caffeine Pills yay or nay? and why?

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BellaSOUL11
BellaSOUL11 Posts: 49 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Would you/do you take them before your work out for extra energy? I am new to lifting(since Jan of this yr) and I find I am more tired on lift days(4-5X a week)

I am thinking of buying some pills, but open to other things I can take to boost my energy during workouts that wont have me up for the rest of the day.

My workouts have gone up to 1.5hrs sometimes 2 (not including 10-15min TOTAL rest time..varies)

Thanks for the help!
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Replies

  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    I know a guy who lifts and loads up on caffeine before his workouts. He gets all amped up, has a great workout, but then is still completely spent afterward and basically crashes for the rest of the night. Maybe changing your diet on lifting days will help you to have sustained energy after
  • Veryana
    Veryana Posts: 122 Member
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    I take caffeine pills in morning for school, I hate how coffee and tea tastes so I rather have my caffeine as a pill. I don't need it for a workout but I'm just not a morning person haha :D
  • BellaSOUL11
    BellaSOUL11 Posts: 49 Member
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    cecsav1 wrote: »
    Coffee tastes better ;)

    I know! I love it, but my 2 cups are early am and I hit the gym 4-5hrs later...so its gone..or feels that way.
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
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    Get some pre-workout... most of them have caffeine and will give the same effect as caffeine pills but they also have a lot of other good stuff in there for your workout.
  • pdxhak
    pdxhak Posts: 383 Member
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    I workout very early so using our espresso machine is not an option. I take a 200mg caffeine pill every morning before working out. I do not get jittery or crash afterwards. There are 100 pills in the bottle and cost around $8 shipped.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
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    caffeine pills are great - no need for the fancy (expensive) pre-workouts that are mostly just caffeine anyway. As a non-coffee drinker myself I've used these regularly.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Large amounts can lead to bone loss. Just to be aware.
    http://coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/caffeine-and-bone-health/

  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    KateTii wrote: »
    Get some pre-workout... most of them have caffeine and will give the same effect as caffeine pills but they also have a lot of other good stuff in there for your workout.

    Nope. The other stuff will do jack squat. Caffeine will be just as effective at a fraction of the cost.
  • choppie70
    choppie70 Posts: 544 Member
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    I have ADD and caffeine works backwards for me. Caffeine helps me focus and concentrate, but does not give me any extra energy at all. I actually have a cup of coffee before I go to bed.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Definitely nay! Coffee tastes too good not to drink it :)
  • idioblast
    idioblast Posts: 114 Member
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    I'm all about caffeine pills. I don't like coffee, tea, or soda but I do really, really like caffeine. What I don't like is that when I was in the UK I could find pills in 50mg doses which is perfect for me. I find 200mg at a time too much and I generally dislike taking more than 200mg a day. Luckily I was able to find some 100mg dose pills on Amazon.
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 690 Member
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    I love coffee and drink 2 cups every morning but try to avoid it too close to going to the gym (except on days I work out in the mornings, of course). I'm by no means against caffeine but don't like it to fuel my workouts and I feel like I start to get reliant on it for exercise.

    Maybe I'm in the minority on this but I like the intensity of my workouts to be based on how I'm actually feeling that day, not trying to push a smidge harder with a caffeine boost.
  • vczK2t
    vczK2t Posts: 309 Member
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    no caffeine pills for me. it's coffee w/espresso shots or nothing. that being said, i won't drink coffee and/or espresso shots in the afternoon/evening because then i won't go to sleep that night.
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
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    I think as long as you know how much is right for you, I don't see why caffeine pills would be an issue. I take about 100mg occasionally when I am feeling particularly tired that day. I still have my coffee, but while I like coffee, I don't like to drink it by the ton because it makes me have to pee like crazy. I recently talked to my doctor about it, and she said that as long as you take an amount that is right for you so that you avoid the jitters or it keeps you from sleeping a proper amount, that caffeine pills are generally considered safe.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,526 Member
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    KateTii wrote: »
    Get some pre-workout... most of them have caffeine and will give the same effect as caffeine pills but they also have a lot of other good stuff in there for your workout.
    The issue is the purity of the ingredients in the product. With no regulation by the FDA, supplement companies only look to make the most money they can and will likely forego getting product (most supplement companies don't make their products) that's high in any quality. And that usually means getting product that's contaminated with ingredients not even listed on the label.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • pdxhak
    pdxhak Posts: 383 Member
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    Make your own pre workout :) I do and it includes a caffeine pill!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Are you guys talking about green coffee bean extract pills? I've never seen "caffeine pills".
  • meredithdelcastillo
    meredithdelcastillo Posts: 64 Member
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    Do you really need to take a supplement in order to get you through your workout? Your own motivation for why you're doing this alone should be enough to get you through. Take a rest day if you need to. Not to mention caffeine is considered a schedule 5 drug.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
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    No thanx! I have tried the odd pre-workout drink, but I don't find it as useful as expected. Coffee does the same for me, especially if I drink it fast!

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