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Hitting the 3pm slump?

Portrait of Tammy Strobel
<b>PHOTO</b> 123RF.COM
<b>PHOTO</b> 123RF.COM

Hitting the 3pm slump? Take a few flights of stairs instead of a shot of java, new research in the journal Physiology & Behavior suggests. 

In the study, sleep-deprived women who walked up and down stairs for 10 minutes felt significantly more energised and motivated to work than those who had 50mg of caffeine – roughly the amount in half a cup of coffee. 

Researchers aren’t exactly sure why stairs are so much more potent, but study author Patrick O’Conner says, “It’s plausible that stair walking promotes the release of brain neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and dopamine, that promote feelings of energy.” Caffeine, meanwhile, staves off the sleepies by blocking the actions of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that contributes to fatigue.

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