caffeine

[JAPANic]

What's the current story with caffeine?

Is it a banned substance?

 

[JAPANic]

Personally I believe caffeine does little good.
I have been on a weight loss program that uses NITOR which has a lot of caffeine. it has raised my metabolism and I've had some weight loss after only a few days.

Caffeine seems to dehydrate me and leave me with a feeling of 'jet lag'.
2 weeks ago I came 2nd on our club Sunday morning rides.
Last week 1st.
I then started the weight reduction and the tablets have an almost immediate effect.
Yesterday in our club ride I noticed my heart rate was much higher than the previous 2 weeks and let myself get dropped.

I will continue with the weight loss program but would it be considered doping to use tablets like this before a race (if you actually had a performace increase).?

I take 2 tablets in the morning and some other supplements.

Does weight loss like this amount to doping?
I told my team mate I was taking these tablets yesterday after training and he told me not to be caught doping....

Caffeine is one of the most widely used stimulants in the world. It occurs naturally in the foods and beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and cocoa. The average caffeine consumption in the United States is approximately 200 mg or equivalent to 2 cups of coffee a day. Ten percent of the population ingests more than 1000 mg per day. Caffeine is also added to several over-the-counter medicines such as some weight-loss products, pain medicines, and cold remedies.

Caffeine acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system, which causes the heart rate and blood pressure to increase. After having caffeine, an individual may temporarily feel more awake and energetic. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, which causes the kidneys to excrete more urine.

Side effects of caffeine include anxiety, jitters, inability to focus, irritability, insomnia, gastrointestinal unrest and nervousness. With higher doses, the risk of irregular heart beats increases. In addition, recent research has found that caffeine may cause miscarriage or slow growth in a developing fetus in pregnant women. It has also been associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures in postmenopausal women.

How does caffeine affect performance in exercise and sports? Caffeine is often referred to as a nutritional ergogenic aid, but it has no nutritional value. Ingested caffeine is quickly absorbed in the body and peaks in 1-2 hours. Research provided by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has shown that ingestion of 3-9 mg of caffeine per kilogram (kg) of body weight one hour prior to exercise increased endurance running and cycling performance of well-trained, recreational athletes in the laboratory. This correlates to approximately 2-6 regular size cups of coffee.

Improvements have been shown in athletes that perform short-term intense (near maximal) exercise lasting approximately five minutes. The reason may be a direct effect of caffeine on muscle contraction during anaerobic exercise.

The common explanation to why endurance is improved with caffeine is that muscle glycogen is spared. Glycogen is the stored energy in the muscle tissue that is broken down during exercise. Studies suggest that glycogen sparing may occur as a result of caffeine's ability to increase fat availability for skeletal muscle use. It is important to note, however that studies cannot fully explain the ergogenic effect of caffeine.

Many of the mechanisms to explain performance improvements are unclear. There is still much research that needs to be done of the effects of caffeine on performance. There are also ethical issues in relation to sports. Caffeine ingestion currently is not illegal in sports. If an athlete deliberately takes pure caffeine to gain advantage over competitors, it is considered unethical and doping by many.

According to the ACSM, for the average, active teenager or adult who is exercising with the goals of enjoyment and self-improvement, using caffeine defeats these purposes. Although we may feel as though we are increasing our performance, it may be more related to the increase in alertness and energy due to elevated heart rates. Proper training and nutritional habits are more sensible and productive approaches. And these have clear benefits without the side effects. Always consult your medical caregiver if you have questions about your nutritional habits and the effects of caffeine on your health.

 

[zigoat]

if taking caffine is cheating to you, than don't take it. Its not banned in usa or europe I don't know about japan.

 

[JAPANic]

if taking caffine is cheating to you, than don't take it. Its not banned in usa or europe I don't know about japan.

Thanks, but I'm not taking it to improve my performance I'm taking a supplement to increase my metabolism to lose weight. I also believe that (with me) caffeine decreases my performance.... it makes me feel light headed, dehydrated and uneasy.

I remember about 20 years ago an Australian pentathlete's results at the Olympics were squashed due to a high caffeine test result and he blamed it on his love of Cola claiming he had drunk as many as 7 or 8 cans before his event...

I guess they are not as strict with it these days...possibly due to it's poor effects.

 

[welcomdmat]

For caffeine use as a performance enhancer, you will want to take the week prior to your event completely off caffeine. When you then take it for your event you will notice the affect. One of the big reasons that I know of it was at one time ban was the "wide spread" use of high dosage caffeine suppositories.

 

[11ring]

Caffeine is no longer banned at olympics and it is legal under UCI rules. It is a powerfull performance enhancing drug, which is not banned because it is too difficult to regulate. When it was banned it was at a very high level which would make you sick.

Caffeine has been shown to increase time to exhaustion by up to 30%.

 

[spinner32]

"wide spread" use of high dosage caffeine suppositories

I certainly hope you weren't attempting a pun here.

 

[JAPANic]

Well, I took those tablets for about 2 weeks to try and increase my metabolism and I only took 2 a day and once 3.

I ended up with high blood pressure and started having panic attacks in my sleep. Not very pleasant.

Since I cut out the caffeine the attacks stopped....

Not for me.... I've since been doing a 100 routine before I leave my bedrrom each morning.

33 of any the following..... sit ups, bench presses, leg raisesthighs/hamstring... (got a little gym machine by the bed....) It seems to be much more effective in getting my body awake.....

 

[jhuskey]

Well, I took those tablets for about 2 weeks to try and increase my metabolism and I only took 2 a day and once 3.

I ended up with high blood pressure and started having panic attacks in my sleep. Not very pleasant.

Since I cut out the caffeine the attacks stopped....

Not for me.... I've since been doing a 100 routine before I leave my bedrrom each morning.

33 of any the following..... sit ups, bench presses, leg raisesthighs/hamstring... (got a little gym machine by the bed....) It seems to be much more effective in getting my body awake.....

I don't do caffeine at all. What I do to increase my metabolic rate is to train on an empty stomach on short intense intervals.
This forces my body into a more efficient realm of metabolizing.
It seems to work for me. I do longer "rolling miles" when I have the time after eating.