Caffeine

gymfreak

This is one that's been puzzling me for a while now. I keep changing my stance on it and I'm just curious about other people's thoughts.

I suppose the only reason I'm cautious about caffeine is because I wouldn't like to have to rely on it to get me through a workout, I kind of feel like I should be able to create the energy myself to workout...if that makes sense:pac:

Currently It would be very rare that I'd consume much caffeine on a daily basis except from the odd few cups of tea...but that's it!.

So many questions are:
1. Do you consume caffeine preworkout?

2. If you do, in what form? ...coffee, energy drinks, caffeine tablets etc

3. When you don't consume it..does this impact your training?

squod

Voted nope. Being awake and suffering at the same time is a no no.

Scuba Ste

Bought some 200mg tablets a couple of weeks ago but because I usually train late during the week I've only been taking them on weekends and sometimes forget. Don't notice any effect tbh.

I'll take two next time and see if it makes any more difference.

token

1. Do you consume caffeine preworkout?

Most of the time no because I train late enough in the evenings and I find it hard to shut off in time to get a proper nights sleep. I take it when I'm more tired than normal. I take a lot when I'm doing a max night and overdose on the stuff for competitions. If I trained earlier in the day I'd take it nearly all the time I reckon.

2. If you do, in what form? ...coffee, energy drinks, caffeine tablets etc

Just feeling a bit tired I'll drink coffee. Max night a can of monster. At competitons I take Nutrution X shots and Monster and I'm wired to the moon.

3. When you don't consume it..does this impact your training?

I lift better with it, a lot more focused and to the task but it doesn't make a huge diff unless I'm going up to 1RM and trying to set pbs and need something extra. I find when in that realm being wired gives you a singular focus that you are not able to replicate to the same degree without. At least for me anyway.

Orla K

I sometimes drink coffee, but rarely before a workout, whenever I've had it before a workout, I didn't notice much difference but then I'm just thinking it takes me about 1/2 an hour to drink it. Any difference I did notice at the time could've been something else. Not going to rule it out but don't hold much faith in it either.

Paudee

Yeah, it would be more unusual for me to train without it than with it.

Generally, i'll have a large coffee on the way to the gym, and between 100-300mgs in tablet form depending on what i have planned/how much sleep i've gotten.

I train in the AM, well my AM, and quality of sleep is never fantastic so i'd be lost without it. Also, i love coffee but generally avoid it outside of PWO.

I find it helps focus and tends to have a very positive effect on any assistance stuff i have to do after the smug lifts, which i would otherwise be pretty lacklustre about.

discus

I've started taking red bull a lot more often these days before my workouts. I have about 9 PT sessions between monday-friday (I'm a soldier) so it's become a nasty part of my day, rather than something I'm dying to do in my free time. As gymfreak put it, I'm finding it hard to create my own energy!

So... yes, I consume caffeine pre-workout about 30% of the time. It's red bull or generic brand alternative. I don't think it impacts my training, but it does boost my mood and my focus before I turn up!

Molly

Endurorush is your only man.

gymfreak

Scuba Ste wrote:

Bought some 200mg tablets a couple of weeks ago but because I usually train late during the week I've only been taking them on weekends and sometimes forget. Don't notice any effect tbh.

token wrote: »

2. If you do, in what form? ...coffee, energy drinks, caffeine tablets etc

Just feeling a bit tired I'll drink coffee. Max night a can of monster. At competitons I take Nutrution X shots and Monster and I'm wired to the moon.

3. When you don't consume it..does this impact your training?

I lift better with it, a lot more focused and to the task but it doesn't make a huge diff unless I'm going up to 1RM and trying to set pbs and need something extra. I find when in that realm being wired gives you a singular focus that you are not able to replicate to the same degree without. At least for me anyway.

See, that's another thing that confuses me..I drank 2 cans of redbull over maybe a 6-8hour period at my last competition and I ended up with the shakes REALLY bad. Where as, I've taken a 200mg caffeine tablet once or twice at the weekends when I'm heading training really early..and it seemed to make no difference at all!

Paudee

Molly wrote: »

Endurorush is your only man.

I wish i could thank this.

I've witnessed somebody take a gram of caffeine and an endorush before a session consisting of 3 x 5 front squats @ 60%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMJUy_HN-00

Scuba Ste

gymfreak wrote: »

See, that's another thing that confuses me..I drank 2 cans of redbull over maybe a 6-8hour period at my last competition and I ended up with the shakes REALLY bad. Where as, I've taken a 200mg caffeine tablet once or twice at the weekends when I'm heading training really early..and it seemed to make no difference at all!

I've had similar experiences. When I'd drink some monster, red bull etc before training I thought I got a bit more energy and focus during training. The pills seem to do nothing. I'm gonna take more, chase the dragon and all that.

ray jay

FYI, you can get a year's supply of caffeine powder from myprotein for about €2 currently. I feel like doing more work when I take it and I can measure out the dose I want, so it gets a thumbs up from me.

Hanley

1) Sometimes
2) Coffee or red bull
3) I'm not really sure... lifting I think it helps a little, perhaps just mentally. BJJ not at all.

jive

gymfreak wrote: »

1. Do you consume caffeine preworkout?
Occasionally, I drink coffee and this can coincidentally be pre-workout

2. If you do, in what form? ...coffee, energy drinks, caffeine tablets etc
coffee

3. When you don't consume it..does this impact your training?
Not that I've noticed and I'm inclined to say not at all because caffeine doesn't have much of an effect on me

^^^^

Gummy Panda

Yes but in a pre-workout product such as Pulse or Jack3d. I train in the AM

Brian?

Yeah, preferrable nice coffee. Mainly because it's tasty and I only drink one cup a day.

I like to wash down wine gums with coffee pre workout

Mellor

I drink coffee most mornings. So clicked yes, coffee. Even thoguh its not with work outs im mind.

From time to time I'll have Jack3d 30 mins before a workout.
Yesterday, I took 2 scoops. I hit slight PB in 2 lifts (+1 rep in one, and +5kg for a x3).
Maybe the ajcked help grind out the extra little bit. Or maybe it just a standard weekly progression. Can't really say tbh

EdenHazard

Drink coffee in the mornings right up to about 5/half 5? Just black coffee and use sweeteners, no sugar. Like 4 or 5 cups.

Then if I'm running later I'll make a half a small cup of coffee about 15 mins before jog.

token

gymfreak wrote: »

See, that's another thing that confuses me..I drank 2 cans of redbull over maybe a 6-8hour period at my last competition and I ended up with the shakes REALLY bad. Where as, I've taken a 200mg caffeine tablet once or twice at the weekends when I'm heading training really early..and it seemed to make no difference at all!

I've noticed the same so I don't bother with caffeine tablets. It's all the other stuff that's in energy drinks as well as the caffeine that does it. I haven't bothered to read about it so I couldn't tell ya whats going on. It's probably rotting my insides and I don't want to know

Molly

Paudee wrote: »

I wish i could thank this.

I've witnessed somebody take a gram of caffeine and an endorush before a session consisting of 3 x 5 front squats @ 60%

Is it the same person I'm thinking of?

Dathai

I train in the AM, so depending on how I'm feeling on a training day (did I get much sleep, is it going to be a demanding session?) I'll have a can of Monster. Deadlift / back days are usually Monster + L-Carnitine tablet.

BraziliaNZ

I drink a lot of coffee anyway but if I'm going to the gym to lift I take some No Xplode these days, I think there's caffeine in it. Anyway whatever is in it seems to make me go a little harder and longer, and I can still sleep at night.

JonnyF

I take two pro plus before every match, don't take it before training but will have a red bull or a monster if it's an early session and I haven't had time to eat properly

gymfreak

I have to say, I'm suprised by the results so far. REALLY expected way more people to be dosing up on caffeine pre-training, as I seem to be reading about it everywhere!!

Did a little test on myself today..took 2 200mg caffeine tablets before training today to see if it'd have an effect.. really didnt notice any difference..except for a minor headache!!

Hanley

gymfreak wrote: »

I have to say, I'm suprised by the results so far. REALLY expected way more people to be dosing up on caffeine pre-training, as I seem to be reading about it everywhere!!

Did a little test on myself today..took 2 200mg caffeine tablets before training today to see if it'd have an effect.. really didnt notice any difference..except for a minor headache!!

Try a big coffee next time instead.

Seems to be a weird thing with people not responding to the tabs.

...then again if you're up all night now.

gymfreak

Hanley wrote: »

Try a big coffee next time instead.

Seems to be a weird thing with people not responding to the tabs.

...then again if you're up all night now.

I've never had a coffee:eek::eek:...that would be odd!

Yeh kinda forgot about the whole needing to sleep tonight

COH

There should be an option on the poll for 'Coffee + Monster + Preworkout supplements'

Inspector Coptoor

I usually have 1 x 200mg tab caffeine & 1 or 2 cans of Monster throughout the workout.
I'd usually have 2-3 coffees per day too

Dermighty

I love coffee. I drink it black with no sugar, it makesme feel good and I like the taste.

I have a cup at 8 or 9am and another at lunch time (1pm), one before I go training (5pm) and usually one before I go to work (10pm).

EdenHazard

Do you ever sleep?

banshee_bones

gymfreak wrote: »

1. Do you consume caffeine preworkout?

Yes

gymfreak wrote: »

2. If you do, in what form? ...coffee, energy drinks, caffeine tablets etc

I tried caffeine tabs 50mgs , 200mgs and I didnt find them much use. Switched to coffee recently and have found it way better.

gymfreak wrote: »

3. When you don't consume it..does this impact your training?

Yes, even if I don't have my lunchtime caffeine fix I will notice it by the time I am heading out to train and if I go, I will literally be yawning in the squat rack so I'm fairly dependent on it. Just helps with focus and being a bit more alert.

MagicMirror

Training - Caffeine = Mindfuc.k

discus

Hanley wrote: »

Try a big coffee next time instead.

Seems to be a weird thing with people not responding to the tabs.

...then again if you're up all night now.

I did a half-baked experiment in uni to work out the bioavailability of different tablets - I recall the proplus giving me problems when I was detecting it.

Not sure if it has anything to do with people not getting a buzz out of the tablets, but I found I got little or nothing (placebo effect at best) from 2x200mg tablets. Come the night I'd struggle to sleep though. Had to cut them out completely! Maybe there's a bioavailabilty issue; lots of compounds that go through the drug design stage need to be modified somehow (by creating sulphates, or salts of) to allow the body to uptake them quickly. Perhaps since these caffeine products have not gone through the hoops of the IMB or FDA, they have not been put through these steps to ensure there is a good bioavailability?

Hanley

discus wrote: »

I did a half-baked experiment in uni to work out the bioavailability of different tablets - I recall the proplus giving me problems when I was detecting it.

Not sure if it has anything to do with people not getting a buzz out of the tablets, but I found I got little or nothing (placebo effect at best) from 2x200mg tablets. Come the night I'd struggle to sleep though. Had to cut them out completely! Maybe there's a bioavailabilty issue; lots of compounds that go through the drug design stage need to be modified somehow (by creating sulphates, or salts of) to allow the body to uptake them quickly. Perhaps since these caffeine products have not gone through the hoops of the IMB or FDA, they have not been put through these steps to ensure there is a good bioavailability?

I know basically nothing about bio-chem, but... how about the way they're produced causing them to hang around for longer in your stomach before they start to digest?

So if you were to take them when you'd normally drink a coffee/red bull (ie 45 mins before training) you get nothing because they haven't been sufficiently broken down, but then 3-4 hours later the kick finally comes and you get no sleep as a result?

discus

That's what I thought as well, but I dissolved them easily in a mildly acidic solution fairly quickly a while ago! Maybe we're being sold ****e - why pay for quality control when no one is gonna be checking?

BigDuffman

I find that coffee on its own destroys the stomach. Handy for regulating the auld bowels though. But I tend to find PWO drinks a lot easier on the stomach particularly pre high intensity cardio as a cup of coffee sitting in the gut usually leaves me feeling ropey. Jack3d or ON Amino Energy.

gymfreak

I really am surprised by the results of the poll. Thought there would be a way bigger gap between the numbers that take caffeine v those that don't.

Did my own bit of experimenting last week, was taking 2 x 200mg caffeine tablets before training for a few days and didnt really notice an effect, nor did it disturb my nights sleep at all. Only problem being when I stopped taking it...horrendous headaches:(

Would of actually been interesting to note the structure of everyones training whether strength or endurance based or a mixture of both