Red Bull and training - Triathlon Week

bill23 · 10-29-2006, 05:07 PM

I guess it is more of a question about caffiene? Ive heard and seen people take some sort of caffeine before a race, or training. If caffeine raises your heartrate, isn't that not good?

I had to take a fitness test a few months ago. I had to do a stairmaster for 5 minutes 12 seconds with a 50 lb vest on. I had to keep my HR at or below 175. Do to a surgery 3 weeks proir to the test, I had very limited excercise and preperation for the test. I failed the first time. My HR was sky high. Near 200. After I failed they told me what to eat and what to avoid. Caffeine was something to avoid 100%. That made sense to me at the time, but now I see and hear of people drinking Red Bull and coffee proir to races.

What are your feelings?

sfricks · 10-29-2006, 05:28 PM

Search this forum for another post by me on this subject.

hmullett · 10-29-2006, 06:19 PM

I know that part of my race mornings include stopping at Starbucks for a Triple shot latte! But, that's just me! I see a lot of energy drinks before races too. But, my heart rate is naturally very slow (resting about 45) so it can take it. Good luck!

Heather

sfricks · 10-30-2006, 07:26 AM

Found it:

Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine October 22, 2006

Caffeine increase endurance

Caffeinated drinks increase endurance during long events such as a marathon, triathalon or bicycle race. A study from the University of Birmingham in England shows that caffeine helps the body use more carbohydrates from drinks that you take during exercise (Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2006).
Those who took sugared drinks with caffeine were able to absorb and use 26 percent more of the ingested sugar than those who took the same drinks without caffeine.
Previous studies show that caffeine helps athletes run faster in both short and long-distance races. In short races, it makes athletes faster by causing the brain to send messages along nerves to cause a greater percentage of muscle fibers to contract at the same time. In longer races, it delays fatigue by preserving stored muscle sugar. Muscles get their energy from sugar and fat in the bloodstream, and from sugar, fat and protein stored in the muscles. When muscles run out of their stored sugar, they hurt and become more difficult to coordinate.
Caffeine causes muscles to burn more fat, thus sparing stored muscle sugar to delay fatigue.
Nobody really knows how much caffeine you can take in without harming yourself. At rest, caffeine is a diuretic, but during exercise it does not increase urination. Caffeine is a potent stimulant that can cause irregular heartbeats in people who already have heart disease, and raise blood pressure in people with hypertension. Most research shows that it doesn't take much more than one or two soft drinks to increase endurance.
Caffeine loses its beneficial effects with repeated exposure, so athletes who want to gain maximum advantage from caffeine during competition should avoid drinking caffeinated beverages when they are not exercising.

hmullett · 10-30-2006, 12:28 PM

"Caffeine loses its beneficial effects with repeated exposure, so athletes who want to gain maximum advantage from caffeine during competition should avoid drinking caffeinated beverages when they are not exercising."

Surely he's joking?!!!

bill23 · 10-30-2006, 05:01 PM

Thanks Scott. I tried to look for it and only came acrross a long post about caffeine by another user. It was a good read though.

I love Red Bull, but I guess I can't drink as much as I used too. Ill have to save it for the races.

chappy · 10-30-2006, 06:21 PM

I read an article that also said that you could just quit caffeine cold turkey for several days ( 3 I think ) before the race to get the benefits on race day. It was in a runners world article about 7 or 8 years ago so I don't have a link.

TriFatBoy · 05-16-2007, 07:14 AM

Workout without coffee? That is blasphemy.

I generally start the day with a cup of coffee/shot of espresso, about 10 or 20 minutes before my workout. It has worked quite well, and helps take the edge off jumping into a cold pool.

I also generally hold off for a few days before an event just so it is more potent during.