Caffeine boosts neural activity by increasing the production of certain neurotransmitters, chemicals in the brain that regulate your moods and behavior. One of those neurotransmitters, dopamine, helps enhance mental alertness. Caffeine also aids in the production of more adrenaline, a hormone that improves your attention level and also provides you with an extra burst of energy. This creates the stimulating effects you get from a cup of coffee or other caffeinated drinks.
Brain Receptors
When caffeine enters the brain from the bloodstream, it attaches to adenosine receptors. Adenosine, a neural compound, usually binds to its receptors and causes activity in the brain to slow down, resulting in sleepiness. Adenosine also provides your body with more oxygen during sleep. When caffeine binds to adenosine receptors, it blocks the action of the receptors and neural activity picks up.
Caffeine Rush
Caffeine also triggers the pituitary gland to secrete hormones that increase production of adrenaline. The so-called "caffeine rush" results in increased heart rate and relaxed air passages for better breathing. Caffeine allows certain muscles to contract easily and constricts blood vessels, which may be why some people use caffeine as a remedy for headaches.
Energy and Dependence
Caffeine augments dopamine and norepinephrine, another neurotransmitter involved in enhancing mental alertness and energy. Drinking moderate amounts of caffeine may work as an antidepressant for mild depression, according to Middle Tennessee State University. Drinking too much coffee, more than two to four cups a day, may counteract the effect, causing nervousness and anxiety. The increase in dopamine from caffeine boosts the brain's pleasure center. This may cause a dependence on caffeine and explains why many coffee drinkers have a difficult time giving up their morning cup of coffee or drinking coffee throughout the day. However, caffeine addiction can usually be relieved through a gradual decrease in caffeine intake to avoid such withdrawal symptoms as headaches, aggravation and fatigue.
Mood Improvement
Dopamine and norepinephrine produce effects similar to adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, by changing moods and emotional responses. Just as caffeine may help mild cases of depression, increased production of dopamine and norepinephrine through medication may help the conditions of people with major depression. Neurotransmitters stay in the brain for a certain amount of time before being removed after their tasks have been completed. Medications, such as norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors, slow the removal of these neurotransmitters. This leaves the brain with more norepinephrine and dopamine to improve moods of depression patients.
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