Your Daily Caffeine
Espresso / Americano (single)
63mg caffeine
Filter coffee (250ml)
95mg caffeine
Large coffee shop (Grande)
150mg caffeine
Instant coffee (250ml)
60mg caffeine
Black tea (250ml)
47mg caffeine
Green tea (250ml)
28mg caffeine
Coca-Cola (330ml)
32mg caffeine
Diet Coke (330ml)
42mg caffeine
Red Bull (250ml)
80mg caffeine
Monster Energy (500ml)
160mg caffeine
Pre-workout (1 scoop)
200mg caffeine
Dark chocolate (30g)
24mg caffeine
Caffeine tablet
50mg caffeine
Timing
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The Numbers
Add your daily caffeine to see the impact
Be honest — include everything.
The Half-Life Explained
Caffeine's half-life is 5-6 hours. That means half is still active after 5 hours, a quarter after 10.
0 hours
100%
Peak alertness
5-6 hours
50%
Half still active
10-12 hours
25%
A quarter still working
15-18 hours
12.5%
Still measurable
A 3pm coffee (95mg) → 47mg at 8pm → 24mg at 1am. That 24mg at 1am is enough to reduce deep sleep quality by up to 20%. The cruel irony: bad sleep → need more caffeine → more caffeine → worse sleep.
Caffeine and Your Training
The performance paradox: caffeine helps training but hurts recovery.
The Good
- Caffeine genuinely improves endurance, strength, and focus when used strategically
- Optimal dose: 3-6mg/kg bodyweight, 30-60 minutes before training
- Works best when you're NOT already tolerance-adapted
The Bad
- Daily high intake builds tolerance — you need it just to feel normal
- Raises resting heart rate and blood pressure
- Masks fatigue rather than fixing it — you're borrowing energy from tonight's sleep
The Ugly
- If you can't function without morning coffee, that's dependency, not preference
- Withdrawal headaches, irritability, brain fog — these are real symptoms
- You're not "a coffee person." You're a person with a chemical dependency.
A Realistic Plan — Not "Just Drink Less Coffee"
Willpower doesn't beat chemistry. Taper gradually.
The Audit
Week 1
Track every caffeine source for 7 days — don't forget tea, chocolate, energy drinks, pre-workout. Use the calculator to see your real daily total. Most people are shocked.
Note: "I only have two coffees" often = 2 large Americanos + a tea + pre-workout + a Diet Coke = 500mg+
The Cut-Off
Week 2-3
Set a hard caffeine cut-off time: no caffeine after midday. Yes, really. This alone will improve your sleep within days. Replace afternoon coffee with decaf, herbal tea, or water.
Note: Morning caffeine is fine — it's the afternoon and evening that kills your recovery.
The Taper
Week 4-5
Reduce total daily intake by 25% per week. If you're at 400mg, go to 300, then 225, then 170. Taper slowly — caffeine withdrawal headaches are real.
Note: Switch one coffee for decaf. Most people can't tell in a latte.
The Strategic Reset
Week 6+
Target: 100-200mg/day, all before midday. Save higher doses for training days only — pre-workout becomes actually effective again.
Note: One coffee in the morning, green tea in the afternoon. Caffeine works FOR your training.
Medical Note: Caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches, irritability, and fatigue for 2-9 days. Taper gradually. If you're consuming 600mg+/day and have heart concerns, speak to your GP.
Hard Truths
Decaf still has 2-7mg caffeine. It's fine. It's not the problem.
Your pre-workout has as much caffeine as 2-3 coffees. If you're also drinking coffee, you're way over.
Caffeine doesn't give you energy. It blocks the signal that tells you you're tired. There's a difference.
The best pre-workout is 8 hours of sleep. The second best is a single espresso 30 minutes before training.
Caffeine affects your sleep. See the full picture: