A Collection of Ranger's Apprentice Theories

The Perks of Drinking Coffee in Moderation

At this point, most of the main characters in the Ranger's Apprentice series drink coffee. The habit began with Halt and Crowley, then was passed down to the next generation of Will, Horace, Alyss, and Cassandra. As such a large part of their fluid intake, a tally of cons from flipping through a course textbook were written up into the following. With pushback by a coffee lover at the initial posting, upsides to drinking coffee were added.

Part of the scientific information for this theory came from a biology textbook which had seen better days, published two decades ago, and the other part from a 2016 news article [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/drinking-several-cups-of-coffee-can-actually-be-good-for-you-1.3540114] from the CBC, which references a study. The former will be indicated as (BIO), and the latter as (CBC) where they are cited.

Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that is the world's most popular drug (BIO). Between sources, it's agreed the average healthy adult can consume about 4 cups of coffee daily without harm, though CBC additionally relays that benefits start at 2 cups a day, and linger for up to 5 cups.

The Rangers who drink coffee often boil water with a meal, say breakfast and dinner, and then grab a refill while they are still camped out, leading to an average range of 2-4 cups a day while on the move.

This becomes addictive, Rangers showing signs of grumpiness when they're deprived during stealth missions, the cravings for the caffeine fix suddenly becoming an issue. Human bodies want to be balanced, and so will create new receptors for the stimulant's neutralizer—except, in absence of the stimulant, suddenly the neutralizer is the unbalanced side, causing discomfort and even pain as it readjusts again (BIO). This is also why it takes more stimulant to feel the same effects; the body is constantly boosting its receptiveness to the neutralizer, making it increasingly uncomfortable to go cold turkey. This is risky for missions where they must be on their best game, or are even captured. It's more difficult to work out the next genius plan with a headache, tiredness, and cravings.

Caffeine has been used for performance-enhancing due to its similarity to epinephrine, better known as adrenaline; for the short run, Rangers would receive a boost in their response to intense situations, with higher alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure (BIO). Caffeine in high volumes also increases blood sugar and blood fatty acid level, which deliver more nutrients faster to a body's cells.

That being said, some of these 'perks' are detrimental to the Ranger lifestyle. From getting adequate sleep through falling asleep immediately to waking up alert, and their speed and accuracy with projectiles, caffeine is a hindrance. The stimulants in high consumption are linked to sleep disorders and impaired fine motor skills (BIO).

Caffeine is linked to worse anxiety, and Rangers already have a stressful job. This is because epinephrine is produced naturally as a stress response, so continued use of caffeine is interpreted by the body as a long-term stress response, a harmful operating mode (BIO). High blood sugar encourages more fluids (water) to stay in the blood, raising blood pressure. A high heart rate can damage heart muscle and raise blood pressure. High blood pressure can rupture blood vessels and cause blood clots. In summary, a heart attack becomes much more probable according to this source.

High blood sugar also increases the need to pee and can cause dehydration. This is because kidneys filter out excess sugar, which then encourages water to be filtered out as well through the process of osmosis (the body once again wanting to be balanced, and thinking it has an excess in water). Luckily, Rangers do not need to wait for the nearest rest stop along the highway to hit the nearest outhouse, but it would be an inconvenience and a distraction to make repetitive stops.

Interestingly, though the heart was a big concern with coffee consumption, scientists have identified benefits in more recent years that can be found in decaf. From reducing the chance of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes, coffee itself contains beneficial components like antioxidants that can outweigh caffeine consumption (CBC). By limiting caffeine intake, coffee seems a net positive according to the study.

In terms of the caffeine actually in what Rangers drink, the coffee lover mentioned above provided this insight: darker roasts have less caffeine. Inferring from Maddie's complaints about bitterness (in 'A New Beginning'), the preferred Ranger coffee comes from a dark roast, decaf, or something entirely else they call coffee.

Though Rangers should still temper their consumption of caffeinated coffee to avoid addiction and poor sleep, a few cups a day provides enough benefits that it may be their secret weapon. All the main characters drink it, and those main characters are all betrayed as the best in their field. That is, besides their relentless training and dedication to the job.