Coffee improving erg performance

[Anth_F]

Do any of you find that having coffee before a workout improves your feeling of performance on the erg?

I was having a coffee once every few days, but now i'm having one, or even occasionally two cups each day... with milk and 3 sugars!! Yep thats right, 3 sugars

Not sure if it's just placebo, but i feel on the longer endurance sessions my stamina seems better if i have a coffee maybe 1 hour beforehand.

[Gammmmo]

of course it will...caffeine is one of the few touted ergogenics that work. Ideally you should be getting 200-300mg of it before a big effort but personally I woudn't do that everyday.

[Anth_F]

Yeah i know... i'm going to try cutting back to one cup every few days. I'm getting into that habit of wanting a coffee with breakfast every day (addictive) even though i'll drink usually 1 litre of water every morning before breakfast... i still get that signal to the brain (must have coffeeeeee)

[Anth_F]

Very nice, Remi. 5-6 cups per day? WOW well it certainly doesn't affect your performance in a bad way thats for sure... you're one superfit dude on them ergs


Going for a coffee right now as a matter of fact

[left coaster]

I saw an article recently that clearly linked endurance benefits from caffeine to genetic differences in the rate of caffeine metabolism.

Those who were fast metabolizers showed benefits from caffeine, people who were in the middle (heterozygotic) showed no effect and those who were slow metabolizers actually had decreased performance.

Personally, I'm a monozygotic 'fast metabolizer' so I should experience a benefit, but not everyone will and some will be impaired using caffeine. I'll dig around to see if I can find a link to the publication.

[Anth_F]

I saw an article recently that clearly linked endurance benefits from caffeine to genetic differences in the rate of caffeine metabolism.

Those who were fast metabolizers showed benefits from caffeine, people who were in the middle (heterozygotic) showed no effect and those who were slow metabolizers actually had decreased performance.

Personally, I'm a monozygotic 'fast metabolizer' so I should experience a benefit, but not everyone will and some will be impaired using caffeine. I'll dig around to see if I can find a link to the publication.

Very very interesting indeed. I am also a fast metabolizer.. when ever i am in decent fitness shape in my life. This would also explain why i felt that the caffeine improved my performance.

[Pie Man]

Out of interest how do you find out if you are a fast metaboliser? My morning coffee is on the line here

[Anth_F]

Ideally, a blood test should be used to accurately measure a person’s metabolic rate!!!

Here are a few obvious signs to lookout for though to indicate if you have fast metabolism

Underweight: Body Mass Index (BMI) of a person with fast metabolic rate is comparatively lower than the desired value, as per the person’s height, age and body type.

High basal body temperature: A person with fast metabolism feels sweaty and hot all the time, since his or her basal body temperature remains high. This is perhaps because the metabolic reactions happen so quickly in his or her body, thus creating high temperatures.

More hunger: A person with fast metabolism feels hungry all the time, even after the 5 recommended meals everyday. Sometimes, he or she may feel empty immediately after eating food. This is a sign that his or her metabolism is at its peak speed.

Some people with fast metabolism may also experience following symptoms

Frequent bowel movements
Dizziness, excessive sweating and fatigue
Rapid heart rate
Trouble sleeping
Frequent mood swings
Trembling hands

[Pie Man]

Thanks Anth, five years ago i my of qualified as my body temperature was always hot but now I verge on cool, unfortunately none of the other indicter's fit. I'll continue with my morning coffee.

[Anth_F]

Some of them apply to me for sure!! I am hot frequently, my sleep is so so and i get mood swings very regular. My body often digests my meals very quickly (feel empty again quickly)! That indicates back to that " more hunger". And of course, that issue i have of still losing weight that i no longer want to.

Metabolism can be slowed easily enough by eating much more nuts, meat and dairy frequently during the day, and doing no more than 15 mins exercise every day + no strenuous activities (basically become a lazy git) and have less sleep

Less sleep will increase cortisol levels in the body, thus slowing down metabolism and storing fat in the body

[DavidA]

I saw an article recently that clearly linked endurance benefits from caffeine to genetic differences in the rate of caffeine metabolism.

Those who were fast metabolizers showed benefits from caffeine, people who were in the middle (heterozygotic) showed no effect and those who were slow metabolizers actually had decreased performance.

Personally, I'm a monozygotic 'fast metabolizer' so I should experience a benefit, but not everyone will and some will be impaired using caffeine. I'll dig around to see if I can find a link to the publication.

As you mention, not everybody fits.
I am a fast metabolizer. I don't hardly ever drink coffee, and I have never tried to see how caffeine might effect my performance, but when I have had some to drink to try to stay awake it hasn't worked at all.

David

[left coaster]

Hey Guys,

I looked around for the study and couldn't find it. Stupid, it was really interesting and I can't remember which of my various feeds I saw it in...

Anyway, it was NOT about basal metabolic rate. There is a specific allele in our DNA that is associated with individual rates of caffeine metabolism. The study was based on individual differences in this allele and has nothing to do with the state of other metabolic rates in our body.

The only way to know your status on this allele is to do genetic testing through a company like 23andme etc.

[Anth_F]

Hey Guys,

I looked around for the study and couldn't find it. Stupid, it was really interesting and I can't remember which of my various feeds I saw it in...

Anyway, it was NOT about basal metabolic rate. There is a specific allele in our DNA that is associated with individual rates of caffeine metabolism. The study was based on individual differences in this allele and has nothing to do with the state of other metabolic rates in our body.

The only way to know your status on this allele is to do genetic testing through a company like 23andme etc.

Ahh right, i see!! Well i can speak from my own experience, that i can most certainly feel a good benefit doing endurance erg sessions if i have coffee beforehand. Moreso than what i do if i go without having coffee, and just water only

Like today, had a coffee then done 7500m, and felt i could have gone on for double that distance keeping up pace. Obviously consumed plenty water too though beforehand to keep hydrated for the session.

[left coaster]

could be you're also a genetically fast caffeine metabolizer Anf.

In the study they hypothesized that fast metabolizers are able to gain the positive effects of caffeine without experiencing as many negative side effects as those who are slow metabolizers.

In more pop-culture older news, caffeine seems to also reduce blood flow to the heart and this effect is magnified at altitude, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 232653.htm I haven't actually pulled this article to look at effect sizes or to critique the methodology. It's interesting though and it leaves me wondering about the interaction with caffeine metabolism rate and individual differences in the magnitude of blood flow reduction...

[Anth_F]

And in another study on that very same page, they found that caffeine improved endurance performance.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... d-shared=0