The thing I enjoy about Mate is how long lasting and stable its stimulating effect is. Coffee just gives me a quick spike after which I feel bad. Mate helps me to concentrate on boring stuff for hours.
Having looked at multiple articles before posting this one, your point is definitely a major advantage mentioned consistently. The technique of adding water repeatedly is how I’ve always done oolong tea and gotten a very similar experience.
I should mention I went down this rabbit hole due to the World Cup attention, but have been drinking mate for years and years.
I've been trying various Mates and they do nothing for me, in fact often I get sluggish and sleepy.
I have a similar effect after coffee, but if I drink like 4 espressos at once I get a slight bump of focus. When I get past 8 espresso my hands get a bit shaky and again I feel like I need to go to sleep.
I guess caffeine is not for me, however I still drink it, as it helps with migraines and ADHD.
That's because it's really just the caffeine causing a small adrenaline release. A lot of people don't realize that, I suspect. It's also why it can make you have to take a dump immediately. Caffeine doesn't amp you up, it just causes your body to release a tiny bit of adrenaline which is what amps you up.
I should mention I went down this rabbit hole due to the World Cup attention, but have been drinking mate for years and years.