caffeine before exercise?

sezgirl

Just wondering if any of you take energy drinks or other forms of caffeine before a workout?
I normally don't.. but ive been so stressed/tired with exams at the moment that lately have had a sugar free energy drink about 1/2 hour before a run and i actually do notice a difference in my performance. Im just wondering if its bad to make a habit out of this?

Avalonis

Just wondering if any of you take energy drinks or other forms of caffeine before a workout?
I normally don't.. but ive been so stressed/tired with exams at the moment that lately have had a sugar free energy drink about 1/2 hour before a run and i actually do notice a difference in my performance. Im just wondering if its bad to make a habit out of this?

Caffeine is a huge help when doing strength training, at least for me, but I try to stick to low doses.

I usually drink a pre-workout drink that has about as much caffeine as a single cup of coffee.

kathleennf

A little bit in moderation is OK and has actually been shown in scientific studies to improve exercise performance. Too much and your heart will be racing, though! Also- since it affects your heart rate if you are using a HR monitor it may not be as accurate.

nursenelson

Sometimes before a hard workout I take a caffeine pill (sometimes 2-oops!) I also find that it helps with my workout. I dont know if its super bad to do this but oh well sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do rignt!?!? haha

TrainingWithTonya

It's definitely an energy booster before a workout. But don't rely on a heart rate monitor to give you an accurate calorie burn amount when you've consumed caffeine. Caffeine will increase the heart rate even at rest so it will cause a HRM to over estimate calorie burn during exercise.

warmachinejt

i have a book where caffeine is the most proven supplement for exercise. Scientific proof of course. I used to drink no cal monster before workout, but now I know that if my body is tired, then I'll let it feel tired, because it's a sign i shoudn't abuse it lol
also creatine is also a very proven supplement...

barbiex3

lol. isn't healthy probably, but I don't care. I drink energry drinks before or coffee. It helps X10000! =] !
even this chick does it and she is jacked =]
http://www.bodyrock.tv/2010/10/11/bad-*kitten*-workout-600-reps/

lol, so it can't be too bad :P and if it is, it is totally your decision! =] !

barbiex3

It's definitely an energy booster before a workout. But don't rely on a heart rate monitor to give you an accurate calorie burn amount when you've consumed caffeine. Caffeine will increase the heart rate even at rest so it will cause a HRM to over estimate calorie burn during exercise.

but you do burn more calories with an elevated heart rate, just sayinggg =] !

mermx

A few years ago I suffered with anxiety and panic attacks...after being diagnosed and given suitable prescription tablets I managed to wean myself off them after the discovery that it was diet coke that was giving me too much caffiene and also tea with caffiene. I stopped all those products and have been `attack free` since. If I take an `anadin extra` or any other caffiene filled product I get panicky. So each to their own.

Simply_Christine

I always down 24oz coffee and a 5-hour energy before my workouts.

nivbed

I take a 5 hour energy drink sometimes before working out. Not all the time though. Usually if I decide to workout before work, since I'm totally not a morning person.

It's probably not a good idea to make a habit out of it, but I don't think that doing it some of the time is bad. Ask a nutritionist though, or a trainer!

sarah44254

Sucks to read all the good benefits of caffeine. Ugh. I need to avoid it because it makes me pass out, doctor said 'no more!'

But yes, original poster... caffeine can help you get a good energy boost for your workout!

TrainingWithTonya

It's definitely an energy booster before a workout. But don't rely on a heart rate monitor to give you an accurate calorie burn amount when you've consumed caffeine. Caffeine will increase the heart rate even at rest so it will cause a HRM to over estimate calorie burn during exercise.

but you do burn more calories with an elevated heart rate, just sayinggg =] !

No, you don't necessarily burn more calories with an elevated heart rate. If I sit on my couch and have an elevated heart rate, I'm still just sitting on the couch. The only extra calories being burned then are by the cardiac muscle cells, no more then a couple of extra calories an hour. A heart rate monitor, however, will only see an elevated heart rate and think it is a result of exercise and will estimate a much higher calorie burn just based on the elevated heart rate. If you start out with a resting heart rate of 70 and raise your heart rate to 140 during exercise you are burning a significant amount more calories then at rest. If you start at 100 from caffeine and raise your heart rate to 170 during exercise, you've done the same amount of work on your exercise, but the 30 beats per minute difference will read as more calories burned then it should have because your actual working heart rate would be closer to 140. The caffeine caused the elevation in the heart rate, not the exercise. Therefore, you will have an inaccurately high calorie burn reading from a heart rate monitor if you consume caffeine beforehand.

sezgirl

lol. isn't healthy probably, but I don't care. I drink energry drinks before or coffee. It helps X10000! =] !
even this chick does it and she is jacked =]
http://www.bodyrock.tv/2010/10/11/bad-*kitten*-workout-600-reps/

lol, so it can't be too bad :P and if it is, it is totally your decision! =] !

i'm a hhuugeee fan of hers!

Elleinnz

OMG - All the guys laugh at me at the gym - I pick up a coffee for me and my trainer before I head to the gym in the morning - they say they have never seen someone sip coffee the way others sip water during training ;-)......

elbandito

One of the small cans of Red Bull is only 120-odd calories (from memory) and helps me out when I'm lifting.