Caffeine Intake Affects Boys and Girls Differently After Puberty

New research finds that intake of caffeine affects girls and boy differently after puberty,

Caffeine intake among adolescence has increased. Many soda beverages and  health drinks have caffeine in them, which cane be harmful to growing children.

The current study led by researchers at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professionals found that intake of caffeine affects girls and boy differently after puberty, especially the heart rate and blood pressure. In addition to this, girls experience differences in their menstrual cycles.

Studies conducted earlier highlighted the strong association between intake of caffeine and increased blood pressure and decreased heart rate in children, teens and adults including the pre-adolescent boys and girls.  The main aim of this study was to find out whether the different reactions to caffeine were gender based and occurred after puberty and if these differences occurred throughout the menstrual cycle in girls.

Jennifer Temple, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences said, "We found an interaction between gender and caffeine dose, with boys having a greater response to caffeine than girls, as well as interactions between pubertal phase, gender and caffeine dose, with gender differences present in post-pubertal, but not in pre-pubertal, participants. Finally we found differences in responses to caffeine across the menstrual cycle in post-pubertal girls, with decreases in heart rate that were greater in the mid-luteal phase and blood pressure increases that were greater in the mid-follicular phase of the menstrual cycle."

They basically focused on the  physical results of consumption of caffeine.  There are different phases in the  menstrual cycle marked by the changing levels of hormones, the follicular phase that starts on  the first day of menstruation and ends with ovulation and the luteal phase. This is marked by greater levels of progesterone.

Studies in the future should look into whether the physiological factors are impacted by gender differences or patterns of caffeine consumption, say the authors.

The finding was documented in the Journal Pediatrics.