Caffeine and Training

[FUZO]

TweetCaffeine and Training


What is caffeine?

Scientifically known as 3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6,-dione, caffeine is essentially a lethal drug. However, unless you drink a continuous 80 to 100 cups of coffee in one sitting, the likelihood of overdosing is unlikely. But for the regular caffeine-junky, the withdrawal symptoms (i.e. headache, fatigue) are the primary downsides for habitual caffeine usage.

Once consumed, caffeine travels through the stomach and small intestine and within 15 minutes, caffeine exhibits several powerful effects. In addition to an increase in heart rate, caffeine instigates constriction of blood vessels, relaxation of air passages and fosters easier muscle contractions. But for those wanting a good night’s rest, take your caffeine early. Caffeine will reside in the body for well-over 6 hours until it is eliminated.

Where can I find caffeine?

Without a doubt, caffeine is universally associated with coffee and tea. However, the list does not stop here. Although a 5 oz. cup of coffee will give you a whopping 60-150 mg of caffeine, Coca Cola ranks second on the list with 64 mg per 12 oz. As for those who don’t enjoy the taste of tea, you can receive 45 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. simply by drinking diet Coke (comparable to 5 oz. of tea). And for the chocolate aficionado, considering that dark chocolate provides copious amounts of caffeine, devouring a Nestle Crunch Bar provides you with 10 mg of caffeine.

What’s so amazing about this mood-altering drug is that the most effective source of caffeine comes from the tablet form. So, for people counting calories, and want to avoid the frequent stops to the restroom, stop drinking your caffeine! Seeing that pills quickly enter the bloodstream, with more milligrams of caffeine consumed at once, spending a little extra money on the pill form of caffeine may possibly improve your athletic and weight-lifting performance.

Caffeine and Exercise

Once a banned substance by the committee of Olympic Games, it’s no surprise that caffeine is a well-accepted ergogenic aid. Aside from relieving pain, treating headaches and reducing symptoms of asthma, caffeine encourages the brain and nervous system to ignore signs of pain, recruit extra motor units during exercise and produce stronger muscle contractions.

Show Me the Study!

While regular caffeine usage may cause dependence, caffeine has been shown to reduce fatigue, increase mental alertness and improve performance during prolonged exercise. According to a recent study, which studied the effect of caffeine and carbohydrate during exercise, results demonstrated that when caffeine was consumed during exercise, carbohydrates were oxidized more quickly than when carbohydrates were consumed alone. Partly due to increased intestinal absorption, fitness enthusiasts should consume around 5 mg of caffeine, per kilogram of body weight, at least an hour prior to exercise, to help reach their fitness goals (Yeo).

[LilFella]

TweetAnother benefit is it keeps me from killing my wife in the morning haha