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FIT TIP LIBRARY - Page 2 EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON ENDURANCE EXERCISE Caffeine is one of the most widely used drug that is consumed by more and more people and in greater amounts each day. The type of lifestyle we live today requires us to do more on less sleep, therefore many of us rely on caffeine to get us through the day. Caffeine can be thought of as a bad drug that contributes to things such as osteoporosis, birth defects, sleep interference and many others if ingested in large amounts. Caffeine does have negative effects but what about the positive affects that keep people using the drug? When and how can we use this drug properly to gain the positive outcomes is the question. There is evidence that caffeine intake prior to an endurance exercise can improve performance by stimulating the system causing increased utilization of fat as energy rather than strictly carbohydrates. Catecholamins and free fatty acids in the blood are increased by caffeine which, during exercise, muscles will use fat as a source of energy sparing the glycogen stores resulting in improved endurance. Having 9mg/ kg body weight of caffeine one hour before exercise will increase and improve performance up to 10%-30%. This will very among individuals, specifically people who drink more caffeine then others on a regular basis. The more caffeine you have everyday the less chance of seeing acute results and more caffeine is required to have any sort of increase in performance. This is due to the fact that the body has adapted to a certain amount of caffeine in order to function each day, which is why you crave your cup every morning. The more caffeine you have at one time or spread out through out the day is not necessarily better do to the fact that it is toxic in greater amounts which will therefore override the benefits. Even though caffeine is a very popular drug it is still a drug and can be abused. Caffeine has been screened among endurance athletes to make sure they have not exceeded a certain amount during competition, so caffeine is treated as a performance enhancing drug as well. The downfall of caffeine is that it is a diuretic which means it will deprive your body of water which can lead to dehydration. Dehydration is more serious then most people believe because it can be a determining factor on behavior, the way one feels and performance in sports. Your body is made up of a very high percentage of water, so when your body is low on water it is unable to function properly. Being dehydrated can cause headaches, muscle cramps and loss of energy, which for an athlete can be make training and competing difficult. Another negative affect is psychologically because high doses will give a person an uneasy or nervous feeling which will increase stress. Signs to look for are shaky hands, upset stomach and high heart rate. A common recommendation is to have a cup of water for every cup of coffee to replenish the water that would be lost. Even though caffeine is considered a very social and excepting, it is still a drug and can be abused leading to negative affects. Caffeine is safe to consume on a daily basis, the same as anything else, but it is the amount consumed which determines the positive or negative affects. Be aware of the signs of dehydration and overdose of caffeine and take a pro active approach by keeping the amounts low and to drink plenty of water.
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