Caffeine

There was a question around the below supplement and here is some feedback, no RDA for BB's, but a start at least. Complements of another website.

Caffeine
(Caffeine)
Yeah, caffeine….the stuff that you get at Starbucks. Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is yet another sympathomimetic, and a member of the xanthine family. Luckily for us, most of the United States (and the world) is addicted to the stuff, so the FDA will probably leave us alone on this issue. Also, it's over 99% orally bioavailable, so a cup of black coffee is still socially acceptable, and basically is as good of a delivery method as a pill is.

Caffeine will raise your body temperature a bit, and also increase your ability to focus and concentrate on simple tasks. It's got both (slight) strength (neuromuscular) enhancing effects as well as endurance enhancing abilities. Those effects are noticeable enough that caffeine, in large doses, has been banned by both the IOC and NCAA. Of course, take too much, and you'll just be jittery and anxious. Tolerance, therefore, needs to be assessed by the individual (you) ingesting it. Performance decreases seem to occur past 500mgs in a serving, though they following a bell curve. Let’s go over that a bit more.

There is an inverted-U shaped curve (like a glass with the open side on the table, instead of sitting properly). Ergo, more isn't always better. Anxiety seems to set in at doses of 1,000mgs/day, and performance can suffer after 500mgs/day. 1-2mgs/kg of bodyweight seems to be optimal for strength, endurance, and cognitive ability enhancement, not to mention being within the acceptable range for stacking with ephedrine in a 1:10 (E:C) ratio.

Still, caffeine is a cheap and legal stimulant that will enhance performance…unless, like me, you ingest it via the Energy-Drink you mix with your Vodka….

And another article:

This is a taster of a much larger article I am in the process of writing about caffeine and bodybuilding. This snippet has been written as there have been a number of topics asking for amounts of caffeine in beverages and there are ongoing discussions about he diuretic effects of caffeine. Caffeine has mixed reviews in sport, some love it some loathe it.

In summary an intake of caffeine below 300mg/day poses no public health hazard, and may even have some benefits to the sportsperson (Thomas 2003).

The average cup of instant coffee contains about 50-75mg per cup/mug, tea 40-70mg per cup/mug, cola 11-70 per 330ml can, stimulant drinks 30-80mg per 250ml and chocolate only 10-30 per average bar. So in practice we can safely enjoy 4-5 decent cups of tea or coffee per day with no adverse effects in any respect.

Caffeine is a diuretic but there is a threshold level below which it has zero effect on fluid balance. Infact it takes as much as 250mg caffeine in a single dose (Maughan & Griffin 2001) to have any diuretic effect and even 2 cups of tea or coffee in one go will have no effect. This means, that despite what you will have read on many websites and magazines tea and coffee are very useful for good hydration and there is no evidence to say that they are dehydrating.

Caffeine is well known as a stimulant if used correctly and can be used to fuel intense workouts. However I would not encourage tea or coffee before a workout as hot beverages leave the stomach more slowly and can make you feel bloated.

Caffeine and Bodybuilding
Many bodybuilders have found that caffeine helps them to maximize their workouts. Caffeine has been used as a natural stimulant for more than 100 years. Because of the way caffeine works within the brain, caffeine is addictive. Some people find they just can’t start their day without some form of caffeine. In fact, many beverages are made with caffeine just for this purpose.


What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a natural stimulant and a mild diuretic that is found in coffee, tea, kola, cocoa, and guarana. In its pure form caffeine is a bitter white powder. The majority of caffeine that is produced for supplements and other uses comes from the process used to decaffeinate coffee.

How does caffeine work?
Caffeine is similar to Ephedra in the way it increases energy and mental alertness. Caffeine provide surge of energy needed to maximize your training. Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. Although caffeine is a fairly mild stimulant, caffeine stimulates using the same mechanisms as amphetamines, cocaine and heroin to stimulate the brain.

Caffeine is similar in composition to adrenaline and because of this you can fool your body into breaking it down instead of breaking down adrenaline. This keeps your adrenaline supplies in your system longer. The extra adrenaline in your system allows you to be more alert and to focus more intently.

Adenosine dilates blood vessels within the brain to cause drowsiness. Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors within the brain. Since the caffeine is bound instead of adenosine the effect is opposite and you are stimulated instead of drowsy. Caffeine decreases the sensation of sleepiness and allows you to stay awake longer (but the need for sleep still remains). The pituitary gland recognizes the increased amount of adenosine in the brain as an emergency so it releases adrenaline.

How is caffeine beneficial to bodybuilding?
Caffeine makes it possible for you to concentrate your workout. Bodybuilders are able to work out longer and harder when they use caffeine than they could otherwise. Increased amounts of adrenaline helps the body builder to maximize their workout. Caffeine delays the onset of muscle fatigue. Caffeine provides extra energy and increased endurance during your workout.

Caffeine increases the flow of blood to muscles. This increased blood flow is beneficial to bodybuilding because it allows for an increased flow of oxygen and nutrients to both your muscles and your brain. By working with in the muscles themselves to produce constant flow of energy caffeine allows you to maximize your workout efforts. Since your muscles are getting a good constant flow of oxygen and nutrients while you are working out your able to build muscle mass much quicker than you could without using caffeine.

Caffeine is a fairly safe substance. Because of its stimulating properties, caffeine has been used to treat infants, and premature babies who have problems breathing. You can use caffeine daily, even multiple times daily. Your body will still tire and require sleep but when use caffeine you’ll be able to stay awake longer and have better focus and more energy while you are awake. Caffeine takes less than an hour to begin affecting your body. One way to see how caffeine will help your workout is to have a cup of coffee with your breakfast before you workout.