Caffeine: Facts, Benefits and Influence In Exercise and Health
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
by Samantha Mendoza
Lifetime Fitness Nutrition
Caffeine is a well known stimulant substance. In small amount, it helps to stay alert and to react faster, but due to its diuretic effect, produces fluid losses. Then, how is this substance used regarding fitness? Are there benefits of using it in exercise and certain stages of life?
"More is not best and less is not enough". I used to hear the phrase while studying nutrition. In nature, this seems to be a rule. For caffeine same principles apply because high amounts can cause inconvenients like: headaches, trembling, a rise in heart rate due to blood vessels constriction, it may upset the stomach, and dehydrates.
Many exercisers think that just as it provides stimulation and reaction, it could improve as well their performance, specially during sports trials. Such thing sounds reasonable but, the research that has been made regarding this matter, shows mixed results.
Some nutrition curiosities:
As curious as it may be, adults are more susceptible than children to the effects of this substance. For older people, sensibility to it rises. And also, the people's gender has to do with response to it, by the way, men seem to produce a higher response to this substance vs. Women do.
The potential benefits must be weighed against the adverse effects. For athletes competitions, there's a prohibition for amounts higher to the equivalent of 5 to 6 cups of coffee in a 2 hour period before any competition. Because, yes, it stimulates, but it also dehydrates, unless you're habituated to the consumption of this substance so that your kidneys already know how to handle it.
Anxious people should avoid it. The thing is that it may worsen the symptoms of anxiety such as: allergies, start looking pale or turning red, buzzing sensation, trembling, shaking, sweating and more.
Another myth is that this substance can help you become sober after "naughty drinking", but it is well studied that it doesn´t help to cure, not even reduce the intoxication.
If pregnant, it is not forbidden to have some caffeine, but the recommendation is to allow less than 300 mg/day. Same applies to lactating women because it may pass to the baby through the milk.
Did you know that the effect of it may last in average 5 hours? That's why the recommendation is to take it before the latest hours.
If you're taking medication for pain, the effect of this substance will produce a higher absorption of the pain reliever and so, you will need a smaller dose, that's why manufacturers are used to include it in this type of drugs.
How much is enough?Experts say that caffeine is not addictive and a moderate consumption can be stated at 200-300 mgs/ day, being the equivalent to 2 or 3 cups of coffee. This amounts may help reduce certain health risks like: diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver disease and the formation of gallstones. But, remember, that higher doses may produce harmful effects.
Finally, doses higher than 10 grams (equivalent to 85 cups of coffee), could be lethal.
Then, among all the bewilderment, if it is your choice to consume foods and/or beverages with caffeine included, now you know more about it and I think you'll try to pursue the best use of it.
Caffeine included in soft drinks
Food and interesting and fun stuff about it
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Hi Samantha thank you for sharing this information. I have always been a heavy coffee drinker (black with no sugar). You end this article - now you know more about it and I think you'll try to pursue the best use of it. Just letting you know I certainly will. Thank you again
Keep well
Kacy
Thanks for reading Kacy, I guess you'll enjoy coffee more.
And... You sounded like James Bond: "shaken, not stunned" but applied to coffee: "black & not sweet"!
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