The effect of caffeine on the heart rate (Research Paper Sample)

THE EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON THE HEART RATE Name Course Tutor University The city and state Date Abstract The consumption of drinks containing caffeine affects the autonomic nervous system. Research concerning the impact of caffeine intake on various cardiovascular parameters, including heart rate exists. However, it is observed that studies examining the relationship between heart rate abnormalities and the consumption of caffeine result in ambiguous findings. Therefore, this paper will review the current evidence on the ingestion of caffeine and its effect on heart rate variability. Introduction Caffeine is an active mild drug in tea, coffee, and energy drinks. The amount of caffeine varies according to the volume of the consumed drink and the method of its preparation. In line with that, different types of drinks and foods, particularly coffee, have varying concentrations. As such, the substance is a common stimulant. Nevertheless, its effect on heart rate variability, or what is known as HRV, has seldom been taken into consideration. Though the literature defines that it influences the circulatory and nervous systems, (Bauzá and Remick ,2015). Thus, this paper shall define the acute effects of caffeine on consumers. Discussion When the parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions of the ANS interact in the presence of caffeine, HRV occurs. Recent research discovered that caffeinated espresso increased parasympathetic activity (Bauzá and Remick, 2015). The subjects of the study were caffeinated and decaffeinated espresso drinkers. However, the heart rate changes did not surpass those of test subjects who drank water (McIntosh, Russell, Cochran and Sollers, 2017). Moreover, nonhabitual coffee drinkers had higher HRV after consuming tea, coffee, and energy drinks. Therefore, the ingestion of caffeinated beverages increases the heart rate. Two recent research efforts investigated the impact of consuming a lot of coffee on HRV. Caffeine raises HRV more when the subject rests than during exercise, according to McIntosh, Russell, Cochran and Sollers (2017). They found that caffeine ingestion of 5 mg kg-1 body weight resulted in greater HR, HF power, and estimated entropy at rest when compared to placebo control. In contrast, coffee enhanced low frequency (LF) power after physical activity compared to placebo. Therefore, caffeine has a more pronounced effect on a relaxed subject. Another study compared the effect 400 mg of coffee on the HRV of awake and sleeping individuals. There were no variations in HR, LF power, or HF power after they drank versus placebo (Notarius and Floras, 2012). However, in the caffeinated group, though not in the control subjects, LF/HF ratios...