Caffine: Anyone Use It/tried It??

[[old] rower13]

Hey, I was wondering about whether anyone has ever had experiences with caffine supplementation before. I have never used it before and for some odd reason decided to give it a try for a 6K test. Before my test I did nothing different from what I normally do other than take a couple caffine pills (400mg) which equals out to about 4.5mg/kg of my body wt. Needless to say I did not have a good test. The week leading up was really good and I was pulling really well. The goal was 1:43 and I bonked hard at 3k in. I started hyperventalating which has never happened to me before and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. This goal was not unrealistic at all and going in I was planning on pulling it down at the end so I shouldn't have hit a wall like I did. Any thoughts or experiences?<br><br>Thanks a lot<br><br>

[[old] pduck]

I once tried some caffine pills before an 8 mile training run. I developed a severe cramp in my calf after 4 mi. and had to walk home.

[[old] Kudos]

a couple things I have noticed about first timers. 1) they over-emphasize the amount of effect it is going to have and start out way too hard, or smash through signs that their performance is suffering or that they have put themselves in a hole, and thus blow out the test by ignoring something you normally would not have. 2) make the mistake of using it in the severe environment such as a test peice or race, for the first time. There is so many differing stress factors that occur in a test or race, that caffiene levels which you have never taken before, make any problems worse, possibly ruining/ending a race/test, than they would have been. Related to problem 1. 3) they give up on it way too early because of one bad experience. I have had plenty of sticky bad powerbars in bad situations with not enough wwater, etc etc, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a good idea to start or that its the powerbars fault. It was mine for not using it in the right situation with the right setup.<br><br><br>My advice. Use it consistently, with some slight increases for races/test. Never try it for the first time, at a race. Buy quality products which are produced for athletic performance, such as redbull, ripped fuel, etc. or coffees and teas. Use it right, or don't use it at all. Plenty of water, plenty of stretching, plenty of carbs and electrolytes. Caffiene is not a miracle, don't expect it to be. If you feel uncomfortable about it, then stay away from it. Your mind has a five times greater effect on your performance than most substances you are ever going to take, so its most important that it is ready to perform at higher level than anything else

[[old] grandslam]

Caffeine does not help you in short distance races, but does increase fat metabolism in long distances, like a marathon row for example. There is plenty of research to support this. However, 100-200 mg one hour before a race can get you mentally up for the effort. I use caffeine on a daily basis (big coffee drinker) but would never dream of using 400 mg in one dose. Drink plenty of water when you use it too.<br><br>Cheers,<br>Jeff Sauter

[[old] Blue44deuce]

I just don't like the idea of using a stimulant during exercise. Hell, I don't like stimulants at all.<br><br>Sounds kinda risky, if you ask me.

[[old] J.D.]

I regularly use caffeine during my long rows (60'+). 400mg sounds like way too much, especially for a first use. I only use about 100mg/hr and I don't drink coffee or even much tea on a regular basis. I find I suffer much less fatigue when I use caffeine altho I have also done some PBs without it.<br><br>I'm doing a 24hr erg in 8 weeks and I will definitely be using caffeine to help burn fat so I don't bonk out.

[[old] eurofoot13]

while we are on the subject of "performance enhancing" substances, what do you guys know of Glutamine?

[[old] Kudos]

plenty, it is the main amino acid which is responsible for the re-building of skeletel muscle. Especially effective for repair of muscle tears, strains, and damage from high stress power activities, such as sprinting, cycling, swimming and rowing. Take 5-10g twice daily for an effective dose. Will help keep you from getting sick. Best to take during and after exercise with a higher-glycemic carb to help absorption, such as grape/pom. juice or in your post-workout meal. A healthy amount of the full range of aminos is best for athletes. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, you should have a healthy amount of the full range, esp. glutamine

[[old] SimonB]

<a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamine' target='_blank'>Glutamine</a><br><br>I'd like to keep the few neurons I have left intact

[[old] eurofoot13]

I'm a vigorous athlete.

[[old] gaffano]

What do you all think of energy bars such as PowerBars/Gels? (before or after aerobic workout)<br><br>Seeing that my main objective is to lose 10 pounds, I am trying to limit and burn as many calories as possible.<br><br>If I burn 500 calories on the erg, then ingest 500 of Powerbar, etc....didn't i just walk away even????