Caffeine before riding

[emily_in_nc]

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

[Starfish]

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

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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

[KnottedYet]

coffee and bikes.... so good together.

[Trek420]

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[Zen]

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?

[northstar]

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...

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

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

[emily_in_nc]

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!

Emily

[DarcyInOregon]

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

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

[Zen]

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.

[DarcyInOregon]

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

[alpinerabbit]

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 -

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."

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)

[Torrilin]

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

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.

[Triskeliongirl]

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.

[Geonz]

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.