Coffee, reproducing the conditions under which caffeine is normally ingested, containing 3, 75, 150 or 300 mg of caffeine was given to healthy male and female volunteers. 25-30 min after drinking the beverage, they completed the Spanish version of the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). The beverage increased state anxiety, in a dose-dependent manner, in males but not in females. This could be due to a lesser sensitivity of females to coffee.
Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.