Let's Talk Caffeine

Let’s talk caffeine.

Is your caffeine consumption in check? 

And is it working with or against your health? 

Caffeine from substances like coffee and tea has been consumed for a long time. But one thing I’ve noticed recently is the increase in production and consumption of energy drinks, which are usually a combination of caffeine from various sources, sugar or artificial sweeteners and sometimes added synthetic vitamins or amino acids. It’s not uncommon to see someone drink an energy drink in addition to their morning cup of coffee. I’ve seen a huge increase in popularity with Celsius, especially in the fitness communities. But at what point are we stopping to ask ourselves, “how much caffeine am I consuming daily and am I responding well to it?”

From a health standpoint, you are going to see a mix of data from scientific research on whether caffeine is beneficial or not to health. It has been shown that consuming 3-6mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight up to an hour before exercising can improve performance for sustained endurance exercise and intermittent activity in prolonged duration (team sports)(1). However, a higher dose past this is not shown to increase performance. For reference - this would be about 170-340mg for a 125lb female. Caffeine has a stimulatory effect on our central nervous system, which helps to increase vigilance, alertness, as well as a release of fatty acids. When fatty acids are used during exercise as fuel, then less glycogen will be used, delaying fatigue.(1) 

Having too much caffeine can cause nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, digestive upset, tremors, increased blood pressure and rapid heartbeat. For some people, when the nervous system is already triggered and stressed, adding in caffeine would likely only increase the stress on the system.

The other thing to consider is that people respond to caffeine differently. Some people metabolize it very well and do not have adverse side effects and others, the exact opposite. For the next couple of days, collect some data on yourself. Track how much caffeine you are having in total, when you are having it, and how you feel immediately after drinking versus a couple hours after. Take a look at how you sleep that night as well. 

For quick reference, here are a couple of popular caffeinated beverages and how much caffeine is in each one:

8 oz cup of coffee = 95mg

Doubleshot espresso (~ 2 ounces) = average 150mg

Matcha (1 tsp) = 176mg

Celsius = 200 mg 

Bang = 300mg

So while some caffeine consumption can be beneficial for physical activity, there is a boundary to be set. Especially if you have noticed things like poor sleep, restlessness, reactiveness, nervousness, anxiety or even a difficult time focusing. Your body will tell you a lot if you listen! 

References: 

1. Smolin L, Grosvenor M. Nutrition: Science and Applications. 4th ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 2016.