Caffeine
needernt
Posts: 675 Member
On one hand there are some statements about the advantages of drinking coffee pre-workout to enhance sports ability and fat burning. On the other hand occasionally I come across some articles on yahoo about the essentiality of omitting caffeine and sugar from our diet.
I get confused a bit which is it true?
I get confused a bit which is it true?
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I watched a documentary about this. Two athletes of equal ability ran on the tredmill for a set distance both just having drunk water and their times recorded for a benchmark.
The next day they did the same, one having had caffine and one not, but neither one knew who had had the caffine. The one that did had about a 20% increase in positive results.
I tend to drink black coffee about an hour before training and feel it does work. Could be a placebo but it works for me0 -
I went from a cream and sugar coffee person to black and am so glad for it. I have never been told to decrease my caffeine intake from my doctor nor my coach during competition prep. My coach/nutritionist promised me "of all the foods I am taking away from you, I will never take your coffee". By then I had switched over to black.
It does help me tremendously since I have a slow metabolism (I do not credit coffee with fat loss) but with a slow metabolism comes often feeling sluggish. Like Pelamblue above, having a cup before a workout definitely helps me get through. I just make sure I am drinking enough water and getting enough potassium to avoid cramping/headaches since coffee is a diuretic.0 -
Both are probably true. Yes it will give you a performance boost, as well as other benefits. And yes you need to be careful about how much caffeine you have in your day to day diet, as it can cause problems. I limit myself to one cup of coffee per day. I guess the old saying 'all things in moderation' applies, and then it's all fine.0
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What is wrong with caffeine anyway? what problem it might cause? Is it addictive?0
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Caffeine is definitely addictive, at least for me. I think there is a slight increase in heart rate if you consume too much. I'm sure you can google any other potential issues. Like anything, it's fine when consumed in moderation.
That being said, I drink way too much.0 -
If I don't get my coffee before my workout people will die. The lure of coffee is the only reason I get up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym! As to whether or not I get a "performance boost" from it I'm going to say no. It does make me more bearable to be around though.
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What is wrong with caffeine anyway? what problem it might cause? Is it addictive?
For some people yes, it is addictive. When someone consumes a lot of caffeine daily and then try to stop they experience withdrawal symptoms.
I'm fortunate that I have never had that issue. I can go from drinking caffeinated coffee to decaf and have no ill effects.
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Caffeine is one of very few, perhaps only, stims widely accepted as beneficial. The increased fat burning is minimal at best, but it certainly can help with focus and intensity during your workout, and that's what really matters.
As for the yahoo articles... consider the source/author, the intended audience, and the goal/subjects used in the article.
IMO, caffeine is good, but it can be addictive to some, and can cause jitters/shakes if the dose is too high (which isn't good when you're under the bar).0 -
Caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous system, and regular use of caffeine does cause mild physical dependence.
Symptoms of withdrawal from caffeine include:- headache
- fatigue
- anxiety
- irritability
- depressed mood
- difficulty concentrating
It's a drug, yes. But it's socially acceptable and easy to obtain, so dependence isn't the big deal other drugs might be. Also, it's a milder stimulant than many Schedule II controlled substances.
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Thats really cool, honestly I cant live without my coffee, it helps with my appetite and its something I reach for instead of a snack on some daysI watched a documentary about this. Two athletes of equal ability ran on the tredmill for a set distance both just having drunk water and their times recorded for a benchmark.
The next day they did the same, one having had caffine and one not, but neither one knew who had had the caffine. The one that did had about a 20% increase in positive results.
I tend to drink black coffee about an hour before training and feel it does work. Could be a placebo but it works for me
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I watched a documentary about this. Two athletes of equal ability ran on the tredmill for a set distance both just having drunk water and their times recorded for a benchmark.
The next day they did the same, one having had caffine and one not, but neither one knew who had had the caffine. The one that did had about a 20% increase in positive results.
I tend to drink black coffee about an hour before training and feel it does work. Could be a placebo but it works for me
Serious question: How did neither one know who had the caffeine? Did they slip something clear and tasteless into the water? I mean if someone handed me a cup of coffee I'd totally know that I was getting caffeine!0 -
Caffeine is addictive. Personally, I am easily effected by it - get really hyper after a cup of coffee. So using that energy in a workout doesn't seem like a bad idea. Some people are immune to the caffeine effect. It depends on you.
There are health benefits to coffee through antioxidants - it's the cream and sugar that you should stay away from.0 -
good point lolgoddessofawesome wrote: »I watched a documentary about this. Two athletes of equal ability ran on the tredmill for a set distance both just having drunk water and their times recorded for a benchmark.
The next day they did the same, one having had caffine and one not, but neither one knew who had had the caffine. The one that did had about a 20% increase in positive results.
I tend to drink black coffee about an hour before training and feel it does work. Could be a placebo but it works for me
Serious question: How did neither one know who had the caffeine? Did they slip something clear and tasteless into the water? I mean if someone handed me a cup of coffee I'd totally know that I was getting caffeine!
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goddessofawesome wrote: »I watched a documentary about this. Two athletes of equal ability ran on the tredmill for a set distance both just having drunk water and their times recorded for a benchmark.
The next day they did the same, one having had caffine and one not, but neither one knew who had had the caffine. The one that did had about a 20% increase in positive results.
I tend to drink black coffee about an hour before training and feel it does work. Could be a placebo but it works for me
Serious question: How did neither one know who had the caffeine? Did they slip something clear and tasteless into the water? I mean if someone handed me a cup of coffee I'd totally know that I was getting caffeine!
Yes, I'm sure they did something like that. Perhaps one got a caffeine pill and one got an "empty" pill. There are lots of ways to do it. I doubt one got coffee and one got hot chocolate, but neither were told which was which.0 -
]goddessofawesome wrote: »If I don't get my coffee before my workout people will die. The lure of coffee is the only reason I get up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym! As to whether or not I get a "performance boost" from it I'm going to say no. It does make me more bearable to be around though.
You wake up at 5 ti hit the gym!! What about breakfast and 2 hours time gap to digest it?0 -
What about breakfast and 2 hours time gap to digest it?goddessofawesome wrote: »If I don't get my coffee before my workout people will die. The lure of coffee is the only reason I get up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym! As to whether or not I get a "performance boost" from it I'm going to say no. It does make me more bearable to be around though.
Hopefully trolling, but in case it's not...
Breakfast is unnecessary and should be guided by personal preference - if you eat, what you eat, how much you eat. Digestion should also be about personal preference - how much you eat, how you feel, etc.0 -
Based on everyone's opinions it doesn't seem a bad thing as such.
It is not that everyone should abstain from coffee.0 -
]goddessofawesome wrote: »If I don't get my coffee before my workout people will die. The lure of coffee is the only reason I get up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym! As to whether or not I get a "performance boost" from it I'm going to say no. It does make me more bearable to be around though.
You wake up at 5 ti hit the gym!! What about breakfast and 2 hours time gap to digest it?
Why do I need breakfast and 2 hours to digest it? I have never eaten before a morning workout. I have my breakfast afterwards.
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You look like you might tan regularly. So here is an excuse to guzzle the addictive stuff:
Headline: Regular coffee drinking may block the worst skin cancer, a study shows
Quote: "The findings specifically applied to caffeinated coffee, not decaf."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/regular-coffee-drinking-may-block-the-worst-skin-cancer-a-study-shows/2015/01/27/b80e4454-a24f-11e4-b146-577832eafcb4_story.html0 -
Unless you are overweight with the aim of weight loss you should not do this. It results in muscle loss and maybe hospital even.goddessofawesome wrote: »
]goddessofawesome wrote: »If I don't get my coffee before my workout people will die. The lure of coffee is the only reason I get up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym! As to whether or not I get a "performance boost" from it I'm going to say no. It does make me more bearable to be around though.
You wake up at 5 ti hit the gym!! What about breakfast and 2 hours time gap to digest it?
Why do I need breakfast and 2 hours to digest it? I have never eaten before a morning workout. I have my breakfast afterwards.0 -
Unless you are overweight with the aim of weight loss you should not do this. It results in muscle loss and maybe hospital even.goddessofawesome wrote: »
]goddessofawesome wrote: »If I don't get my coffee before my workout people will die. The lure of coffee is the only reason I get up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym! As to whether or not I get a "performance boost" from it I'm going to say no. It does make me more bearable to be around though.
You wake up at 5 ti hit the gym!! What about breakfast and 2 hours time gap to digest it?
Why do I need breakfast and 2 hours to digest it? I have never eaten before a morning workout. I have my breakfast afterwards.
<---- Pretty sure I'm not overweight.
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^^^ this. I limit coffee to 1 1/2 cups in the morning. The only way I get out of bed to do my morning workout is because i set my coffee maker to have it ready for me as soon as I come down the stairs.goddessofawesome wrote: »If I don't get my coffee before my workout people will die. The lure of coffee is the only reason I get up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym! As to whether or not I get a "performance boost" from it I'm going to say no. It does make me more bearable to be around though.
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Totally agree with you as this is what I do when at work. Keepse away from the bickys
Thats really cool, honestly I cant live without my coffee, it helps with my appetite and its something I reach for instead of a snack on some daysI watched a documentary about this. Two athletes of equal ability ran on the tredmill for a set distance both just having drunk water and their times recorded for a benchmark.
The next day they did the same, one having had caffine and one not, but neither one knew who had had the caffine. The one that did had about a 20% increase in positive results.
I tend to drink black coffee about an hour before training and feel it does work. Could be a placebo but it works for me
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I drink an entire pot (12 cups) of black coffee every day. I count it as water. Of course if you use sugar, cream, milk, or whatever in your coffee, that is different.
I intend to cut back but weight loss and fitness improvement is what I am working on now.
The studies about caffeine effect on athletic performance is only really applicable to professional athletes. It doesn't really matter if the average Joe gets a little extra speed from caffeine or not.0 -
goddessofawesome wrote: »I watched a documentary about this. Two athletes of equal ability ran on the tredmill for a set distance both just having drunk water and their times recorded for a benchmark.
The next day they did the same, one having had caffine and one not, but neither one knew who had had the caffine. The one that did had about a 20% increase in positive results.
I tend to drink black coffee about an hour before training and feel it does work. Could be a placebo but it works for me
Serious question: How did neither one know who had the caffeine? Did they slip something clear and tasteless into the water? I mean if someone handed me a cup of coffee I'd totally know that I was getting caffeine!
Coffee is the taste bit apart from that no idea.
Science is a wonderful thing ha ha0 -
What is wrong with caffeine anyway? what problem it might cause? Is it addictive?
I was severely addicted to caffeine and it started to affect my sleep also. I went cold turkey and, for two weeks, I slept 17-18 hours a day or else got a severe headache. I then reintroduced a moderate amount into my day. I drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning and no more caffeine the rest of the day. If I have any after about 2 PM, I cannot fall asleep.
I don't want to stop completely. When I go in to see my doctor, if I haven't had coffee that morning, my BP is actually very low (last time was 92/60). The lab also has problems drawing blood if I haven't had my coffee. My 2 cups seems to be the right compromise and I do get overly tired or get a headache if I haven't had any caffeine at all.
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Also, if anyone is interested, there have been some interesting studies published recently indicating various health benefits to drinking moderate to large amounts of coffee. Obviously not smart to take these as gospel or anything, but it is certainly something I'll be reading more about as the research continues.0
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