Caffeine also can help facilitate a pump. If a sample of muscle tissue is removed from a source and caffeine solution is added to it, the muscle fibers contract.
For these reasons, some people take caffeine before a workout, often from coffee.
I tried it. I'm not a fan of drinking lots of coffee, especially in the summer. So after reading yet another article about caffeine and muscles, I took a No-Doz (200 mg), about the amount in 2 cups of coffee; I had such a great workout that I still take caffeine before lifting.
It doesn't create any significant boost in strength. But it takes some of the edge off the 'hurt' so that one can do more work and it does affect an ability to contract muscles more easily. I enjoy the hurt but caffeine makes takes the sharp edges off it, which is valuable.
One of the consequences of this [caffeine + workout] combination is that drinking coffee or taking caffeine leads to a slight pump (muscles get larger) even without any exertion or lifting. My body has learned to associate caffeine with increased blood flow to the muscles.
Caveats:
If you take too much, there's a sort of hair-raising jitteryness that is not beneficialwhile lifting. It's actually distracting and counter-productive to be shaky with weights in hand.
If you lift at night, you may have some trouble getting to sleep.
If you are already a regular, habitual caffeine user, more caffeine at workout time would be required to get the same effect, unless you tone down your use outside the gym.
Caffeine acts as a diuretic and will promote fluid loss through urination so drinking more water is par for the course.
You may learn to depend on it, in the gym and outside the gym. I noticed that on days I didn't workout (days I didn't take any caffeine) I was feeling kind of lethargic.
Talking a handful of caffeine pills would be bad. That sort of thing is crossing a reasonable line. So if you decide to do it, you may have to figure out a way to balance the eventual tolerance with the amount of caffeine that is effective. I don't seem to build up much tolerance for caffeine. I take 2 caffeine pills, occasionally 3 of them, and I've never needed to take more than that. That's the amount I've been taking for about 2 years.
You may find that coffee is better, more beneficial, than taking caffeine pills. I would, but too much, like 6 cups before lifting would make my stomach sour or feel too acidic, which I don't like.
Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits. Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink.Energy drinks:
Among them is a systematic review of studies published last year in The Journal of the American Medical Association, which concluded that habitual coffee consumption was consistently associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Exactly why is not known, but the authors offered several explanations.
Coffee contains antioxidants that help control the cell damage that can contribute to the development of the disease. It is also a source of chlorogenic acid, which has been shown in animal experiments to reduce glucose concentrations.
Caffeine, perhaps coffee’s most famous component, seems to have little to do with it; studies that looked at decaffeinated coffee alone found the same degree of risk reduction. link
Tea 'healthier' drink than water: "Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found." "Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so its got two things going for it. "
THE cloudy purple drink in my glass had scarier instructions than most prescription drugs.
I was to drink only a quarter-bottle of EndoRush at a time, and only if I was over 18 or under 50. After 30 minutes, I would need to assess my tolerance. I could not have any other caffeine or expose myself to excessive heat after drinking EndoRush. Blood-pressure problems, depression or pregnancy would mean no EndoRush for me at all.
If I could pass the tests, EndoRush, which can be bought at gyms and nutritional-supplement stores, promised to give me endurance, energy, performance and mental focus — claims that its label points out have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The drink draws its powers from a long list of ingredients, which range from stimulants like caffeine and the brain-enhancing drugs called nootropics to more than 4,000 percent (that's not a typo) of the daily requirement for Vitamin B12.
It would take days to research thoroughly the two dozen unusual stimulants and amino acids in EndoRush. Well, now, maybe less. After just four ounces, my heart is beating, my face is flush and I feel the need to do something — anything — quickly.
But would I want to work out feeling like this?
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