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Caffeine and cycling are old acquaintances. The stimulating effects of drinking coffee before giving pedaling made this alkaloid for many years.
It was in 2004 when the Wada, the world anti -doping agency,
He withdrew it from the list of doping substances. As a cyclist, surely you have asked yourself how it affects its intake to performance, specifically if it has real effects or if, really, it is a product with less advantages than they usually proclaim.
Caffeine and its effect on the athlete
Different studies have found evidence that caffeine has direct impact on improving the performance of athletes. In the full study
Performance of Muscle Strength and Fatigue Tolerance in Young Trained Women Supplyed with Coffeine, It is pointed out that caffeine improves the resistance of individuals who ingest it.
Specifically it is specified that
Improves muscle contraction and that acts in the nervous system reducing the perception of fatigue and
providing more resistance. This has an impact on the ability to concentrate.
The European Authority for Food Security estimates that an adult can take 400 mg of caffeine a day without any risk represented
Is also admitted by the scientific community that
Increase brain activity. Theobromine, present in caffeine, is a vasodilator that increases the nutrients that reach both muscles and the brain, but at the same time raises the amount of oxygen flow present in the respiratory system.
In the specialized publication
Nutrition & Metabolism a
study in which he explained that
Taking caffeine accelerates fat consumption if the exercise has a duration of at least 30 minutes. The reason is that it inhibits insulin release.
How long does it take and how long do its effects last?
Caffeine is considered today by many sports nutritionists as an ergogenic help.
Its absorption usually occurs around 45 minutes of taking it and its effect lasts about 5 hours, although this figure varies greatly in functions of several factors, such as age or weight.
The duration of its effects can be much greater in the case of pregnant women, in the taking of contraceptives, of the intake of antidepressants or of suffering some liver disease.
How much caffeine can I take up to date?
To guide you, you can follow the recommendations of the EFSA, the European Authority for Food Security. It is an entity belonging to the European Union that
recommends not exceeding 3 milligrams per kilogram of weight, to avoid possible side effects.
This organism is also clear that some symptoms, such as insomnia, can occur with an intake of only 1.4 mg. per kilo, especially if it is done during the 4 hours before the night rest.
As normal general,
EFSA estimates that an adult can take 400 mg of caffeine a day without any risk represented. For pregnant women and women in breastfeeding, the amount that should not be exceeded is 200 mg per day.
When is it advisable to drink caffeine
There are few who speak of
gastrointestinal discomfort When they drink drinks such as coffee, tea, tail sodas or energy drinks with caffeine.
Intolerance to them can complicate sports a lot, therefore, if your case, you better take very small doses or even give up this substance.
Nor should it be among your favorite intakes if you suffer
hypertension problems, since it could aggravate them because the heart rate increases.
In any case, it is always advisable to try with small doses and, at first, without climbing the bicycle, to check if taking caffeine feels good. There will be time to take it before training or competition if it is useful.
On the other hand, one of the beliefs that accompany caffeine is that it can produce dehydration. Recent studies, as one carried out by the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, show that this substance can have a diuretic effect on some individuals, but that it is inhibited when consumption becomes regular.
