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Caffeine and Exercise Performance

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Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#71

Post by kick_in_the_dor »

nolroz wrote: post #64
kick_in_the_dor wrote: post #62

I'm currently experimenting with a low caffeine (no coffee, mostly green/herbal tea) lifestyle after having the stomach flu (no coffee for a week) and thinking it was the perfect time to give it a shot. My god, I've never been more clear-headed in my life. My working memory seems greatly improved. I'm able to work out complex problems in my head that previously I would struggle to keep my "mental eye" on. Moreover, I…

Is the green powder matcha?

No, it's a powder of a bunch of "superfood" greens (mine is "Green Vibrance". I mention this because I did a lot of research to find a reputable brand that isn't pure garbage).

Funny enough, I was actually experimenting with matcha+coffee before going no-coffee. It also greatly improved by mental abilities. This reinforced my thinking that it was the anxiety all along that was causing me to feel mentally cloudy.

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#72

Post by kick_in_the_dor »

waihtis wrote: post #66
kick_in_the_dor wrote: post #62

I'm currently experimenting with a low caffeine (no coffee, mostly green/herbal tea) lifestyle after having the stomach flu (no coffee for a week) and thinking it was the perfect time to give it a shot. My god, I've never been more clear-headed in my life. My working memory seems greatly improved. I'm able to work out complex problems in my head that previously I would struggle to keep my "mental eye" on. Moreover, I…

Mostly the same here, except there's a specific problem around giving up caffeine - a clear reduction in motivation. As I recall caffeine has an effect of "enhancing" dopamine sensitivity in the brain which is the likely cause of this effect. Could probably reset this over time, but don't really have multiple weeks to wait this out!

> Mostly the same here, except there's a specific problem around giving up caffeine - a clear reduction in motivation.

Haha, I definitely agree with that! Coffee is certainly a great way to get your brain in the mood to do work, any work at all.

One thing that really helps (really the base "pillar" which all health-optimization rests on) is making sure you get good sleep. I aim for 8-9 hours of being in bed per night. I've spent a lot of time working on getting good sleep.

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#73

Post by kick_in_the_dor »

brightball wrote: post #63
kick_in_the_dor wrote: post #62

I'm currently experimenting with a low caffeine (no coffee, mostly green/herbal tea) lifestyle after having the stomach flu (no coffee for a week) and thinking it was the perfect time to give it a shot. My god, I've never been more clear-headed in my life. My working memory seems greatly improved. I'm able to work out complex problems in my head that previously I would struggle to keep my "mental eye" on. Moreover, I…

I switched to half-caff coffee and don't personally experience caffeine withdrawal anymore when I go without. I think it weened me off the need. I still drink it in the morning just because I enjoy it.

Nice, i should try that out. Is half-caff decaf, or is it a third class?

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#74

Post by gumby »

I have long been fascinated by the degree to which WWII was fought on caffeine and nicotine (on all sides and all theatres). Other drugs (e.g. amphetamine and Benzedrine) get some press but we’re minor factors. I did a few experiments decades ago with nicotine, enough to notice its nice resonant behavior with coffee, but not enough I guess to notice any real benefit myself. I did relish the social habits associated with cigarette usage (the excuse for a brief pause in conversation to collect your thoughts, the social aspect of one person lighting up and others unthinkingly joining in, offering/receiving a light, cadging or offering a cigarette, sharing a single one, etc)

Tea and coffee have long been my companions. During Covid I cut down from two pots of brewed coffee a day to one. In June of this year I unexpectedly had to stop drinking coffee for almost a week and since then have had only one cup, which I accidentally drank out of habit (someone put a fresh one next to me while I was sitting and reading). After 46 years of daily high consumption I just…stopped. And I don’t miss it. I walk past the pot full of coffee in the kitchen and don’t notice it.

It makes me wonder how much is simply habit.

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#75

Post by [deleted] »

gumby wrote: post #74

I have long been fascinated by the degree to which WWII was fought on caffeine and nicotine (on all sides and all theatres). Other drugs (e.g. amphetamine and Benzedrine) get some press but we’re minor factors. I did a few experiments decades ago with nicotine, enough to notice its nice resonant behavior with coffee, but not enough I guess to notice any real benefit myself. I did relish the social habits associated w…

[deleted]

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#76

Post by 300bps »

Xamayon wrote: post #39
idontwantthis wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was your diet deficient in those vitamins for some reason?

I know mine was chronically low in Magnesium. The first indicator which got my attention and pointed to a potential problem was that taking a multi vitamin would make me feel _much_ better than normal the next day.

taking a multi vitamin would make me feel _much_ better than normal the next day

My first comment is that I think this is why we have placebo-controlled double-blind studies.

My second is that I took a multi-vitamin for many years and I recommend caution in their use. For much of that time, when I went to the doctor for my yearly physical I would have elevated AST and ALT liver enzymes which is a marker of liver damage. All tests for typical causes of this (hepatitis, others) came up negative.

Finally my doctor asked if I took a multivitamin. I said yes and she told me to stop taking it. That was about 15 years ago and I have never had elevated liver enzymes since then.

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#77

Post by 300bps »

boveus wrote: post #69

It is difficult to determine if researchers are measuring the effect of caffeine itself or the effect of individuals taking caffeine to recover from the effects of caffeine withdrawal. This is a common weakness in studies that show purported benefits to caffeine consumption[1,2,3]. Anecdotally as someone who quit caffeine entirely about a year ago, the effects of caffeine withdrawal seemed to last much longer than th…

or the effect of individuals taking caffeine to recover from the effects of caffeine withdrawal

After decades of personal experimentation with caffeine, this is my conclusion personally. I get about two weeks of a boost if I go from 0 caffeine consumption to moderate caffeine consumption. After that two week period, I am simply consuming caffeine to feel normal.

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#78

Post by talove »

I drink one cup of pour-over coffee that I make every morning. I like it medium to medium strong. I perceive many physical effects from it. At this point it's my morning ritual. 20 minutes in bed or on the sofa reading or doing a crossword while drinking a coffee.

I am also an hobbyist endurance cyclist. I do cycling 'events' that last as long as 12+ hours. And average somewhere between 6-8. While I've tried for years to add caffeine into my nutrition plan for these events. I have only ever had adverse effects.

I seem to manage 6-8 ounces of coke. But in spite of my morning ritual, if I consume any coffee or caffeine infused energy bars or gels I will be miserable. Every time I get weak, shaky, feel like I am going to pass out, and feel absolutely miserable. After about 30-60 minutes, I'll have to suddenly pee. Once I pee I slowly feel better and in another 30 minutes back to normal.

I've talked to a hundred people about this, nobody seems to have the same effect. But it seems as if my body just rejects the caffeine, pees it out, and carries on.

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#79

Post by lostlogin »

gumby wrote: post #74

I have long been fascinated by the degree to which WWII was fought on caffeine and nicotine (on all sides and all theatres). Other drugs (e.g. amphetamine and Benzedrine) get some press but we’re minor factors. I did a few experiments decades ago with nicotine, enough to notice its nice resonant behavior with coffee, but not enough I guess to notice any real benefit myself. I did relish the social habits associated w…

Regarding your WW2 comment a Reading Spike Milligan and his descriptions of making tea under fire is excellent.

But as for coffee just being a habit, no way. I’m not sure how you did it so cleanly, but the headaches on stopping can be terrible.

Re: Caffeine and Exercise Performance

#80

Post by hombre_fatal »

300bps wrote: post #76
Xamayon wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know mine was chronically low in Magnesium. The first indicator which got my attention and pointed to a potential problem was that taking a multi vitamin would make me feel _much_ better than normal the next day.

taking a multi vitamin would make me feel _much_ better than normal the next day My first comment is that I think this is why we have placebo-controlled double-blind studies. My second is that I took a multi-vitamin for many years and I recommend caution in their use. For much of that time, when I went to the doctor for my yearly physical I would have elevated AST and ALT liver enzymes which is a marker of liver dama…

Everyone should use a nutrition tracker like Cronometer for at least one day while they go about their normal diet.

It will show you nutritional holes in your diet like insufficient magnesium, vitamin C, zinc, etc that you can then fill with dietary solutions.

You also get to see what foods have what, it’s interesting. Like how one little prickly pear has 200% of your vitamin E needs.

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