Boys get greater kick from caffeine than girls

Boys seem to get a greater kick out of caffeine than girls, according to the results of a double-blind study.

Boys also credited caffeine with having a positive effect on their athletic performance, not so girls.

The study, conducted by Jennifer L. Temple, neurobiologist and assistant professor of nutrition sciences at the University at Buffalo in the US, is the first to show how genders respond to caffeine consumption.

“We are hoping that our findings from studies on caffeine will help us determine why males and females differ in susceptibility to drug abuse,” says Temple, the journal of Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology reports.

The study involved a group of boys and girls aged between 12 and 17 years. They were required to have previous experience with caffeine but no adverse reactions, and not using hormone-based contraceptives, not smoking, etc.

Participants were instructed not to drink caffeine 24 hours before each visit and to eat nothing or drink nothing but water for two hours before each visit, according to a Buffalo statement.

The study revealed several differences in response to caffeine between girls and boys.

Boys who were regular “high consumers” of caffeine showed greater increases in blood pressure than low-consuming boys.