The word 'coffee' comes from the Arabic word qahweh, meaning 'gives strength'.
Caffeine, the main stimulant in coffee, is probably the most widely used drug in the world. Found in the leaves, nuts and seeds of a number of plants, it acts as a natural pesticide, paralyzing and killing insects which feed on them.
Coffee, tea and cola soft drinks, the main sources of caffeine, typically provide 30 to 100 milligrams of caffeine per serve with over-the-counter stimulants like Bioplus containing caffeine in 100 to 200 milligram doses.
For at least 100 years caffeine has been used by athletes to improve their sports performance, and since the 1970s endurance especially.
Up until now, the usual vague advice has been, "Drink a couple of cups of coffee before competition because it might help."
According to the renowned Colgan Institute, results from studies are now more clearcut.
First of all, a couch potato who suddenly exercises is not affected by caffeine, not his performance nor his physiology. Trained athletes, however, show marked improvement in both areas.
Second, how your performance is affected by caffeine is determined by the quantity you habitually ingest in your daily life.
If you are a chocoholic, you use the herb guarana (of which the active constituent is caffeine), or it takes six cups of strong java to keep you perky all day, then extra caffeine will not benefit your sport.
The solution is to cut out caffeine from your everyday life. Three reliable studies show it takes four or more days without caffeine, before adding it will enhance your performance.
How much should you then add?
200 to 600 milligrams, which is about 2 to 5 cups of good coffee. To a regular coffee drinker that is normal, so it is little wonder it would make no difference to his performance; it is like giving an alcoholic a six pack and expecting him to keel over in a drunken stupor.
What is interesting is that above a certain amount, extra caffeine does not translate into better results. Instead, toxic side effects manifest in the form of anxiety, irritability, delirium and hallucinations during exercise.
The optimum dosage differs for each individual. Start with 100 milligrams, especially if you usually abstain, and gradually increase to 400 or a maximum of 600 milligrams. Experiment with yourself and your event to see if you are a caffeine responder. The benefits are worthwhile and can result in you gaining a competitive edge.
Dr Melvin Williams and colleagues at Old Dominium University in Norfolk, Virginia produced excellent reviews showing caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, increases the release of adrenalin, increases the use of body fat as fuel and spares glycogen.
Also interesting is that sedentary folk may experience dehydration and overheating from coffee, but athletes do not.
The most common finding is that caffeine burns 100% more body fat as fuel, it spares your muscle glycogen and prolongs your endurance.
A word of warning though: if you carbo-load, the excess glycogen in your muscles will be used as fuel, and not fat. Your body always takes the easiest route. If you supercharge one fuel source, that is the one which will be used first.
For optimum benefit, how long before the event should you get your caffeine fix?
Although many people say one hour before exercise, studies measuring fatty acid metabolism show fat-burning from caffeine begins 3 to 4 hours after ingestion. Again experiment and see what works best for you.
Tests carried out on cyclists with a low habitual caffeine intake (less than 25 milligrams per day) were given a flavored drink containing 10 milligrams per kilogram body weight, three hours before a hard cycle ride. The caffeine dose was 750 milligrams for a 75 kilogram or 165 pound man.
It resulted in them being able to cycle 18% longer before they were exhausted, and their exercise intensity increased by 24%. In other words, caffeine enabled them to ride longer and harder. Caffeine actually blunts muscle pain so their thighs felt less sore. It also used fat for fuel, spared glycogen (during exercise when glycogen burns, fatigue sets in and your energy levels plummet), and there was less build-up of lactic acid.
In a similar study nine competitive cyclists (two females and seven males) each drank coffee containing 330 milligrams of caffeine. They biked until exhaustion and again rode 18% longer (90 minutes compared with 76 minutes), their fat burning was 107% greater and they felt the ride was easier than normal.
Of interest to body builders is caffeine increases your nitric-oxide levels. This means taking caffeine before workouts not only boosts your drive, strength and endurance, but it also improves the blood flow to your muscles, resulting in a greater pump and enhanced muscle development.
On top of that, having caffeine together with your post-workout carbohydrate meal, increases muscle glycogen levels by 70% more than if you omitted it, thereby speeding up your recovery.
The bottom line is: For active people, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones, blunting the perception of pain and burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.
Drinking coffee for caffeine is better than taking pills. Avoid cheap coffees made from Coffea robusta beans which make a brown, sour brew, and opt for Coffea arabica coffees such as Gautamalan Antigua, 100% Columbian or Kenyan AA. Grind fresh beans and filter brew a decent pot of maroon delight. Reserve it for your hard training days and competition, and you have ergogenic gold. EzineArticles.com by Sharon_Dell