Is coffee really the pick-me-up it's made out to be?

Not according to researchers from Bristol University in the UK.

They have found that having a caffeinated drink does not make you more alert than non-coffee drinkers, reported The Daily Mail.

And if you're a regular drinker, it won't make you more alert than you usually are.

It merely relieves withdrawal symptoms, they said.

Professor Peter Rogers, a biological psychologist who led the research, told the BBC: 'We do feel a boost from caffeine in the morning, but that's probably due to a reversal of the withdrawal symptoms.

'That alertness you feel is you getting back to normal.'

He said that caffeine did have some benefits, such as preventing cognitive decline in the elderly.

And it can give a boost to those who aren't regular coffee drinkers.

'When you first consume caffeine after being caffeine-free for a long time, there is evidence you do get a buzz from it,' he said.