Getting drowsy on your desk? It’s been recently found out that taking the stairs can perk you up more than a caffeine fix.
A study from the University of Georgia’s Department of Kinesiology assessed women in college who were “sleep-deprived” or slept for 6.5 hours or less regularly. Among the young women, walking up and down the stairs for 10 minutes gave much higher energy levels than 50 milligrams of caffeine, which is equivalent to a soda or a half cup of coffee.
However, caffeine and exercise had a similar affect an hour after. Given this, the results still support other experiments which show that short periods of physical activity in a day can provide energy in the long run.
The results could be of use to anyone finding alternatives to coffee in order to stay awake. Caffeine found in coffee tends to create dependence as it impacts the sleep cycle, staying in your system for up to 12 hours. Niña V. Guno/JB/rga
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