The Good and Bad of Caffeine

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Each day, billions of people rely on caffeine. Whether it’s to wake up, to get through that night shift, or to get through that afternoon slump. In fact, this natural stimulant is one of the most commonly used ingredients in the world. Caffeine is often talked about for its negative effects on sleep and anxiety. However, studies also report that it has various health benefits.



What is Caffeine?


Caffeine is a natural stimulant most commonly found in coffee, tea, and cacao plants. It works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system, helping you stay alert and prevent the onset of tiredness. Once consumed, caffeine is quickly absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream. From there, it travels to the liver and is broken down into compounds that can affect the function of various organs. 


Caffeine’s main effect is on the brain. It functions by blocking the effects of adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter that relaxes the brain and makes you feel tired. Caffeine helps you stay awake by connecting to adenosine receptors in the brain without activating them.



The Good


Caffeine is great for increasing performance. For athletes, caffeine improves performance by 9% compared to water alone, and 4.6% compared to carbs alone. Caffeine has positive effects on endurance, high-intensity exercises, and strength exercises. Due to its positive effects of exercise performance, some organizations - such as the NCAA - have even started to ban it in high doses.


Caffeine is great for reducing perceived effort for all consumers. Whether you’re using caffeine to help you get through the workday or a workout, it allows you to perceive that you are doing less while you are actually doing more. Caffeine also enhances the mobilization of fatty acids during the process of fat loss. It moves more fatty acids out of storage and into the mitochondria to be used for energy, thus promoting the loss of fat.


Post-exercise caffeine helps muscles refuel. Athletes who ingested caffeine with carbohydrates had 66% more glycogen in their muscles after intense exercise, compared to when they consumed carbohydrates alone. Glycogen serves as a form of energy storage in humans. Caffeine combats muscle fatigue by replacing glycogen stores.


The Bad


If you’ve had too much caffeine or drank caffeine on an empty stomach, you may have experienced feeling jittery, anxious, and/or restless. Caffeine is known to increase alertness. It triggers the release of adrenaline, the “fight-or-flight” hormone associated with increased energy. At higher doses, these effects may lead to anxiety and nervousness.


Caffeine can also be a diuretic. Diuretics are substances that cause your body to make more urine than usual which can cause dehydration. Along with fluid, caffeine may pull out essential nutrients such as calcium. Caffeine’s laxative effect has been attributed to the release of gastrin, a hormone the stomach produces that speeds up activity in the colon. Given this effect, it’s not surprising that large doses of caffeine may lead to loose stools or even diarrhea in some people. 



Contact Nutrition for Optimal Performance


If you have questions about utilizing caffeine to optimize performance and best uses within your life, email me at theresadelorenzo123@yahoo.com or contact me on my website.


Theresa DeLorenzo