Caffeine before riding

Break out the Mountain Dew, mocha lattes, or whatever your caffeinated pleasure, folks:

Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine
July 15, 2007

Dear Dr. Mirkin: How does caffeine effect endurance during a long
race?

A major source of energy for muscles during hard exercise is the sugar in muscles. When muscles run out of their stored sugar supply (glycogen), they hurt and are more difficult to coordinate. Caffeine stimulates the body to produce large amounts of adrenalin which raises blood levels of a fat called triglyceride. This causes muscles to burn more fat and spares the stored glycogen to help you to exercise longer. A study from the University of Georgia in Athens confirms many other studies that show that caffeine-laced drinks help to improve endurance, especially in hot weather (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, Volume 17, 2007). In this double-blind study, caffeine increased work performance by about 20 percent, increased strength of measured muscle contractions, and decreased feelings of fatigue.

Copyright 2007 The Sportsmedicine Institute, Inc.
www.drmirkin.com

Emily, thank you for helping me justify my newest on-bike addiction...orange/vanilla CarbBoom gels with caffeine. ;)

I start every morning ride with a double espresso latte, scrambled eggs, and croissant! :p

coffee and bikes.... so good together.

Powered by Peets :D

Hmmmm....
Normally I'd question something like this; is 20% really that much, caffeine as a diuretic, heart rate increase.
But the sources are good. I do like Dr. Gabe. How much caffeine? Do you continue to drink it during exercise or just a big dose beforehand?

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

Caffeine stimulates the body to produce large amounts of adrenalin which raises blood levels of a fat called triglyceride. [/URL]

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That will raise the total cholesterol. Fatty trigs are bad for the heart. Caffeine is bad for the heart. I can't see taking caffeine as being beneficial for the body in the long-term.

Darcy

I think the idea is to temporarily raise triglyceride levels and use them as an immediate fuel source thus extending the life of the glucose stores.

In posting that I think I answered my own question, that is consume caffeine only at the beginning.

It seems real risky to me. I am a person who doesn't drink coffee or cola because I am aware of what caffeine does to the body with respect to hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis and so on. Raising the fatty trigs even temporarily seems inherently dangerous to me because if the fatty trigs continue to go up, and not come down, then a person will have high cholesterol and clogged arteries.

I won't even buy the Clif Bloks with the added caffeine.

My mom and two older sisters were/are avid coffee drinkers. All of them got advanced osteoporosis and it was attributed to their caffeine consumption; my mother suffered horribly for years before she died. Whereas I avoided coffee and cola all of my life and my bone density is so strong the number is off the top of the scale.

Darcy

I don't think there's reason to be that scared fo triglycerides - The only way of utilizing body fat is mobilizing it from adipose tissue into the bloodstream and then burning it in the place of energy consumption i.e. muscle. Hence it must go into the bloodstream as free triglycerides if you want to burn any. So I see no risk there of having an elevated triglyceride level while you exercise. Also note that it's free fatty acids and not lipoprotein bound (HDL/LDL) fatty acids so there will be a different (read likely not negative) impact on the CV system.

Also no need to be scared of coffee in moderation -

Quote:

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From the Journal of AMA: (JAMA, 26 Jan. 1994, p. 280-3.)
"There was a significant association between (drinking
more) caffeinated coffee and decreasing bone mineral density at
both the hip and the spine, independent of age, obesity, years
since menopause, and the use of tobacco, estrogen, alcohol,
thiazides, and calcium supplements [in women]."
Except when:
"Bone density did not vary [...] in women who reported
drinking at least one glass of milk per day during most of their
adult lives."

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So.... enough calcium in your diet, and the occasional pre-or during ride coffee, caffeinated gel, and you're fine. I'm not saying there is no danger if you have 16 espressos a day.

Then there's the stimulant effect, towards the end of a long hard ride it will help you overcome fatigue. It also suppresses hunger which may or may not be a good thing.

As a negative impact, you will excrete some more water (and I always have to go to the loo 45 min into the ride, if I've had coffee). Also blood flow to the heart will be somewhat restricted resulting in a higher heart rate.

Lance would get up at 6 am, have 4 espressos (!), and then stretch for an hour. So it seems to work.


"Omnia sunt venena, nihil est sine veneno. Sola dosis facit venenum." - Paracelsus (Everything is poison, nothing is without poison. Only the dose makes the poison)

Some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others. I'm with Darcy on this one. I don't cut out caffeine completely, as I drink a couple of cups of tea per day. But I avoid caffeine otherwise in sodas, energy drinks or gels. My heart rate gets erratic, & I suffer gastric distress with increased caffeine intake. It is not my friend.

I LOVE coffee. But, it does increase my hr when I ride. I usually have 2-3 cups a day, but before a longer ride, i will drink tea. Plus, I find it dehydrates me when riding, not under normal circumstances, though.
Darcy, I have osteopeiniea, which is being treated with Evista. I do other strength training stuff and take calcium supplements/Vitamin D. No one has told me to stop drinking coffee. I asked about this, too. I have a feeling my bone density, while being genetic, is also being affected by cycling. Well, I am not going to stop cycling or stop drinking coffee. I COULD drink it all day long, but I don't and since I don't have too many other vices (yes, I love wine, too, but only a glass at a time!), so I will live with the consequences.

I did some research on caffeine and endurance performance when I was in graduate school for exercise physiology. Basically, drinking about 1-2 cups of coffee before endurance exercise (I was a runner back then) did, in fact, reduce perceived exertion, burn more free fatty acids for fuel, and generally helped one run about 10% longer. I was for that then and I'm for it now. You also have to consider that once you are used to having caffeine, the properties that make you dehydrate more become more muted with tolerance.

Looking at caffeine intake like a regular person.....I like it. I like to drink it. People have been drinking coffee for a long, long time and it doesn't seem to have done them so wrong. So, unless someone says drinking coffee or tea will give you breast cancer or heart disease with a respectable study, I'm gonna keep on drinkin before I ride.

But if I gave up coffee, I'd be giving up half my daily calcium intake... :p

Thank you for posting this Emily. I have always wondered. I enjoy just one cup of coffee in the morning, but before rides some have said that it dehydrates you. I have not found that to happen to me, however, find like everyday, perform at my best with just that one cup. I will know "really" enjoy drinking my cup of coffee before my ride.

Just to touch a bit on what others have mentioned, my Grandmother is 98 and has and still does drink coffee, black, throughout the day and has no heart or bone problems. My dh Grandmother lived to 100, drank coffe and expresso (with sambuca sp?) everynight and had not heart or bone problems. Maybe it depends on the individual and how their body handles. Maybe it is a hereditary thing. hmmmm

~ JoAnn

Coffee makes me PEE! One cup in the morning, and if I'm doing an early ride, I've got to get up early to get that cup with plenty of time to pee before the ride! :p

Just read this in the August issue of Bicycling:

"Reserve caffeinated gels or drinks for later in long training sesssions, because if you start with a stimulant early on, you won't be able to get a boost later in the ride when you really need one. Drink 6 to 8 ozs. of water when you eat a gel, and don't dilute sports drinks because when mixed as directed, they're specifically formulated for optimal absorption."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DarcyInOregon

That will raise the total cholesterol. Fatty trigs are bad for the heart. Caffeine is bad for the heart. I can't see taking caffeine as being beneficial for the body in the long-term.

Darcy

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Caffeine is a drug. It has stimulant effects, which can improve concentration for most people (and of course has performance enhancing effects). It is one of the oldest asthma drugs. It is a diuretic (which you actually *want* sometimes). It can also be used as a "booster" for other drugs, to help them take effect sooner. It's powerful stuff, and used appropriately has few undesirable side effects.

For someone like me, who is asthmatic and allergic to the standard emergency treatment asthma drugs, caffeine is a godsend. It means I can get safe and effective emergency treatment almost anywhere.

Just like any drug, not everyone should take caffeine. But I'm glad it's available, or my life would be a lot worse.

VERY INTERESTING post! Since I was diagnosed as a type 1.5 diabetic, and had to eat low carb even on the bike, I started ordering an iced coffee at the rest stop on my long rides and feel great. Now I know why it works. I agree with the posters that say triglycerides in the blood during cycling is a GOOD things, at least for those of us who ride to burn excess body fat, or need to burn a higher ratio of fat than glucose for fuel for whatever reason.

For me, there is a strikingly direct correlation between having that ucp of tea in the morning and being able to think clearly. I have done too many things like put my wheel on backwards (chain facing the wrong way) to even remember 'em all (don't ask me about that meeting...) too many times. I quite honestly am risking my life more not drinking small amounts of the stuff than doing it.

Can I just say how happy I am to read this? I LOVE a cup of coffee in the morning and I have one just about every day. I have been skipping it on morning ride days for fear of the dehydrating effects, but I swear that I don't pee any more frequently on my non-ride days.

Good, now I'm going to go ahead and have my normal cup of coffee and feel good about it! :D

The US Postal team bus had a built-in cappuccino maker. I am pretty sure that most of the riders indulged in pre-race coffees. One other benefit (if you're going on a long ride) is that it gets your bowels moving. I really can't go on without my morning coffee and the caffeinated gels REALLY made a difference for me when I was training for a marathon years ago.

Woo Hoo! More justification for that sugar free red bull.

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Originally Posted by quint41

don't dilute sports drinks because when mixed as directed, they're specifically formulated for optimal absorption."

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I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. I use the mix and don't make it as strong.

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Originally Posted by DirtDiva

But if I gave up coffee, I'd be giving up half my daily calcium intake... :p

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Coffee-flavored milk. Yum.

I love coffee and swear by it! Whether it's all in mind or not I do notice a difference.

On a normal day I have 2 cups in the morning. If I am going on a ride I have to stop by Starbucks for my pre-ride grande 2 pump white, 1 pump dark, non-fat mocha, with whip. Mmmmm delicious!

Cycling is my first vice and I would have to say that coffee is my second vice. :p

A funny story. There is a local starbucks with a great big parking lot that is a common ride start point in our area. There is a very nice climb we do from thre to a hill country town, but then to get a rest stop we all used to have to ride on trafficky roads into the town, until starbucks built another shop at the top of our climb. They are so friendly to us there too. As I was waiting for my iced coffee, the clerk noted my empty water bottle, and said, let me take care of that for you, and she proceeded to wash it and fill it with fresh water and ice. Super clean restrooms too. So they get us 3 times now, waiting to go out, at the rest stop, and waiting for folks to get back in...............

My latest "favorite product in the whole wide world" is Trader Joe's bergamot orange green tea, sold in 30-something-ounce bottles. It goes down easier than water for me and seems more hydrating—I recognize that this is unlikely in reality. At any rate, it's goin' in my bike bottle next ride for sure.

My days aren't right if I don't have my coffee in the morning. Might have to try having a small cup before rides now...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

I start every morning ride with a double espresso latte, scrambled eggs, and croissant! :p

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Lisa, if I am ever in NY, I'm tracking you down and livin' la vida Lisa for a day. Too cool. :cool:

I always drink 1-1.5 cups of coffee before morning rides. Less than I typically drink at work (2-2.5 cups), but I have to have some as I am definitely addicted and will get an afternoon headache if I don't indulge. After reading this study, I think I'll start having a little caffeine fix before after-work rides too (just 1-2 times per week). Probably just a cup of tea, nothing so strong that it will keep me up at night, but riding in the summer heat, anything legal that helps endurance is a good thing in my book!

As far as some of the negatives of caffeine mentioned in this thread, so far I'm fine - very low BP, low LDL/high HDL, low triglycerides....not sure about my bones since I'm pre-menopausal, but I do eat a fair amount of dairy. My mom has enjoyed coffee all her life and at 72 still has great blood work and BP, so I'm not too worried. Everyone's body chemistry is different, though, and some cannot tolerate caffeine for one reason or another, and that's fine too. Just don't take my organic, shade-grown, free-trade brew away! :D

Emily

Oh yes, wise use of caffiene (to wake up or stay awake, to finish an essay due the next day, to race...) is a gooood thing.

SuzyBrd... yes caffeine does elevate the HR... but in a race this can be a good thing. Before a TT (time trial) for example, you ride about, warming up your muscles, for as long as you can until the start... but the other thing you are doing as you ride back and forth is you are lifting your heart rate so you can start and get straight into maximum effort.

I TT, and I always have a "V" (similar to Red Bull I guess). In 250ml of liquid it gives me 78mg of caffiene and 28g of sugar. I drink it about 10mins before my start time.... I use that timing because after a morning coffee i feel it hit my system 10-15 minutes after drinking it.

I also take a GU a minute and a half from starting - it will kick in and give me extra punch in my thighs when I am 10-15 minutes from the finish line.