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Nutrition Caffeine for athletes

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footballer55

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Lately, I've been hearing more and more that caffeine can boost an athletes alertness and energy, but I've always learned that caffeine is bad for you and can have negative effects? I never drink coffee or any kind of energy drinks, but would it help/hurt to start having a cup of coffee in the morning?
 
How old are you?

Maybe in moderation it would work well. Key word moderation. Only use it when you need it so that way it works.

I always tell people that if I discovered coffee in high school I could have gotten into Harvard.
 
Hello,

Coffee is not bad in itself. As you said, it boosts metabolism.

Nevertheless if you drink too much, your heart rate could increase, blood pressure as well. It also can damage your sleeping quality if you drink it too close to go to sleep.

Drink a little (2-3 cups) and everything'd be ok.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I started drinking coffee at 13, but it was maybe not the best decision as I truly believe it to be a gateway drug of sorts.

It really doesn't boost alertness or energy except at a relatively low level of performance. You might begin a workout with a bit more energy by comparison, but after 5-10 minutes you'd never know the difference.

It helps with chronic sleep deprivation by slightly improving alertness. In folks that don't train much it can improve the body's ability to convert fats for energy. A strong cup of coffee can noticeably open the airways in your lungs.

It can negatively effect your sleep, give you the jitters. If you become a regular user of caffeine, you will begin to get nagging headaches if you don't get your dose.

I wouldn't take it specifically for a performance boost. A cup of non-caffeinated Peppermint tea will improve alertness, open up the airways and not leave you with coffee breath or caffeine cravings.
 
Hello,

You are still pretty young. Do you really need a booster ?

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I have a coffee before S&S daily. :)
I see coffee as a thinking drug. It has helped my overall health and work performance since I started it in my mid 20s. I wish I had discovered it earlier so I could have done better in school. It makes me think more and enjoy complicated thoughts. Before I started coffee, I used to not like to think. I enjoyed staring at walls. After coffee, I liked to read and to work hard.
It apparently has no negative health effects unless used excessively, although it is fairly bitter and can irritate your stomach and bowels and make you go to the washroom a bit earlier than you might expect to.
Lots of foods have their own "miraculous" qualities. I wish I knew more of them!
 
@Michael morrissey

Only resort to caffeine products/supplements when you 'actually' need it, otherwise you'll become dependent upon it for everything you do and eventually you'll become caffeine tolerant and it wont work when you need it to. Though thats just my opinion and experience.
-WF
 
Individual reactions to caffeine vary widely.

Caffeine content in coffee varies widely, e.g., dark roast have _less_ caffeine than light roasts.

First thing I would do it consult your doctor and ask.

Also useful to know that, if one becomes numb to the effects of caffeine, a fews days to a week off from it will return you to your former self, meaning caffeine will provide a 'hit' again.

-S-
 
Steve Freides said:
Also useful to know that, if one becomes numb to the effects of caffeine, a fews days to a week off from it will return you to your former self, meaning caffeine will provide a 'hit' again.

-S-
Click to expand...

Steve, I've heard/read that benadryl cleans your caffeine receptors (whatever that even means). Not sure how reliable the info is.

Ever hear that? If so, any experience with it?
 
I wouldn't use caffeine during adolescence. Get more sleep and micronutrients to improve alertness and energy.
 
No data, and purely anecdotal but...
If I have a big one day event like a big climb or race, I will eliminate ALL caffeine for upwards of 4 weeks prior. Then on the morning of.... lots and lots. For me it works.
 
offwidth said:
No data, and purely anecdotal but...
If I have a big one day event like a big climb or race, I will eliminate ALL caffeine for upwards of 4 weeks prior. Then on the morning of.... lots and lots. For me it works.
Click to expand...
When I hung out with randonneurs, they all said 1 week was sufficient, for what that's worth.

-S-
 
MattM said:
Steve, I've heard/read that benadryl cleans your caffeine receptors (whatever that even means). Not sure how reliable the info is.

Ever hear that? If so, any experience with it?
Click to expand...
First time I've heard that, but I'm always suspicious of taking a downer to counteract the effects of an upper - or vice versa.

-S-
 
Steve Freides said:
When I hung out with randonneurs, they all said 1 week was sufficient, for what that's worth.

-S-
Click to expand...
I've heard everything from 1-4 weeks. I've always erred on the side of 'caution' I guess, and never experimented with anything less. But I probably should because 4 weeks without espresso is... well... you know...
 
There was actually an interesting study a few years back (uhhh, probably like 10?) that compared fMRI scans from several groups of people: habitual caffeine users on caffeine, habitual caffeine users *not* on caffeine, non-habitual caffeine users on caffeine, non-habitual caffeine users *not* on caffeine (jeez typing caffeine that many times in a row sucks).

The study found that non-habitual caffeine users do get a cognitive boost from using caffeine, but the habitual user needed the caffeine to get back to the baseline for the non-habitual user, and was below baseline when not on caffeine.

Not that I let that stop me from my morning and afternoon coffee, but there you have it.
 
@patterner I often cite that same study. I read it in a medical journal in the waiting room of a hospital in 2004. It was convincing enough to make me switch to decaf for +80% of my coffee intake
 
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