SECTION I
THE PHARMACOLOGY OF
BIOENERGETICS
- ENHANCING MUSCLE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
-
Caffeine
-
Sodium Bicarbonate
-
Creatine Monohydrate
-
Potassium Phosphate
-
L-Carnitine
-
Ginseng
-
Glycerol
This section explores the various mechanisms
through which the above substances can effect human
energy systems.
It outlines dosages and procedures for specific
results in enhancing physical performance.
CAFFEINE
Scientific Name:
Methylxanthine
Type of
Nutrient:
Stimulant drug of Central Nervous System
History:
Used for hundreds of years in form of tea and
coffee beverages
How Supplied:
Powder, Tablet,
Liquid, Suppository
Natural Sources:
Tea, Coffee, Guarana, Kola Nut
Used for:
Reducing bodyfat and perception of effort. Increasing
workload capacity, muscle fibre recruitment, exercise
intensity, endurance, alertness, concentration, and
oxygen uptake, Glycogen sparing
Cost
effectiveness:
Excellent
Safety:
Up to 600mg/day (7 cups of coffee) considered
safe (Gilbert 1992)
Precautions:
Should not be taken by pregnant women (has been
linked with reduced bodyweight of the newborn) or people
with heart problems (excessive doses can cause extra
beats of left ventricle). Can cause
physical dependence at daily dosages of 350mg and above
(about 4 cups of coffee). 5 grams and
above can be a lethal dose (about 60 cups of
coffee).
Some Personal Trainers will be horrified at the
thought of encouraging clients to consume caffeine. However, its
effects on physical performance and bodyfat reduction
are too great and well documented to ignore. Used prudently,
caffeine’s benefits can be made to outweigh possible
risks. The following are caffeine benefits and
effects...
FAT REDUCTION
The most common beneficial finding of caffeine
use is an increasing in burning of bodyfat as fuel
(Costill et al 1978, IVY et al 1979). For the
use of Caffeine in fat reduction see Section III - Fat
Loss. Click
here
INCREASED MAXIMUM
OXYGEN UPTAKE (VO2 MAX)
DURING ENDURANCE
ACTIVITY
In two related studies (Costil et al 1978, Ivy et
al 1979) nine competitive cyclists were exercised to
exhaustion on a bicycle ergometer. After a dose of
330mg of caffeine, the cyclists improved their VO2 max
by 19% over placebo. In the second
study (Ivy et al 1979) the cyclists rode an adjusting
ergometer.
The resistance of the ergometer was constantly
adjusted and an estimate of work determined. Each cyclist was
given 250mg of caffeine and a further 250mg administered
over several divided doses. The caffeine
treatment resulted in a 7.4% increase in work production
and a 7.3% increase in the maximum oxygen uptake.
INCREASED ENDURANCE
AND INTENSITY OF PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE
One recent study (Flinn S et al Int J Sports Med
1990;11:188-193) done here in Australia by Dr Lars
McNaughton and colleagues at the Tasmanian Institute of
Technology tested cyclists against themselves as
controls under double-blind conditions, pedalling a
cycle ergometer to exhaustion under progressively
increasing workload. Caffeine at
10mg/kg bodyweight, or a placebo, were given as a
flavoured drink three hours prior to the test. That is a dose
of 800mg for an 80kg man.
Results showed that the caffeine increased time
to exhaustion by 18% and exercise intensity by 24%. Thus, it allowed
them to ride both longer and harder. In addition,
caffeine increased the use of free fatty acids for fuel
thereby sparing glycogen. It also raised
the lactate threshold in relation to workload,
suggesting that there was less build-up of lactic
acid. This
is the level of benefit you could expect with correct
caffeine usage.
INCREASED INTENSITY
WITH REDUCED PERCEPTION OF EFFORT
Caffeine has direct effects on muscle contraction
(Alles et al 1942). It acts on the
skeletal muscle by increasing calcium permeability
essential for muscle contraction (Foltz et al
1943).
Excessive amounts of caffeine are not required
for effects.
Researchers (Alles et al 1942) observed effects
of caffeine on the muscle during exercise. Caffeine (50mg
orally) given one hour before the experiment produced
higher muscle tension at low frequencies of muscle
stimulation, suggesting a direct effect on muscle
contraction.
This study showed that caffeine may be acting
directly on the muscle in addition to the central
nervous system in masking fatigue.
Even though values for heart rate and oxygen
consumption during one study were similar the caffeine
made the work ‘feel’ easier. It is likely
that a lessening of the subjective ratings of effort was
due to the effect of caffeine on neuronal excitability,
possibly through a lowering of the threshold for
motor-unit recruitment and nerve transmission.
INCREASED
CONCENTRATION AND ALERTNESS
Caffeine is reported to decrease drowziness and
promote a more rapid and clearer thought process. Research reveals
85 to 250mg of caffeine increases the capacity for
sustained intellectual effort and decreased reaction
times.
Studies of changes in brain activity show that
caffeine does have arousing effects. One way to
measure this is to attach electrodes to a person’s skull
and record the patterns of electrical activity of his or
her brain.
It has been shown that caffeine in a few cups of
coffee causes the patterns to change from those typical
of an awake and sedentary person to those of an alert
and active person.
CONFLICTING RESEARCH
RESULTS
Not all research has been in total agreement of
caffeine’s performance enhancing effects.
Most of the work up till 1980 lacked the
necessary controls to separate the effects of caffeine
on sports performance from its effects in everyday
life. The
latest and best research shows they are quite
different.
Numerous reviews lump together studies on
sedentary people with studies on athletes and come to
the conclusion that caffeine effects on performance are
variable and inconclusive - and that a couple of cups of
coffee before competition might help, or might not.
The first error of these reviews is assuming that
a sedentary person coaxed into exercise reacts the same
way to caffeine as an athlete - they don’t (Bucci LR
Nutritional Ergogenic Aids).
The second common error lies in confusing
subjects who habitually use coffee, tea, cocoa,
caffeinated soft drinks or chocolate with those who have
a low daily intake of caffeine. Like giving an
alcoholic a six-pack and expecting him to keel
over!
(Colgan). If your body has developed a tolerance
to caffeine through prolonged use, then extra caffeine
will not boost performance.
Two detrimental effects commonly cited by writers
on sports nutrition about caffeine are that it is well
established as a diuretic (makes you lose water) and
that it is thermogenic (raises metabolic rate and body
temperature)
(Wager-Srdar SA et al Life Sci
1983;33:2431-2438).
Athletes are often warned that caffeine can make
them dehydrate and overheat. But almost all
the studies showing these effects were done with
sedentary people.
Recent research using athletes as subjects found
no diuresis or thermogenesis. In fact caffeine
ingestion has not been shown to alter fluid balance,
sweat rate, total water loss, heart function, or blood
electrolyte content during exercise (Can J Physiol
Pharmacol 68:889, 1990; S Afr Med J 62:664,1982). Separate studies
from Ohio State University confirm that caffeine
ingestion does not alter body fluid/hydration and does
not increase heart rate during exercise (Med Sci Sports
Ex 26: Abstract 1146, 1994).
Sedentary people using caffeine would be advised
to take a mineral supplement to safeguard against any
deficiencies in iron, calcium, magnesium or sodium, and
to drink plenty of water.
PRECAUTIONS
The IOC (International Olympic Committee) permits
an upper level of 12 micrograms per millilitre of
urine. This
would be the equivalent of 12 milligrams per litre of
water in the body of an athlete. A male athlete
who weighs 70kg and whose body composition contains 60%
water will have about 42 litres of water in his body, as
0.6 x 70kg = 42, and a kilogram of water is one
litre.
If you multiply 12 milligrams by 42 litres, you
will find that this athlete may consume about 500mg of
caffeine to reach the legal limit. But to allow for
individualities and to play it on the safe side, I would
recommend not exceeding 5mg/kg of
bodyweight.
This would be a dose of 350mg.
Depending on the individual, a range of 100 to
300 milligrams is considered a therapeutic dose. 350mg could be
considered a very therapeutic dose.
Such
doses meet the level for a stimulant effect and are
still legal under IOC doping guidelines.
Excess caffeine can certainly mess you up. One study in the
American Journal of Psychiatry reports anxiety,
irritability, delirium and hallucinations, brought on by
caffeine during exercise (Stillner V et al Am J
Psychiatr 1978; 135:855).
Above a certain amount, more caffeine does not
produce better effects, probably because its toxic side
effects start to over-ride the benefits. So there is no
reason to take so much it sends you crazy. 1000mg is over
the top for most athletes, especially if they abstain
from caffeine in everyday life.
Cyclists have been known to use 3000mg
supporitories.
Symptoms of intoxication include insomnia,
restlessness, sensory disturbance such as tinnitus
(ringing in ears), and flashing of light. Large overdoses
of caffeine can cause seizures. It can cause
headache and involuntary muscle contractions.
Caffeine is capable of causing physical
dependance in much the same way as other addictive drugs
such as alcohol and nicotine.
However, caffeine withdrawal symptoms, though
uncomfortable, are not life threatening.
To avoid physical dependence and minimize
tolerance effects, caffeine dosages should be kept as
low as possible and used intermittently; eg Don’t use
caffeine during every workout, and every fortnight have
one week off.
Also to maximise the benefits, avoid taking
caffeine other than at training times. ie. Don’t drink
coffee, tea, coke or other food and drinks containing
caffeine unless they are part of your
program.
The use of Grapefruit juice containing Naringin
will also help stop the body from becoming de-sensitized
to the effects of caffeine.
SLEEPING HINT
Some people may experience difficulty getting to
sleep if they train late in the day.
A simple but powerful solution to this is to use
a mental technique that relaxes the body and calms the
mind, making sleep effortless and natural.
Lying flat on your back in bed, arms to your side
and legs slightly apart, place your attention on your
breathing.
Do not try to control it - just focus your
attention on it.
Be aware of each breath in and each breath
out. Feel
your lungs fill and then empty. Feel your chest
rise and fall.
Feel the air moving through your nose and then
out. As
thoughts enter your mind, just let them go and bring
your attention back to your breathing. Do not try to do
or think of anything - just be aware of your
breathing.
After approximately 10 minutes, you will enter a
profoundly relaxed state. Your brain wave
frequency will slow down. Instead of
producing predominantly Beta waves (those which
characterise an alert, awake state) your brain will
start producing Alpha, Theta and Delta waves as you fall
asleep.
STANDARD
CAFFEINE CONTENT VALUES
Recognizing that there can be significant
variability in caffeine content for a given source, it
is nonetheless useful to have representative values for
each of the major sources.
Coffee
Ground roasted
85mg/150ml (5-oz cup)
Instant
60mg/150ml (5-oz cup)
Decaffeinated
3mg/150ml
(5-oz cup)
Tea
Leaf or bag
40mg/150ml (5-oz cup)
Instant
30mg/150ml (5-oz cup)
Cola
(except caffeine-free)
18mg/180ml (6-oz glass)
Cocoa,
hot chocolate
4mg/150ml (5-oz cup)
Chocolate
milk
5mg/250ml (8-oz cup)
Caffeine
1g
1000mg
FOR
MUSCLE BUILDING, PHYSIQUE ENHANCEMENT
Example:
| SUBJECT: |
Male |
| Lifestyle:
|
Active, trains 4 x week 2 years training
|
| AGE:
|
25 |
| Diet: |
High Protein, High Carb, Low Fat
|
| WEIGHT: |
80kg |
| BODYFAT: |
12%
|
| NO CAFFEINE |
|
1/2
hr before training
250mg Caffeine
300ml Grapefruit juice
(FOR
FAT LOSS, PHYSIQUE ENHANCEMENT - See Section III
Fat Loss under Caffeine.)
Taken before a run, a bodybuilder could expect to
run with less perceived effort, burn more body fat, have
greater endurance and a greater VO2 max, than without
it.
Taken before a workout, a bodybuilder could
expect caffeine to help him to increase the intensity;
reduce perceived effort, increase the workload and help
him concentrate better than without it.
Taken before a contest a bodybuilder could expect
caffeine to make him feel more alert, get a greater,
more vascular pump, and appear more defined due to
diuretic effect, than he otherwise would have.
Top
10 Benefits of Caffeine for Bodybuilders
1.
Increased Definition
2.
Increased Vascularity
3.
Greater Pump
4.
Increased Fat Burning
5.
Increased Workload Capacity
6.
Increased Endurance
7.
Increased VO2 Max (Oxygen uptake)
8.
Increased Workout Intensity
9.
Increased Alertness and Concentration
10.
Less Perceived Effort
FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE, INCREASED ENDURANCE
Example:
| SUBJECT: |
Male |
|
| AGE:
|
30 |
|
| WEIGHT:
|
70kg |
|
| BODYFAT: |
10% |
|
| Lifestyle:
|
Active, trains 2 x week weight
|
3 x week runs 10 km |
| Diet: |
High Carb, Mod Protein, Low Fat
|
|
| NO CAFFEINE |
|
|
Event:
10 kilometre + race
3 hours before 700mg *
Caffeine
*WARNING:
This dosage
300ml Grapefruit juice
(10mg/kg)
has the potential to
exceed the IOC’s legal limit.
5 minutes before 300ml
Grapefruit juice
Caffeine is known as an analeptic drug, or a
substance that can restore strength, awake and
invigorate.
Click
here to buy pure caffeine
