AN ANALYSIS OF CAFFEINE'S EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE OF STEM STUDENTS OF KAPITOLYO HIGH SCHOOL

A Concept Paper

submitted by
I. INTRODUCTION

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. According to Donovan and DeVane

(2001) and Holtzman (1990), Caffeine is the most widely used and abused psychoactive

substance in the world. The utilization of caffeine is to remain wakeful, and alarm could be a

long-standing habit.

Caffeine is most commonly found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and other beverages, and

According to Kantar Worldpanel Philippines (2015), Filipinos have switched from moderate to

strong coffee consumers. According to studies, caffeine consumption has become common

among young adults and on certain occasions, children. As a result, children and early teenagers

are more vulnerable to caffeine-related symptoms, including anxiety, sleeplessness, and

uneasiness (Cousins, 2020).

Goal Statement

The researcher aims to analyze the effects of caffeine consumption on the student's

physical and academic performance.

Statement of the Problem

1
 Many people, particularly in schools, industries, and organizational settings, enjoy

consuming caffeine-containing coffee or tea in the hopes of being stimulated and improving their

performance. Most of the time, coffee is consumed without regard for the user's caffeine

tolerance. As a result, this study investigates whether caffeine could affect students’ everyday

performance inside and outside school. This led to the proposed research to determine the effects

of caffeine on the physical and academic performance of STEM students.

Research Questions

Specifically, this study attempts to answer the following questions:

1. What is the relationship of caffeine with the physical and academic performance of the

students?

2. How does tolerance affect caffeine’s effects on the physical and academic performance of

students?

3. How does social setting and influence affects students’ caffeine consumption?

4. How aware are students of caffeine’s side effects?

II. Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter contains the related literature and studies on caffeine’s effects on students,

which are imperative to give a general overview of the relationship between these variables and

what other researchers and studies found about this.

Related Literature

2
 According to De Walle (2020), caffeine works by blocking your brain’s adenosine

receptors, which play a role in sleep, arousal, and cognition. Typically, the adenosine molecule

binds to these receptors, holding back the release of brain chemicals like dopamine that enhance

arousal and stimulate wakefulness. Caffeine helps increase the release of these vital brain

chemicals, which decreases fatigue and increases alertness by blocking adenosine from binding

to its receptor.

Similarly, Opalisky(2016), coffee contains around 100 mg of caffeine per cup. Caffeine

is absorbed in the body in about 45 minutes and reaches its peak around 15 minutes after

consumption. Caffeine stimulates cell activity by binding to the body’s adenosine receptors. As a

result, the body is more alert and awake.

As mentioned by De Walle (2020), the stimulating effect of caffeine occurs 30-60

minutes after consumption and lasts 3-5 hours. However, he indicated that in 1980, a study

showed that regular consumption of caffeine decreases its effect over time by increasing its

production of adenosine receptors. Further consumption of caffeine increases the production of

adenosine receptors which is responsible for the feeling of tiredness and sleepiness. Increased

production means fewer caffeine effects as the caffeine binding or blocking of the adenosine

receptors decreases therefore building tolerance over time.

Related Studies
According to research, although Caffeine consumption is related to psychiatric and

substance use disorders, studies have shown that their associations were not casual. On contrary,

one study showed a near causal relationship between the use of energy drinks and hospitalization

among patients with mental illness. Caffeine causes high anxiety levels among moderate and

high-level caffeine consumers. Whereas the positive effect of caffeine was shown by low-level

3
consumers like they reduced anxiety and elevated the mood. (Devi, Abilash, Basalingappa,

2018).

According to Mahoney, Giles, Marriott, Judelson, Glickman, Geiselman, & Lieberman

(2018), In exams, homework, and socializing, students have an increasing demand for

caffeinated products. A study shows that students (N=1248) provided multiple reasons for

caffeine use including to feel awake (79%); enjoy the taste (68%); the social aspects of

consumption (39%); improve concentration (31%); increase physical energy (27%); improve

mood (18%), and alleviate stress.

Caffeine in the form of various beverages and as an additive in numerous drug

formulations is the most widely consumed drug in the world. Its psychostimulant properties

account for much of its popularity. Caffeine has multiple pharmacological effects that influence

normal physiological functioning, and it has been suspected of contributing to morbidity. Drug

interactions of caffeine with other psychoactive drugs are described. (Donovan, 2018).

Studies have also found that people who drink coffee regularly have a lower risk of

developing Alzheimer’s and dementia, and cut suicide risk by 45 percent. These benefits are

limited to people who drink high-octane coffee, not decaf. Some people consider coffee to be a

healthy drink, but like most foods, overindulging can cause side effects. An overdose can result

in death due to convulsions. Overdosing happens by consuming large amounts of caffeine, most

often in energy drinks or diet pills. Up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is considered to be safe,

according to the Mayo Clinic. This equals about 4 cups of coffee, although the amount of

caffeine in beverages varies widely. (Olsen, 2018).

4
 III. METHODOLOGY

The researcher will employ the following:

Respondents. Grade 12 STEM students at Kapitolyo High School who are enrolled in the first se

mester of the School Year 2021-2022 were purposely selected for this study. Each of the

participants was hand-picked for the same qualities that are needed for the said research. Both

male and female participants will be involved in the study.

Data Gathering Procedure. The initial stage of the data gathering procedure pertained to the

approval of the survey questionnaires from their research adviser. Once the researcher gained

approval, the first survey was done using the link provided by the researcher which prompted the

respondents to Google Forms and will be followed by and second survey after a week also using

the link provided by the researcher. The study didn't request any distinguishing data to give

members secrecy.

The following phase of gathering data involves the distribution of the survey

questionnaire, during this stage, the researcher sought the permission and approval of the chosen

respondents concerned to undertake the following activities: answering the first survey

questionnaire, participating in a week-long coffee consumption activity followed by the last

survey questionnaire.

After having the permission, the researcher gave each participant the first survey

questionnaire and carefully explained to them the important reminders and instructions on how

to accomplish the instruction, a day before participating in the week-long coffee consumption

5
activity. The researchers requested that the members read the instruction carefully and finish up

the principal parts of the questionnaires based on their insight and the best of their understanding.

Research Design. A case study approach will be used in the study in order to distinguish the

effects of consuming caffeine, specifically coffee on the body. For the survey, Google forms will

be used to create and distribute the survey. A typical survey in the form of the Likert scale and

Nominal scale will be used to collect responses and analyze the participant’s expectations of the

effects of caffeine on them. During the fourth of the initial survey questionnaire, a dichotomous

scale will be used in order to measure their awareness of caffeine side effects, and focus group

discussion will also be applied.

Instruments to be Used. The researcher utilized two research-made focus group online survey

questionnaires. The first one was before they were asked to participate in consuming caffeine,

specifically coffee, for a week. This is composed of four parts-- (1) pattern of consumption, (2)

expected effects of caffeine, (3) expectations in social settings and influence, and (4) awareness

of caffeine side effects in a checklist manner. The second survey questionnaire was followed

after a week of participating in consuming caffeine, consisting of two parts-- (1) behavioral

experience and effects, and (2) cognitive enhancement.

The second set of survey questionnaires was also conducted via Google Forms. The first

part is behavioral experience, where the researcher assessed the respondents by answering

questions based on their experience for the whole duration of the week and selected and/or stated

the positive and negative effects they experienced while the research was being conducted. The

last part is all about cognitive enhancement, where the researcher assessed more about the

6
possible improvements if there are any or any effects on their way of thinking and behavior for

the whole week by answering questions provided in the survey.

Attitude Scale. To assess the attitude of the participants toward caffeine consumption, a

questionnaire of a category scale type will be used. It will consist of 10 single-select questions.

The initial draft will be given to the paper adviser for correlations and suggestions in order to

establish its validity and reliability. Certain adjustments will be made, and some things deemed

irrelevant to the study will be removed.

Focus Group Discussion Questions. Question will be crafted to find out whether caffeine does

contribute to students physical and academic performance of STEM students of Kapitolyo High

School. Their answers will be further validated by asking them to answer a questionnaire in a

form of an online survey. This will be done before the weeklong caffeine activity.

7
 References

Cousins, L. (2020). Is It Safe For Teenagers To Drink Coffee And

Energy Drinks? Health Agenda Nutrition.

Devi, S., Abilash, S., Basalingappa S. (2018). The Rationale of Caffeine Consumption and its

Symptoms During Preparatory and Non-Preparatory Days: A Study Among Medical

Students. Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal.

De Walle, G. V. (2020). Caffeine Tolerance: Fact or Fiction. Healthline.

Donovan, J. L., DeVane, C. L. (2001). A primer on caffeine pharmacology and its drug

interactions in clinical psychopharmacology. National Library of Medicine

Holtzman, S.G. (1990). Caffeine as a model drug of abuse. ScienceDirect.

Loria, K., and Brodwin, E. (2017). What Caffeine Does to Your Body and Brain. Business

Insider. Science Alert.

8
Olsen, N. (2018). The Effects of Caffeine on Your Body. Healthline.

Opalisky, C. E. (2016). Iced vs Hot Coffee: What’s the Difference? PennState.