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?

[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)

[koala]

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.

[Crankin]

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.

[suzbyrd]

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.

[DirtDiva]

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

[Jo-n-NY]

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