Our next mitochondrial supplement is caffeine. The word caffeine is derived from the Arabic word “qahweh.” Caffeine was first isolated in 1819 from coffee and it is also found in chocolate, tea, and cacao pods. It is also naturally found in beans, guarana, and kola nuts. Caffeine is very popular and more than eighty percent of adults in North America regularly consume caffeine.
Caffeine is able to inhibit cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-phosphodiesterase. This
inhibition leads to increased levels of cAMP and the activation of protein kinase A.
When the cAMP levels are increased this increases the effectiveness of complexes I and IV. This increases ATP production in the short term. However, caffeine can also decrease ATP production over time because caffeine and adenosine have a similar chemical structure, so caffeine binds to the adenosine receptors when ATP is broken down. This makes the body feel like it is not tired and continues to function normally. However, over time the body begins to produce more adenosine receptors. Adenosine makes you tired because it slows down the activity of neurons. The nerve cells have adenosine receptors which the adenosine binds to and then proteins are released to stop nerve cell activity.
Adenosine normally binds to the A1 and A2 receptors found in the brain, nervous system, muscle, adipose tissue, heart and vascular endothelium. Adenosine can also improve blood circulation and increase blood flow to the heart. Adenosine also increases renal blood flow. The phosphate group of ATP breaks away and can form adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or adenosine monophosphate (AMP) which releases energy. Other things that can bind to adenosine receptors are theophylline and theobromine. Theophylline is a phosphodiesterase inhibiting drug that can be found in tea or cocoa. Theobromine widens the blood vessels and is also found in cocoa and tea.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561418324269