Can 90% of the world be wrong?

However, I feel the major benefit of coffee and soda is that it's cheap. I'm a firm believer that both are an acquired taste.

I think like anything else, practicing moderation and understanding why you eat or drink something is critical. Caffeine in excess is not healthy and has many side affects. Caffeine in moderation can actually be healthy and boost athletic performance/endurance. It can also reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. I am a coffee drinker but do not touch sodas. I take gels with caffeine on morning rides but not in the afternoon or evening rides. Again, I think moderation and understanding why and how to properly consume something is just like understanding why we train and how we accomplish the things we do....so in my humble opinion "Joe" (a cup of..) can be a great training partner!

I drink coffee ======> so I can function at work ======> so I don't get fired ======> so I have money to spend on more tri stuff.

I just never got used to coffee...which is why I drink tea. Caffeine does take some time for your system to get used to. I couldn't get rolling some mornings without a cuppa. Or, three.

Here's an interesting article on caffeine and exercise:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html

Personally, I am a 1 to 2 cup a morning coffee drinker, including race days. Virtually no soda (I have maybe 2-3 cans a year), caffeinated gels only in very long workouts (90+ minutes of running, 2.5+ hours of riding) and before/during some races. I think it helps.

I use caffine (in soda) sparingly. Sort of like a "break in case of emergency". I usually find my self drinking soda on Mondays and Wednesdays. After a long Sat/ Sun workout (9 hours total) I have to get up super early for a 80 min track session for some speed work on Mondays. On the way to the track I'll down a can of coke and by the time I'm done with my 20 min warm-up I'm ready to go! I notice a huge difference in my sessions with it of about 10-15 sec/ mile.

It's not that the caffine makes me go faster, it just makes me more alert --> thus I focus more. I'll also drink 2 cokes on Wednesdays (a 3.5 hour session). I'll do a 2.5 hour long run in the morning (no coke) and then I have a killer 1 hour swim session (speed work) in the afternoon. I'll hit the coke at lunch (to wake me back up) and then again about 20 minutes before the swim (to get me going again).

Keep in mink I only do this during the time I need it the most (IM build). Other than that I try to stay away from coke as much as possible (1 can a week).

I agree with what Try-Monty said about moderation. If I was using caffine (coke or coffee) on a daily basis the effects of it would be very little.

I've been a heavy coffee drinker until about a year and a half ago when I decided to cut back on the caffeine intake. Now I'm down to maybe 2 or 3 travel mugs in the morning. Cutting back was so difficult and left me feeling so bad for so long I'm sure that I was doing myself more harm than good by drinking too much of the stuff. Now I don't drink any coffee past 10am.
I find that after my morning swims I don't need the java to get going but I still drink a cup or two to avoid the headaches. Moderation is the key and to realize when your morning ritual is an addiction.

I drink my one cup every day, use it as a pick me up. Its great for my pre workouts. For me because I use so little it's probably more of a mental thing.. but I don't want anything to change race mornings, so... one cup it is.

I recently went from about 5 or 6 strong coffees a day, to less than one a week. When I say strong we are talking Italian ristretto doubles.
I also used to have two spoons of sugar in each coffee. Add onto that instant coffee which was two spoons of powder and about 250mls of hot water, with 2 or 3 spoons of sugar, probably 4 or 5 times during the week.

I don't miss the coffee at all. I drink a lot of herbal teas, some green tea, twice a day, I use honey instead of sugar.
My training has gone up from nothing, to adequate... as my coffee consumption went down. I sleep better, my tiredness is a better tiredness. I don't have caffine in my sports drinks either..

But damn I crave sugar... sweetness in any form.

I'll have 1-2 (occasionally a third) cups of (black) coffee every morning. Partly as a wake-up, partly because I love it. Sodas I avoid almost completely, although more to avoid sugar than caffiene. Nothing with caffiene after 10 or 10:30 am as I would not sleep well.

It just cracks me up how people (myself included sometimes) try to stay clear of soda because of the "sugar". A glass of OJ, kids punch, or any fruit juice for that matter has the same and sometimes even more sugar than a can of cola.

classic example- "I stay away from soda, its bad for you with all that sugar". "I'll have 2 cups of coffee with 3 creams and 2 sugars though" DOOOOOH!

If you say its not the sugar but the HFCS (corn syrup), that is wrong as well as HFCS has actually been proven to be easier to metabolize in an endurance event than sugar alone.

I'm not advocating that anybody start drinking 2-3 cans a day of cola by no means, nor am I berating anybody that stays away from cola as well.

Just a funny observation made of AAA type triathletes who stay clear of one "bad" food group and substitue it for another that is just as bad or worse just because it says "real" fruit juice.

... it is my life force and I'm OK with this.

I actually just really enjoy the flavor.

I make a point to nver, I mean never, allow myself to brew that second pot in the morning. I'm horribly addicted, and I'm ok with that. Just means that I don't worry about getting caffeine in my gels... my tolerance is so darn high it wouldn't help anyway.

I drink a cup of coffee with my breakfast, and a diet soda (I know it's bad for me) with my lunch. I have caffeine in some gels, only if I like the gel flavor, I don't CHOOSE them for the caffeine...I know I am addicted because when I don't get the "prescribed dose" at the prescribed time, I get a nasty headache which will not go away ALL DAY long, even if I try to fix it with caffeine.

[quote=jarhead]It just cracks me up how people (myself included sometimes) try to stay clear of soda because of the "sugar". A glass of OJ, kids punch, or any fruit juice for that matter has the same and sometimes even more sugar than a can of cola.

classic example- "I stay away from soda, its bad for you with all that sugar". "I'll have 2 cups of coffee with 3 creams and 2 sugars though" DOOOOOH!

If you say its not the sugar but the HFCS (corn syrup), that is wrong as well as HFCS has actually been proven to be easier to metabolize in an endurance event than sugar alone.

I'm not advocating that anybody start drinking 2-3 cans a day of cola by no means, nor am I berating anybody that stays away from cola as well.

Just a funny observation made of AAA type triathletes who stay clear of one "bad" food group and substitue it for another that is just as bad or worse just because it says "real" fruit juice. [/quote]

In all the literature I have read, I have never come across this view, I have never seen it publicised in any health care advertising or any soda advertising in either France, Ireland or anywhere else. If fruit juice is bad for me....I am giving up. I will go and live on a mountain somewhere and eat stale bread and drink water. How you can compare fruit juice to kids punch or cola is just beyond me..

Caffeine = Cocaine as far as my body is concerned. I feel like I'm having a heart attack and simultaneously want to jump off a building and fly. So I very rarely use it and only in serious moderation. Like I grill the baristas: "are you SURE this is a decaf?"

I use caffeine when: I need to drive several hours (I tend to fall asleep while driving, not good) OR
I'm doing a race and I'll use a gel with caffeine in it. That's it. Oh yeah, also cuz I'm not used to it it makes me pee out my entire body's supply of water in like 2 hours. So no way can I use more than a gel's worth in a race, and only then just at the end when I'm running out of steam.

Probably TMI, but there you have it. My hubby is like Mr. ADHD. Coffee makes him more mellow. Weird.

Way to go Star!

To each their own. I've found that caffeine (of any kind) is the only way I get through my 4-6 week IM build. With that being said, I do stop cold turkey for the 2 weeks of taper, and then hit the caffeine hard starting at mile 80 on the bike on race day and don't stop till the race is over.

Caffeine is not harmful for a person who is not hypertensive and does not have coronary artery disease.
Caffeine, in moderation is healthy for athletes
1) Increases fatty acid catabolism during exercise, thus increases fat utilization.
2) Increases awareness and decreases perception of fatigue late in exercise. This is self explanatory for racing.
3) Increases recovery time after intense or longer workouts via increased blood flow and increased venous pressure.
4) Increases bowel activity, and stimulates bowels, and thus is beneficial prior to a race.

These are the primary reasons I have caffeine strategies for use in my athletes.

Dr David Ciaverells
Summitpc.net

Caffeine is not harmful for a person who is not hypertensive and does not have coronary artery disease.
Caffeine, in moderation is healthy for athletes
1) Increases fatty acid catabolism during exercise, thus increases fat utilization.
2) Increases awareness and decreases perception of fatigue late in exercise. This is self explanatory for racing.
3) Increases recovery time after intense or longer workouts via increased blood flow and increased venous pressure.
4) Increases bowel activity, and stimulates bowels, and thus is beneficial prior to a race.

These are the primary reasons I have caffeine strategies for use in my athletes. I had 9 athletes qualify for kona in 2010, and all of them ingested 100-200 mg caffeine 90 min before swim start and carried caffeine on marathon to take at mile 18.

Dr David Ciaverella
Summitpc.net

I wouldn't disagree with the good doctor, but as already stated my intake was way above normal, I still take one a week now, with very little sugar, took one today on my 80km by the beach at the Gulf de Juan.. lovely.

Oh I agree, too much yes. As an above thread said, everything in moderation.
Just giving you some advantages of caffeine.
Be careful in reading the "magazines" and articles regarding fructose. Yes, it's true it has been found that fructose does absorb from bowel from ingestion utilizing different receptor and thus sports products have capitalized on using this cheaper flavoring agent. However, during exercise, remember that glucose/maltodetrins, can be transported directly to muscle tissue while fructose must be metabolized in the liver because the liver is the only organ that contains its binding protein fructokinase. This does result in a delay in delivery to tissues in the end. So while fructose may absorb as fast utilizing its receptor in the bowel, it is, in the end...slower in final delivery for production of ATP.
The reason we talk about HFCS in diets? Well simply...the liver in it's metabolism of fructose results in our bodies increasing uptake of fats directly into tissue. Thus, in American culture especially with too much HFCS in the diet, the result is higher uptake of fatty acids into tissue, and eventually increases obesity. This is of no concern in Athletes. In the end, sugar is sugar for the most part.
All that said, I believe adding 8-10 percent fructose or sucrose (fructose+glucose) into your nutritional drink of 90-92% maltodextrin is effective. It does allow fructose to be utilized as a different sugar ultimately utilized for energy. Important in ironman. Adding too much fructose will decrease the available glucose in the ingested substrate however. As well, adding too much fructose will raise the Osmolality of the substrate and Hyperosmolar is bad in ironman.

Dr David Ciaverella
Summitpc.net

caffeine provide us a best aspects as active and smarts so we will be accomplish tasks and maintain a best standard in life so we will be ready to following all aspects so be a ready to cowering and considering all aspects.

[quote=Warrior]I recently went from about 5 or 6 strong coffees a day, to less than one a week. When I say strong we are talking Italian ristretto doubles.
I also used to have two spoons of sugar in each coffee. Add onto that instant coffee which was two spoons of powder and about 250mls of hot water, with 2 or 3 spoons of sugar, probably 4 or 5 times during the week.
.[/quote]

You're hardcore!! :)

We talked about this in last Endurance Planet podcast. Here's the link:

http://www.enduranceplanet.com/sports-nutrition-benefits-of-brown-fat-ca...

Ben Greenfield

Don't put so much in to it. It is just caffein :) I am sure it want destroy your workout!

Caffeine can actually be used as, not only a performance enhancing agent, but as a recovery agent as well.

Read Here --> http://mcttriathlon.blogspot.com/2012/07/can-caffeine-be-used-as-recover...

Looking for a Certified Coach for only $50/month? Email MCTTriathlonTeam@gmail.com

Drink it! I use it before a workout. Enhances performance for myself. It also allows for you to recover faster (as stated above). Train faster = Race Faster

Only thing is, you're going to have to get Used to drinking "caffeine" as it could give you a stomach ache and a head ache and actually hurt performance.

Caffeine... A Legal Performance Enhancing Drug... http://matthewfrancisgawors.blogspot.com/2012/07/athletic-enhancement-le...

[quote=TryScott]Can 90% of the world be wrong?[/quote]

Yes, easily.

[quote=tridude7][quote=TryScott]Can 90% of the world be wrong?[/quote]

Yes, easily.[/quote]
Most would say that building a big business to fund lobbyist and find/promote/advertise researchers that only support your cause is NOT "easy" but it could be possible. It would also be a borderline conspiracy, but still possible.

[quote=Amphibious Triton]I drink coffee ======> so I can function at work ======> so I don't get fired ======> so I have money to spend on more tri stuff.[/quote]

You can't function at work unless you drink coffee? hmm.