Like millions of Americans, Joel Runyon’s days are fueled by a healthy dose of caffeine.
An endurance runner and fitness trainer, he consumes between two and six cups of coffee, depending on his training regimen.
But after “having trouble sitting still” and feeling constantly restless, he decided to take on a caffeine-free challenge that would allow him to abstain for 30 days.
The Texan had read about other people who had followed a coffee-free lifestyle, which is becoming increasingly popular, and said they felt more energetic and slept better and focused better.
But after giving it up for 30 days, Runyon said he was disappointed by the results. ‘So what do I think of life without caffeine?’ he said, reflecting on his mini-experiment in an online video.
‘I think it’s practically useless.
Joel Runyon, who runs a fitness subscription and training business in Texas, says he consumes between 200 and 600 mg of caffeine most days.
“I went into this really thinking I was going to quit caffeine and level out and have a lot more energy, a lot more lucid thoughts and just crush it across the board.
“(However), what I noticed was that I basically felt no benefit.”
In addition to having no benefits, Runyon said he was surprised he didn’t have withdrawal symptoms.
Common side effects of abruptly cutting back on caffeine can include headaches, nausea, muscle aches, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.
But Runyon said he didn’t notice anything different in his performance at work or in the gym.
He tells viewers: “I drink a lot of caffeine regularly and I really thought that by giving it up I would get a massive headache or “caffeine hangovers.” and that didn’t even happen.
‘I just It came out at the beginning of the month. I just decided I wasn’t going to drink it anymore…cold turkey…and that was totally fine.
“That was actually the most surprising part, because I thought I would definitely have a headache or a hangover or something.”
Before the hack, Runyon, who runs a fitness training and subscription business, consumed between 200 and 600 mg of caffeine through coffee and energy drinks. An average cup of coffee contains 100 mg.
The FDA recommends that most healthy adults consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day, which is equivalent to two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee, ten cans of cola, or four and a half 8-ounce cans of Red Bull. .
As for his sleeping habits, Runyon said quitting caffeine didn’t make him sleep better, but he could “wake up more easily” in the morning.
While Runyon said he didn’t notice any benefits from quitting caffeine, he notes that each person has different levels of tolerance to the stimulant and its effects.
Regarding diet, the athlete revealed that by eliminating coffee and energy drinks from the table, he replaced them with less healthy and higher-calorie alternatives, such as hot chocolate and beer.
While Runyon said he didn’t notice any benefits from quitting caffeine, he notes that each person has different levels of tolerance to the stimulant and its effects.
The content creator explains: ‘I think there is something to do with activity level here.
‘If you’re sitting at your desk all day and drinking caffeine all the time, I can totally see how cutting it out will help you.
“But if you’re an athlete and you’re using caffeine (for) your workouts and other things, I found out from friends that I know who are super active, (that) they have a higher tolerance for caffeine. .
‘If you are assimilating a lot caffeine and your body uses that caffeine for performance, that’s a whole different ball game than if you were just drinking caffeine to drink caffeine…sitting at your desk.’
Overall, Runyon said the main benefit of the caffeine-free challenge was testing his mental strength and self-discipline.
Overall, Runyon said the main benefit of the caffeine-free challenge was testing his mental strength.
He reflects: “I always think it’s interesting what you can take out of your life and just voluntarily eliminate it so you’re not tied to it. I think it’s a very good practice from a self-discipline standpoint.”
While he says he would quit caffeine again to reset, he says he doesn’t plan to do so anytime soon and that “life is definitely better with it.”
Runyon said he took on the caffeine-free challenge because he noticed he “had trouble sitting still” and felt constantly restless.
Other people he saw who had given up caffeine for this reason had considered it a “game changer.”
Caffeinated beverages in the US are big business, with the market expected to grow 5.2% between 2024 and 2030.
Consumers spent nearly $110 billion on coffee in 2022 and about $37.8 billion on energy drinks.
On average, Americans consume about 135 milligrams of caffeine per day, which is roughly equivalent to 12 ounces or one and a half cups of coffee.
In fact, the natural stimulant ranks as one of the most consumed dietary ingredients worldwide, with tea and coffee being the most important sources.
Health benefits attributed to caffeine include increased alertness, energy and concentration, while recent studies have linked it to weight loss.
On the other hand, excessive consumption has been found to cause tachycardia (a heart rate greater than one hundred beats per minute), anxiety, restlessness, tremors and nervousness. But caffeine overdoses from beverages are rare and are more likely to occur when it is consumed in pill or powder form.