I am a coffee drinker, I have a hard time imagining the world without it but the biggest thing I don't like about it is that it is a diuretic, it dehyrates the body just like alcohol, and I usually need to take a piss every 5 minutes on race morning when I have had coffee, or so it seems....it is a stimulant.....I know I have lost minutes of race time because of the excessive need to pee...this year I am also cutting coffee out days before a race....

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I ride a Cervelo...get over it....

I think the idea is that it gives you some kind of extra jolt.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

lol caffein efect!!! Isn't dificult guess that one, it works like a stimulant, but is forbiden in huge doses.

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Te3 blog (in PT)

it works like a stimulant, but is forbiden in huge doses.
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Not any more.

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

I think it's kind of like tapering... you rest your legs and then they're all fresh for race day -- lay off coffee and then race morning it has a more powerful effect.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Lance doesn't why would I??

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http://theworldthroumyeyes.tumblr.com/

taper, or lay off the coffee?

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Theres a new theory which states that caffeine, when taken with fluid, doesnt act as a dehydrating agent.
The excessive need to pee probably comes from nerves rather than the coffee. Taking caffeine without
water may act a diuretic but the crucial thing is that coffee has water in it.

Coffee is not a diuretic at all. Not in vivo. Plenty of studies to back that up. No detectable diuretic effect. That is an old myth..... Here is one quick abstract....MANY more where that came from

Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2002 Jun;12(2):189-206. Links Caffeine, body fluid-electrolyte balance, and exercise performance.

• Armstrong LE.

Departments of Kinesiology, Nutritional Sciences, and Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1110, USA.
Recreational enthusiasts and athletes often are advised to abstain from consuming caffeinated beverages (CB). The dual purposes of this review are to (a) critique controlled investigations regarding the effects of caffeine on dehydration and exercise performance, and (b) ascertain whether abstaining from CB is scientifically and physiologically justifiable. The literature indicates that caffeine consumption stimulates a mild diuresis similar to water, but there is no evidence of a fluid-electrolyte imbalance that is detrimental to exercise performance or health. Investigations comparing caffeine (100-680 mg) to water or placebo seldom found a statistical difference in urine volume. In the 10 studies reviewed, consumption of a CB resulted in 0-84% retention of the initial volume ingested, whereas consumption of water resulted in 0-81% retention. Further, tolerance to caffeine reduces the likelihood that a detrimental fluid-electrolyte imbalance will occur. The scientific literature suggests that athletes and recreational enthusiasts will not incur detrimental fluid-electrolyte imbalances if they consume CB in moderation and eat a typical U.S. diet. Sedentary members of the general public should be a less risk than athletes because their fluid losses via sweating are smaller.

Since I'm one week into my two week coffee layoff (and in the position of being the lab rat) allow me to explain. Caffeine is a drug of dependance and a stimulant. For the endurance athlete it assists in helping the muscles convert sugar into energy and it gives you that general 'buzz' - where its still hurts but you just dont care. If you take caffeine away all of a sudden your body gets very angry and punishes you with headaches, anger management issues etc and generally makes you want to rip someones head off. All cafeine is out of the body within a few days.

On race morning the body is just that bit more sensitive to the drug (the "oh yeah" feeling is a bit stonger) if you've been without for a few weeks (ask any drug addict) also you feel a bit mentally stonger for denying yourself.

So, as per Mr Reid, no coffee 2 weeks out from an 'A' race and then come race morning a triple esspresso, followed by a couple of Red Bull and topped off with about five nodoze and Mr Age Grouper is about as juiced as your average race horse or TDF domestique.

One small note - if you take too much of the good java juice you will break out in white spots, get the shakes, loose fine motor control, experience extreme vomiting at both ends and likely faint which is not aero - so administer with care and dont do on race morning what you would'nt do in training.

Now back off unless you've got some coffee for me!

[reply]Theres a new theory which states that caffeine, when taken with fluid, doesnt act as a dehydrating agent.
The excessive need to pee probably comes from nerves rather than the coffee. Taking caffeine without
water may act a diuretic but the crucial thing is that coffee has water in it.[/reply]

No doubt that race nerves have a lot to do with it, but my routine is different without coffee. Fine, it's not a diuretic, but it does increase urination at least for this sample of one.

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I ride a Cervelo...get over it....