Caffeine is a stimulant drug and one of the most researched supplements in the world.
A daily dose of up to 400mg is considered safe for most people but everyone tolerates caffeine differently (mainly based on genetics). This is why some people can drink an espresso before bed and fall asleep right away while others can have one cup in the morning and still find it difficult to fall asleep at night.
For reference, 400mg is:
9-11 cans of soda (diet coke has 12g more caffeine then a regular coke)
4-5 cups of coffee (depending how strong you brew it)
8 cups of tea (depending on type of tea and brewing time)
2-3 energy drinks (depending on the brand)
1.3 scoops of pre workout (depends but most have 300mg per scoop)
Negative side effects of too much caffeine:
- increased heart rate
- jittery
- anxious
- headaches
- poor sleep
- upset stomach
Benefits of caffeine:
- boost in energy/performance
- reduces hunger
- increased mental stimulation
- increased alertness
- very small increase in fat oxidation
Caffeine & sleep
Most people do not realize how long it takes to overcome a single dose of caffeine.
It takes 5-7 hours to remove 50% of the caffeine from your body!
This can have a negative impact on sleep for many people. If this sounds like you, make sure to stop consuming caffeine 8 hours before you want to be asleep.
Caffeine & training
Caffeine is the only pre workout I use for my workouts. Usually in the form of coffee but I will sometimes drink the odd energy drink. You can also take caffeine in pill form if you are not into coffee or energy drinks.
The dosage needs to be tailored to the individual. Start with around 100-150g and see what effect that has on your performance and increase from there. The average dose per serving is around 200mg for most people, but remember everyone is different and it is best to start low because...
The downside to consuming caffeine often is that overtime, tolerance can build up and reduce the performance benefits.
Knowing this though, you can manipulate your intake to maximize your training performance.
Here are some tips:
- If you have an athletic event coming up, reduce your intake leading up to the event and consume caffeine on the day of.
- Save caffeine for your most challenging workouts.
- take a break from caffeine whenever you take a break from training/deload.
Caffeine & coffee ☕️
If you're a fellow coffee drinker, you might be surprised to know it has some pretty awesome health benefits!
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, enjoyed by 80% of adults in the US daily.
Coffee is actually very high in antioxidants! Antioxidants decrease the risk of some diseases and also improve recovery.
You may have heard coffee dehydrates you but this is not true. It's perfectly fine to drink coffee everyday.
If you're noticing any of the negative side effects from drinking too much coffee - cut down gradually on your intake by going decaf or brew your coffee for less time. Also note, decaf does not mean non caffeinated. 4 cups of decaf = 1 cup of regular coffee.
Add up the amount of caffeine you're consuming in a day and keep an eye on your intake.
If you're over 400mg, consider cutting back somewhere!
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