Your Coffee Take-Aways
- Coffee and caffeine does enhance your brain and physical performance in the short term
- Caffeine affects your Muscle Activity, Motivation, Sleep, Digestion, Stress Response and Recovery – not always in a positive manner
- Coffee – while proving beneficial in some long term diabetes and Parkinson’s studies – is may not be safe for all conditions.
- Critical markers of healthy caffeine consumption are: sleep, adrenal energy, day time fatigue, anxiety/over thinking, your genetic predisposition
- Sources of caffeine will have varying effects on all of the above
Caffeine
Also known as Trimethylxanthine (C8H10N4O2) is found in over 60 plants and made synthetically.
Tissues mainly affected
- Brain and Nervous System
- Muscle and fat tissue
- Digestion & Adrenal glands
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
Sports Performance
Has been shown to improve arousal levels, focus and concentration to create greater performance.
- By increasing specific hormones, focus and motivation improves
- It gets you ready for a big exertion
May improve the speed with which a muscle refuels. Critical factors are related to how it is paired with other nutrients – carbs/protein
Potential issues:
- Dose needed to get the effect
- Sleep may be affected depending on the performance
Used commonly in the back end of big races to stimulate focus, decreased perceived fatigue and improve time trial performance.
Is it actually the caffeine? Or the thought of it?
Potential issues:
- Muscle breakdown
- Over-exertion
- Excessive dosage
Mental Performance
Improves performance and mental alertness – particularly when under slept. Can increase the risk of agitation and anger response to a negative emotion Short-term gain may result in a long term loss depending on intake around time of consumption.
LONG TERM EFFECTS
Caffeines effects are wide spread and have both positive and negative influences depending on how you look at the evidence.
| Positive Effects | Negative Effects | |
|---|---|---|
| Blood Pressure | None | Definite – with dose depending on genetics |
| CVD risk | May lower the risk | Increases the risk of CVD factors, but not CVD itself |
| Diabetes | Higher consumption may reduce long term risk | Short term consumption without exercise may worsen glucose control |
| Parkinson’s Disease | May reduce the risk of onset of this condition | None mentioned |
| Mental State/ Anxiety | Significant change in nondrinkers with anxiety background | There is less effect the more habitually it is consumed |
