Coffee lovers have been looking for scientific justification for that second cup for years, and it seems they’re finding plenty. In “Does Bryan Johnson Drink Coffee?”, longevity enthusiast Bryan Johnson reviews research linking coffee consumption with better heart and metabolic health, and a lower risk of early death. Johnson isn’t a doctor, and much of this research is observational, so we’d approach the findings with some skepticism. Still, there’s good reason to suspect what’s in your mug could be beneficial. Coffee contains more than 2,000 compounds, including chlorogenic acids and melanoidins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Many of these are found in decaf too, and studies have associated decaffeinated coffee with some of the same longevity benefits. Caffeine has benefits of its own, but drinking it too late could interfere with sleep. One study found that morning-only coffee drinkers had a 16% lower risk of death from any cause and a 31% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared with non-drinkers. All-day coffee drinkers didn’t show the same association. To minimize the negative impacts of caffeine on sleep, consider cutting it off as early as eight to ten hours before bedtime to give it plenty of time to clear your system. For runners, caffeine can offer more immediate benefits. In “An Ode to Coffee: Why I Love It, and Why Runners Should Enjoy It, Too,” our own Coach Trax highlighted improved endurance, alertness, and reduced perceived effort, along with the simple pleasure of catching up with teammates over a post-run cup. Hard to find much wrong with that tradition – even if you’re ordering decaf.

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