caffeine

[numberthirtytwo]

So I'm a swimmer, and before races I like to take caffeine. (it conforms to anti-doping rules, studies have shown that it improves performance, etc.). I never drink coffee or anything, or even coke, the only caffeine I think I ever get is when I take caffeine before races, which is ~2x a month. Anyway, each pill is 200 mg, and the box usually says "take one pill no more than every 3-4 hours". I've read that the best amount to take is around 5mg/kg body weight, which for me is around 400 mg. So i take 2 of the tablets before my race. Does anyone know if there are ANY negative effects of taking more than the recommended one tablet? It doesnt' seem like there are any negative side effects for the caffeine, but then I'm wondering why it suggests you only use one tablet every 3-4 hours.

 

[Chris Kimmerly]

Just google it. You will find a shit load of negitive side effects of caffine. I my self had trouble sleeping even though I was very tired I couldn't fall asleep. It took over a week of not using caffine that I fiannly got my sleep patterns back on track


"The most common side effects of caffeine include dizziness, headache, irritability, muscle tension, nausea, nervousness, stuffy nose, unusual tiredness and jitters. "

http://www.ama-ama.info/articles/caffeine-side-effects.html

 

[Sinister]

Caffeine is one of the most clinically tested and proven efficient CNS stimulators available OTC with no real hassle. You should be fine.

 

[johndredd05]

but then I'm wondering why it suggests you only use one tablet every 3-4 hours.

its because whats on the package is not being sold as a way to improve athletic performance. Its sold as a way to keep awake, so it doesnt make sense to jack up huge on caffeine for a short amount of time just to keep awake.

I probly consume this coffee wise before i go to work in the morning everyday.

Experiment with the amount/time before the race to get your optimal dosage for your body. If you take too much caffeine you will just feel weird and jittery. I would imagine the optimal dosage is where you feel mentally sharp as hell but not jittery.

 

[Martin Plunkett]

Caffeine is one of the most clinically tested and proven efficient CNS stimulators available OTC with no real hassle. You should be fine.

Wise words here. Very true, KK.

 

[MMA Wembly]

If your worried about how your body will handle taking 2 tablet instead of 1, trying doing it for a practise one day. The last thing you want to happen is to over stimulate yourself and feel the crash effects early. Caffeine is safe to take, I take tablets before hockey games and the only problem is not knowing how much your body need, so test it one day doing practise and see if you need more or need to lower it a little.

 

[Monger]

It doesnt' seem like there are any negative side effects for the caffeine, but then I'm wondering why it suggests you only use one tablet every 3-4 hours.

They put that on the box to keep idiots from taking 10 a day, getting undesired symptoms and suing them. The lethal dose of caffeine is an insane amount and you'd have to be a moron to OD on the stuff, excess of 10,000mg for most. Keep in mind that even though the LD is very high, unwanted symptoms could become present with under a few hundred mgs depending on individual tolerance levels and body mass (this is my disclaimer so no one runs out and starts using a few thousand mgs a day). Some people are more tolerant to caffeine than others though. Some people get undesired symptoms (jitters, headache, etc...) at a lower threshold than others. BUT, 400mg an hour before your race 2x a month is nothing. Don't worry about it, man. I doubt you'll see any negative side affects and it's entirely safe.

Your usage of 5mg/kg of body weight is pretty good. Most people seem to perform the best between 3-6mg/kg of bodyweight. So you could experiment within that range to see where you feel the best at.