If you think about it, caffeine is one of the most widely consumed substances in the world. However, it has been shown that caffeine and exercise are closely related.
Drinking coffee in its pure form or in its own form (whether as tea or coffee, or as a supplement) has been a controversial topic for many years.
When it comes to your relationship with sport, you have gone through many stages. They have a wide range of exceptions, as they can be harmful or toxic for those who consume them in combination with other foods, since they are beneficial for the body and athletic performance.
For this reason, today we review everything that is currently known about this product.
Caffeine: what it is and its origin
Caffeine as a medicine was discovered in 1819 by the German chemist Friedrich Ferdinang Runge.
The caffeine dose varies depending on the beverage, but it has been estimated that plain coffee or espresso can contain between 20 and 200 mg per serving, depending on the country of origin.
Standard coffee can contain 200 mg per 250 ml.
Decaffeinated coffee contains only more than 20 mg per 250 ml (a regular glass).
However, these are only average figures, since there can be up to 400 mg of caffeine per 250 ml, as in the Death Wish Coffee variety.
Likewise, caffeine can be found in many types of tea, as well as in cocoa, maté, cola or guarana. These are the most popular beverages in South America, but some have a higher caffeine content than regular coffee. large amounts of caffeine
As for dosage, it is now recommended not to exceed an average of 400 mg of caffeine per day. About 4 cups of coffee each (around 100-150 ml per cup of coffee). However, recent research suggests that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day is a reasonable dose (not a “permitted” one) and may help reduce the risk of death.
Finally, just so you know, how much caffeine do you have to consume to die?
As for lethal doses, for example, around 10 grams per day is approximately lethal, but that would mean drinking about 100 cups of coffee at once. It is difficult because you would not be able to absorb all the caffeine before vomiting or diarrhea occurred.
Caffeine and sport
Caffeine, like phosphorus or theobromine, is a stimulant. It mobilizes fat, increases muscle contraction, affects the nervous system (which can reduce fatigue and exhaustion), and is also known to have hormonal and cardiovascular effects.
Like creatine, caffeine has many additional benefits for all types of athletics.
The impact of caffeine on athletes
Thus, in terms of activity, caffeine can:
- Increase the pain threshold and initial arousal because it lowers muscle glycogen levels, increases the release of endorphins (“happiness hormones”), and decreases the perception of effort.
- Improves muscle contractions and also reduces the pain associated with training. It also acts after treatment, improving the synthesis of new muscle glycogen.
- At a metabolic level, caffeine improves fat transport, increases oxidation, and enhances the EPOC effect (the oxygen normally consumed after exercise). recovery from physical activity.
- At hormonal levels, caffeine can help increase testosterone and cortisol levels.
The currently recommended dose is 3-6 mg/kg of body weight between 30 and 90 minutes before exercise as a supplement for athletes and other sportspeople.