First off, I don’t drink caffeine. No soda, coffee or tea. However, when I do a long run or bike, I’ll grab some caffeinated gels and, for the most part, they seem to give me a substantial boost. I usually start with the 1X caffeine gels and switch to the 2X ones for later in the run. I’ll be doing IMCHOO and was trying to figure out if I should withhold all caffeine until the run or introduce it regularly starting with the bike. I was thinking that if I waited until the run it might give me a needed surge, but then I wondered if I took it throughout the race I might get more benefit from it. Thoughts?
I’m a “speed freak”…quad expresso in the morning, with a 100mg gel before the swim. Then 8x100mg gels of the bike, follow up with 4 to 6 50mg gels at least 16oz of flat coke on the run.
Then I alway can a cup of French roaster after…
Which gels have 100mg??
I am like you, no caffeine in standard life.
But for IMLT, I did my normal carb boom gels on the bike with just water.
Then for the entire run, total coke, and some chips. Nice and simple and seemed to work okay for me.
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I don’t use caffeine normally either. But for long training days and in IM I drink Coke and use caffeinated gels like it’s my job. Nothing is better than Coke after about 80 miles on the bike and during the marathon.
Caffeine tolerance is very individual. I drink caffeine drinks during my normal day, and I typically train with caffeine as well.
Before your race don’t train or have any caffeine for two weeks beforehand.
During long rides 4+hours/brick run test some caffeine strategies.
Since I’ve tested it during training I race with no caffeine before/during swim. On bike I take one five hour energy during the first half of the IM bike and another during the next half. During run I have a gel flask filled with 5hour energy and sip that during run and drink flat coke on the run as well.
Do what you train with. Technically you should not have any until you take your last calories before the race, then about halfway on the bike take some with some fats to prolong the effects, and then take some more about an hour hour with a little more fat (fat meaning something like a small piece of Bonk Breaker, Justin’s nut butter, etc). Then on the run try to wait until half way then stick with coke until the end. On the run once you start with coke it helps to stick with it in certain intervals.
Testing caffeine strategies? We’re not talking about crack cocaine here…there is so much empirical data surrounding the efficacy of caffeine use in endurance sports, I’m surprised more athletes aren’t using it more than they do. I drink a triple every morning, before every race and it makes a huge difference!!!
Never said there wasn’t a benefit to caffeine in endurance sports. What I said was caffeine effects everyone differently, therefore you should test caffeine strategies during training, you DON’T want to over do it. Make sense?
Never said there wasn’t a benefit to caffeine in endurance sports. What I said was caffeine effects everyone differently, therefore you should test caffeine strategies during training, you DON’T want to over do it. Make sense?
Given that WADA has a limit for caffeine intake, no. It’s our responsibility as athletes to know when the limit is reached. Wonder how many age groupers have OD’d on coffee?
Never said there wasn’t a benefit to caffeine in endurance sports. What I said was caffeine effects everyone differently, therefore you should test caffeine strategies during training, you DON’T want to over do it. Make sense?
Given that WADA has a limit for caffeine intake, no. It’s our responsibility as athletes to know when the limit is reached. Wonder how many age groupers have OD’d on coffee?
Not sure this statement makes sense so hard to follow you.
Never said there wasn’t a benefit to caffeine in endurance sports. What I said was caffeine effects everyone differently, therefore you should test caffeine strategies during training, you DON’T want to over do it. Make sense?
Given that WADA has a limit for caffeine intake, no. It’s our responsibility as athletes to know when the limit is reached. Wonder how many age groupers have OD’d on coffee?
Not sure this statement makes sense so hard to follow you.
- WADA - world anti doping association
- We’re responsible for knowing what garbarge we pour down our throats
- Athletes often claim they “had no idea”, but that’s not an acceptable defense in the ‘world of WADA’.
- So how many athletes are in violation of WADA rules?
Is that succinct enough?
What is WADA’s limit in caffiene use during racing? Link please.
From WADA current website: "The status of caffeine has not changed from last year. Caffeine was removed from the Prohibited List in 2004. Its use in sport is not prohibited.
Caffeine is part of WADA’s Monitoring Program."
What is WADA’s limit in caffiene use during racing? Link please.
From WADA current website: "The status of caffeine has not changed from last year. Caffeine was removed from the Prohibited List in 2004. Its use in sport is not prohibited.
Caffeine is part of WADA’s Monitoring Program."
and the 1st time you bothered to check was, what 5 minutes ago or 6?
Never said there wasn’t a benefit to caffeine in endurance sports. What I said was caffeine effects everyone differently, therefore you should test caffeine strategies during training, you DON’T want to over do it. Make sense?
Given that WADA has a limit for caffeine intake, no. It’s our responsibility as athletes to know when the limit is reached. Wonder how many age groupers have OD’d on coffee?
Where is the link that WADA has a limit for caffeine intake.?
30mins before race: 200mg caffeine in tablet form
Then, maintenance dose generally 30-50mg per hour for every hour of the race. (Usually in gels)
Women metabolize caffeine faster than men generally, so require less. (Closer to 30mg/hr). Also, the caffeine will have more of an effect if you’ve avoided caffeine for ideally 2 weeks pre race! Everyone is different though!
Rusty. Thought you would have posted that link by the time my race was over…disappointed in you.
IM doesn’t start until mile 18 of the run.
Since you don’t ordinarily ingest caffeine
Hold out as long as you can, like until mile 18.
I drink a pot or two of black coffee per day…
I’ll drink half a pot of coffee pre-race and then nothing until Rocket Fuel aka Flat Coke is served on the run.