Do you ever drink your morning coffee and feel like it didn’t really do its job to get you primed for your day? Well, it’s not just your imagination–the effectiveness of your daily java depends on the time of day you drink it. This fact is backed by research in the field called–get ready for a long word — chronopharmacology. It’s the study of the interaction of drugs (i.e. caffeine) and biological rhythms. Brace yourself. Caffeine is a drug.

You have probably already heard of the body’s circadian clock or circadian rhythm. This 24 hour clock alters your behavior and physiology in many ways, and it also plays a role in how drugs affect you. For example, you may have had to take a prescription drug at some point in your life and your doctor told you to take it at certain times. That’s because the body’s internal clock effects drug efficacy.

So, getting to the point—It turns out that drinking your coffee at 8 AM may not be the best time because it coincides with a the body’s natural time for heightened cortisol production. Cortisol makes you feel alert, awake and ready to take on the day.

So…when is the best time to drink coffee? During business meetings!

If you enjoy your morning coffee between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM—when most business meetings are scheulded–will you gain biggest boost from the all-powerful caffeine! This is because it’s right around the time when your cortisol levels are naturally dropping. Not that the caffeine is the only reason you drink coffee. Right? There’s also the flavor, the ritual, the roast, your favorite mug, time with a friend, the aroma, the amount of sweetness, the amount and type of milk… But you get the picture. Maybe your early cup of joe should be (gasp!) decaf. (Can a coffee supplier get arrested for suggesting that?)

Wondering how and where we got all this cool information? Here are the resource articles: Neuroscience Edc and this great infographic here: FastCompany Infographic