Coffee, Caffeine & Fitness

 

Otransmitter that normally causes a calming effect in the body. The resulting neural stimulation for this reason blockage causes the adrenal glands release a adrenaline, the "fight or flight" hormone Does Strong Coffee Have More Caffeine. Your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate, muscle tissue tense up, and glucose is released into your blood stream for additional energy. Voila… at this point you have the caffeine buzz.

But wait…we're not done yet. Caffeine also increases dopamine. Dopamine activates the pleasure in elements of the brain. It has been suspected that this also plays a role in caffeine addiction.

Physiologically, caffeine makes us you're feeling alert, pumps adrenaline to provide you with energy and changes dopamine production to get you to feel good. Another espresso, anyone?

Ergogenic Effects of Caffeine to PerformanceOne look at a range at the neighborhood Starbucks in the morning and that you do not must be convinced of the huge amount of coffee consumption in the U.S. The National Coffee Association within 2000 that 54% of the U.S. adult population drinks coffee daily. Guess there's nothing like the very first double espresso in the morning to clear the cobwebs from our heads so we can face the day.

But what're the results relating to fitness? If that grande-no-foam-double-whipped-extra-shot-no-fat latte gives us the get-up-and-go to begin our trip to work,

 

 

can it do the same if we're headed to the gym?

Physiological Effects The main ingredient in coffee that offers us that jolt is caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant. Caffeine is located naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, and chocolate, and is a well known added ingredient in carbonated beverages and some over-the-counter medications such as cold remedies, diuretics, aspirin, and weight control aids. It's estimated that in the U.S., 75% of caffeine intake originates from coffee.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by blocking adenosine, a neur As well as various psychological and physiological benefits, numerous studies have documented caffeine's ergogenic effect on athletic performance, particularly in regards to endurance. Studies show that caffeine ingestion prior to exercising extended endurance in moderately strenuous aerobic activity. Other studies researching caffeine consumption on elite distance runners and distance swimmers show increased performance times following caffeine consumption.

Despite effects on endurance, caffeine produced no effect on maximal muscular force in a study measuring voluntary and electrically stimulated muscle actions. However, the same study did show findings that suggest caffeine posseses an ergogenic effect on muscle during repetitive, low frequency stimulation.

Caffeine's positive performance-enhancing effects have been well documented. So much so the International Olympic Committee placed a ban leading to disqualification for a player with urinary limits exceeding 12 mg/mL. Roughly 600 to 800mg of caffeine, or 4 to 7 cups of coffee, consumed over a 30-minute period could be enough to exceed this level and cause disqualification. The National Collegiate Athletic Association includes a similar limit, set at 15 mg/mL.

Coffee: A Pre-Workout Drink? Before you make Starbucks part of one's pre-workout warm-up in order to harness the results of caffeine, be aware that simply downing a grande may not offer you similar benefits within these studies. A recent Canadian study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology compared the aftereffect of coffee and caffeine on run time to exhaustion. A group of nine men took part in five trials. Sixty minutes before each run, the men took one of the following:

A placebo Caffeine capsules De-caffeinated coffee with caffeine added Regular coffee

Performance times were as much as 10 times longer in subjects utilizing the caffeine capsules, without any differences in times among one other trials. Since the degree of caffeine absorption was similar through the caffeine trials, researchers concluded something in the coffee itself that interferes with caffeine's performance-enhancing effects. This makes sense considering there are literally hundreds of compounds dissolved when coffee beans are roasted, ground and extracted. Outcomes of this research suggest that if advantages of caffeine on endurance times are desired, caffeine capsules are better than coffee.

Caffeine and Creatine Supplementation Although caffeine has been shown to boost endurance time, further research shows it may actually blunt the aftereffect of creatine, a well known and well-researched compound noted for its consistent ergogenic effects. In a study evaluating the aftereffect of pre-exercise caffeine ingestion on both creatine stores and high-intensity exercise performance, caffeine totally counteracted any ramifications of creatine supplementation. It was suggested that individuals who creatine load should avoid caffeine-containing foods and beverages if results are desired.

The Downside of Caffeine Despite coffee/caffeine's results on psychological states and performance, you'll find so many documented risks that must considered when consuming caffeine, whether for performance-enhancing effects or just as part of daily dietary consumption.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and can produce restlessness, headaches, and irritability. Caffeine also elevates your heart rate and blood pressure. Over the long-term as your system gets used to caffeine, it requires higher amounts to have the same effects. Certainly, having your system in circumstances of hormonal emergency all day long long isn't very healthy.

Caffeine is also a diuretic and causes a loss in fluid, which in turn results in a dehydrating effect. That is obviously not conducive to fitness activities such as resistance training, as fluid is necessary for the transfer of nutrients to facilitate muscular growth. It is also important when considering the further loss in fluid while exercising in hot environments.

Perhaps the most crucial long-term problem is the aftereffect of caffeine on sleep. The half-life of caffeine in the body is approximately 6 hours. If you drink a huge cup of coffee with 200 mg of caffeine at 4PM, at 10PM you still have about 100mg in your body. By 4AM, you still have 50mg floating in your system. Although you may well be able to sleep, may very well not manage to obtain the restful advantages of deep sleep. What's worse, the cycle continues because you can use more and more caffeine assured of counteracting this deficit.

Caffeinated Conclusions… Though caffeine has some benefits in relation to exercise performance, risks have been documented. Most problems seem evident with high consumption. The American Heart Association says that moderate coffee drinking (one or two cups per day) does not be seemingly harmful for some people. Much like everything else, moderation is the key to healthy caffeine consumption what coffee has the most caffeine. Further research is needed to clearly determine whether the performance-enhancing advantages of caffeine outweigh the potential risks.