immediately. In my opinion, this study was conducted flawlessly in that the scientists were easily able to scan and interview participants in order to effectively find exactly what they were looking for: the treatment diminishing fatigue. Therefore, the scientists are not guilty of the “texas sharp-shooter problem” due to their directness.
Another study, lead by Dr. Frederick Schaerf, suggests that listening to a personal playlist of one’s favorite songs can very effectively get them mentally and physically ready to take on the day. Using a PET scan of a volunteer’s brain, Schaerf found that the brains of participants that were listening to music released more dopamine than that of the control group. Under that finding, Dr. Schaerf claims that “music does awaken the brain”. I think what he fails to explain is that how these rising dopamine levels in the volunteers’ brains actually “awaken” them. Overall, I believe this is a sound study in that the scientist saw a brain response in the volunteers that listened to music that was not seen in the control group. Also, we can rule out flaws such as reverse causation because rising dopamine levels in the brain will not cause music to play.
Especially as college students who generally have little time in the morning and are generally without coffee makers, these two studies can prove to be very beneficial in our lives. Having cold showers and music as necessities that every college student possesses, it is in fact easier than we thought to get our day started on the right foot without a cup of coffee or tea.
I really liked your blog, I was drawn in because I definitely face the problem of needing caffeine to get my day started. One of the blogs that I wrote a few weeks ago actually talked about how taking a cold shower is proven to be one of the best ways to start your day! Since taking a cold shower sounds so unappealing, I usually don’t take one. Personally, just taking a regular shower in the morning is enough to wake me up. I am interested though to see what would happen if I actually did take a fully cold shower when I wake up, maybe I will try it out- with finals coming up I will definitely need something to help pick me up after long nights of studying.
When I was doing research for my blog, I came across this article about a shower pattern that will help wake you up and get you energized for the day. I didn’t end up including it in my blog because it was off topic, but I found it really interesting. You should check it out, it puts a spin on your typical shower and says that it is the best way to get energized for the day!