It’s a perfect excuse to pester your boss for a complimentary cup of coffee in office every day.
A caffeine shot can help reduce potentially disastrous mistakes made by drowsy shift workers, research has shown.
People who work unsocial hours or through the night may suffer a form of ‘ jet lag’ due to disruption of their body clock rhythms.
As a result they can become very sleepy when working and prone to mishaps. For some, such as lorry drivers or doctors, this can have serious consequences.
Researchers at the London School of Tropical Medicine have in fact based their findings on an analysis of data from some 13 trials investigating the effects of caffeine on performance of shift workers.
Caffeine was administered in coffee, ‘ pep’ pills, energy drinks, or caffeinated foods, mostly in simulated working conditions.
In some trials, performance was assessed by carrying out tasks such as driving. Others subjected volunteers to neuropsychological tests.
Caffeine appeared to reduce errors more than ‘ dummy’ placebo treatments or naps.
The study has been published in the journal Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . It also improved performance in various tests, including those of memory, attention, perception, conceptualising and reasoning.
Lead researcher Dr Katherine Ker said: “ It seems reasonable to assume that reduced errors are associated with fewer injuries, although we cannot quantify such reduction.” The average age of people taking part in the trials was between 20 and 30 years.
Because the effects of body clock disruption vary with age, more research is needed to see if caffeine improved the alertness of older workers, the scientists said.
—Agencies