How much of a help is caffeine?
#26
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Did you mean to write PVC? Premature ventricular contractions? Caffeine abuse during my master's and doctoral programs gave me plenty of these as well as some other short runs of tachycardia at rest. So I cut way back on caffeine except when I'm doing long distance events. The other option was medication, like a beta-blocker. Um, no thanks, I can wean myself off my caffeine addiction.
But, I did discover the association with caffeine, and they've been under control with essentially cutting out 99.9% of the caffeine a few years ago.
I only noticed them while well caffeinated, and in deep relaxation. Perhaps I just wouldn't notice it while riding a bike.
I don't normally take caffeine due to health reasons. But I could build up a tolerance and then I'd probably be fine. I see my neurologist later this week and he's supportive of me doing PBP. The trick, of course, would be building up a tolerance so that it doesn't mess up my health but also being able to take a few weeks off before long rides so that it's still effective.
Is it worth the trouble? My longest ride so far is a 600k. Due to some mechanical and heat issues I finished just an hour shy of the time cut off so I ended up only getting about 90 minutes of sleep. I did alright, but ended up falling asleep on the bike for a few seconds right before the end.
Is it worth the trouble? My longest ride so far is a 600k. Due to some mechanical and heat issues I finished just an hour shy of the time cut off so I ended up only getting about 90 minutes of sleep. I did alright, but ended up falling asleep on the bike for a few seconds right before the end.
I haven't done the 600K rides yet, but occasionally get in a personal ride between 180 and 200 miles, sometimes with cargo.
My last trip to Portland, towing a relatively light trailer, I stupidly started around 2 in the afternoon. Then got 15 miles down the road and realized I had left my wallet home. 100% non-starter, so I turned around, back home, 30 wasted miles, and a later start.
I ended up with a couple of cat naps along the way, then got to St. Paul, about 30 miles from my destination at dawn.
I passed a small coffee kiosk, so I decided why not.
Since I normally don't drink coffee, I got 1/2 regular, 1/2 decaf.
I can't say I got a buzz, but I survived the rest of the ride.
Anyway, rather than trying to build up a tolerance, try cutting the dose. Most coffee shops will give you a mix of regular/decaf if you ask.
I am a bit bummed when I see rows of regular pots, but no decaf pots.
#27
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I bumped into this article a few days ago. Most interesting concept.
https://www.vox.com/2014/8/28/607417...ffeine-science
Drink your coffee, then take a nap.
I suppose, when I was heavily addicted to coffee, sometimes I would get an overwhelming sleepiness just after I finished the cup of coffee.
https://www.vox.com/2014/8/28/607417...ffeine-science
Drink your coffee, then take a nap.
I suppose, when I was heavily addicted to coffee, sometimes I would get an overwhelming sleepiness just after I finished the cup of coffee.
#28
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Okay, that's so crazy I'm gonna try it.
#29
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It's not about coffee it's about caffeine - I recommend reading the article and checking out some of the other studies.
I've done it with caffeine pills as well, I just like the coffee drinks better.
I've done it with caffeine pills as well, I just like the coffee drinks better.
#31
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I don't completely give it up -- I drink a small amount in the morning to make it feel like morning, whether that's the workday or at 2 am when I've gotten up to ride to the 400k start, and on my one 600k I again had a small amount at the first control of day 2 to say it was morning to my body. It's not guaranteed to help me actually fall asleep, just get super drowsy, so I don't try to use it as a sleep aid any more.
Also, it can wake up/stimulate your digestion, which can be either useful or detrimental.
#32
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I think anyone who gets a boost from caffeine gives it up for a while before their event to get maximum benefit but not sure it's much use anyway... For me coffee is a nice treat a.k.a a phychological boost (excuse my spelling)
#33
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Yes.
I didn't want to give up coffee totally, so on the recommendation of a friend, I started taking magnesium supplements. This one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1 That helped quite a bit. Then, since I was taking something twice a day, I started taking a multivitamin. That really stopped them. I had noticed that avocados also helped, so I suppose that's potassium. But I don't really bother taking a supplement for that.
I didn't want to give up coffee totally, so on the recommendation of a friend, I started taking magnesium supplements. This one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1 That helped quite a bit. Then, since I was taking something twice a day, I started taking a multivitamin. That really stopped them. I had noticed that avocados also helped, so I suppose that's potassium. But I don't really bother taking a supplement for that.
#34
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Yes.
I didn't want to give up coffee totally, so on the recommendation of a friend, I started taking magnesium supplements. This one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00013YZ1Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 That helped quite a bit. Then, since I was taking something twice a day, I started taking a multivitamin. That really stopped them. I had noticed that avocados also helped, so I suppose that's potassium. But I don't really bother taking a supplement for that.
I didn't want to give up coffee totally, so on the recommendation of a friend, I started taking magnesium supplements. This one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00013YZ1Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 That helped quite a bit. Then, since I was taking something twice a day, I started taking a multivitamin. That really stopped them. I had noticed that avocados also helped, so I suppose that's potassium. But I don't really bother taking a supplement for that.
The heart is a muscle, just like the muscles in our limbs. So electrolyte issues can affect those muscle cells as well.
#35
Senior Member
I have to have caffeine every day, or I don't just get a headache. Odds are it will be a migraine. So I start my ride day with a couple cups of coffee and will usually have a coke in the early afternoon. Maybe another coke late afternoon/early evening, depending upon the length of the ride. I also carry generic nodoz for times when a caffeine source is not available or I have a concern about stomach upset from coke or coffee.
#36
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I have to have caffeine every day, or I don't just get a headache. Odds are it will be a migraine. So I start my ride day with a couple cups of coffee and will usually have a coke in the early afternoon. Maybe another coke late afternoon/early evening, depending upon the length of the ride. I also carry generic nodoz for times when a caffeine source is not available or I have a concern about stomach upset from coke or coffee.
#37
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You would think so, but there is a life's story behind it. We rarely had caffeinated drinks like soda pop and such in our home as I was growing up. I started having migraines in later grade school. The kind that would hit you for 12 hours or so. This happened about 1 or 2 times/month. Used aspirin back then, with little relief. Continued through my teen age years, but not so much in my college years for one reason or another. Post college they intensified into my 30's, happening more frequently. The new OTC pain relievers where a little more effective, but not much. I don't know what other people's migraines are like, but mine would start after lunch and last for 10-12 hours. The kind that you consider grabbing the shotgun out of the garage. Sometime in my latter 30's or so I started to realize that I didn't get them on the days that I consumed caffeine. I didn't drink coffee at that time, so a coke or mountain dew was the source. I found that if I consumed such by noon, I never got a migraine. So that is what I did for 10-15 years, until I began drinking coffee in the morning. I was concerned that pop, especially the MD, was not something I should be consuming on a regular basis. I found that a couple cups of coffee in the morning also did the trick. So that is where I am at today. Not a big consumer of caffeine, but I need it each day. A few years ago a unknowingly did a test. Was visiting some relatives in Arizona. They brewed some coffee for breakfast, I had more normal 2 cups, and then went for a 50 mile bike ride. After the ride, we went hiking. Around the middle of the afternoon at the conclusion of the hike, I began to feel it coming on. Full blown migraine. I told my sis that it felt just like the ones I used to get before the caffeine regime. It was then she told me that I drank decaf for breakfast. Long story but hopefully sheds some light on the matter.
#38
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Have you seen a doctor about these headaches? I get headaches too but never more than a couple hours, and certainly nothing that lasts all day. When its a mind fog headache caffeine will clear it up.
#39
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It's important to know the difference between a headache and a migraine. If your head hurts, it's a headache. If you feel like a knife has been plunged into your eye and throw up a few times, it's probably a migraine. I sometimes get headaches and vitamin I will usually take them away. I did consult with a Dr. a long while back, but he had no good answers. About the time I was going to got to a specialist, I stumbled onto the caffeine fix.
#40
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How much of a help is caffeine?
Clif Shot 100mg Chocolate Cherry gels (https://www.clifbar.com/products/cli...ocolate-cherry) do not light me up but the combo of ingredients and caffeine helps during marathons and longer rides. Haven't tried the MEG 100mg caffeine gum (https://militaryenergygum.com/) but have heard it is supposed to have a kick. Every body is different so you must work out the kinks to find the right amount that does you some good.
Clif Shot 100mg Chocolate Cherry gels (https://www.clifbar.com/products/cli...ocolate-cherry) do not light me up but the combo of ingredients and caffeine helps during marathons and longer rides. Haven't tried the MEG 100mg caffeine gum (https://militaryenergygum.com/) but have heard it is supposed to have a kick. Every body is different so you must work out the kinks to find the right amount that does you some good.
#41
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I sometimes get headaches and vitamin I will usually take them away. I did consult with a Dr. a long while back, but he had no good answers. About the time I was going to got to a specialist, I stumbled onto the caffeine fix.
#42
Senior Member
Obligatory rando content: the longest I've managed to ride at just-barely-rando-speed with a (on the mild end) migraine is about 80 miles. Since it was a 200k preride, that was a DNF, but I was fairly proud of the outcome anyway. Means I could probably slog in the end of a long one if I screwed up my caffeine/hydration balance enough to trigger one.
#43
Gravel Rocks
On longer rides, I take a couple caffeine pills every 3-4 hours or so. Keeps me alert as well as helps me focus on keeping the pace and not soft pedalling. Coca-Cola is a great substitute for the pills when I get withing a couple hours of the end of the ride - it's magical!
#44
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On longer rides, I take a couple caffeine pills every 3-4 hours or so. Keeps me alert as well as helps me focus on keeping the pace and not soft pedalling. Coca-Cola is a great substitute for the pills when I get withing a couple hours of the end of the ride - it's magical!
Not a fan of coke or other sugary drinks on long brevets (except near the end of the ride) though, because of the sugar crash afterwards.
#45
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The half life of caffeine is roughly 5-6 hours so just make sure you don't take in more than you system can safely handle. A little caffeine is good for the body. Take in too much, and you get the opposite effect.
#46
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Not sure of what brands you have in your part of the world, but here in the states we have:
Vivarin Caffeine Alertness Aid Tablets (200 mg caffeine)
No-Doz Max Strength Fast Acting Alertness Aid (200 mg caffeine)
You can also order them from Amazon!
Vivarin Caffeine Alertness Aid Tablets (200 mg caffeine)
No-Doz Max Strength Fast Acting Alertness Aid (200 mg caffeine)
You can also order them from Amazon!
#47
Gravel Rocks
I use Elite brand ordered from Amazon which have 100mg, equals about 1 cup of coffee.
#48
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The 200mg tablet is the standard and you can just break it in half if you prefer less. I generally order the generic from Amazon since they're cheaper.