Once a week, usually before my long ride, I take in 2 cups of coffee and feel a significant difference in energy level, awareness and time to AT. The problem is, used before a run or race, caffeine ususally makes me go to the bathroom, bad. It seems the pounding of the run loosens up my insides. ( I've had to pull into the bushes on more than one occasion.) Does anyone eles use coffee before rides or runs? If so, any suggestions on dosage, etc? Also, any suggestions on instant coffee with the most caffeine?
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Hmmmmmm.
[ In reply to ]
Interesting question. I use caffeine (coffee)pretty frequently. I have a pretty "bad" stomach too, but drink Citrucel in juice 2 time a day and it seems to prevent the coffee from bothering my stomach. One year I went without coffee for my entire preparation for Ironman. Then, on race morning, I had one cup. I really felt it helped at least during the swim. No stomach problems, but that was a pretty risky strategy.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Re: Hmmmmmm. [Tom Demerly]
[ In reply to ]
Any particular brand of coffee? Does adding sugar or milk make a difference?
Re: Hmmmmmm. [Herschel34]
[ In reply to ]
black. any brand. not fussy.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Re: Hmmmmmm. [Tom Demerly]
[ In reply to ]
Hey Tom, Does this mean you've rejoined the dark side or are you just speaking from experience?
Re: Hmmmmmm. [Cullen Watkins]
[ In reply to ]
Oh, I quite drinking coffee altogethe then I got this darn cold. So I sttarted again. It made me feel better. Anyway, yeah I'm drinking it again. I'll quite again soon.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
I can't find the paper right now but there was a study on the effect of caffeine on sports performance, specifically looking at running until exhaustion and performance in the mile... Well the result was that there was a significant benefit with drinking coffee (I think that it was 2 cups) so there is a measurable advantage.
Personally I think that the advantage of drinking a cup of cofee before a race is that it makes you take a dump. And a bowell movement before a race is better than one during the race!
finally after a cold your bronchioles (air passages) can be clogged up with mucus. The caffeine will dilate your bronchioles (make them bigger) which will help your breathing... this is why they tell asthmatics that coffee will stave off asthma attacks.
Caffeine can also stave off migrane attacks...
go figure all that for 60 cents at the deli
Personally I think that the advantage of drinking a cup of cofee before a race is that it makes you take a dump. And a bowell movement before a race is better than one during the race!
finally after a cold your bronchioles (air passages) can be clogged up with mucus. The caffeine will dilate your bronchioles (make them bigger) which will help your breathing... this is why they tell asthmatics that coffee will stave off asthma attacks.
Caffeine can also stave off migrane attacks...
go figure all that for 60 cents at the deli