RACE DAY BOOST

For you coffee believers. Do you lay off the coffee for a few days before the meet or just keep drinking it regularly? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I noticed that coffee worked for me immediately. I would drink coffee before practices in college and before hockey games to get an extra boost. On race/game day, I will have about 16-30oz of coffee (just coffee with some creamer, none of that fancy latte stuff). I don't really lay off the coffee before a meet/game; I will usually have about 2 cups a day everyday. The key for me is to drink coffee on an empty stomach to get the full affect of the caffiene boost. :anim_coffee: I will usually get a large cup of coffee on the way to warmup. It is part of my pre-meet ritual. I'll refill it maybe once or twice during the course of the day. I can't speak for others, but I have to control it (sometimes I'll drink it half-decaf) because I don't want to get too hyped up; beyond a certain point I think it is counterproductive. I don't think it is worth playing games of depriving yourself and then "splurging." Some studies seem to indicate that this helps, others do not. But I am always worried about changing such things; what if if makes it harder to sleep during a meet, for instance? I don't drink a lot of caffeine during normal times and don't change that, since then I have a good handle on how it affect me (or doesn't). Just my $0.02; YMMV

For you coffee believers. Do you lay off the coffee for a few days before the meet or just keep drinking it regularly? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I noticed that coffee worked for me immediately. I would drink coffee before practices in college and before hockey games to get an extra boost. On race/game day, I will have about 16-30oz of coffee (just coffee with some creamer, none of that fancy latte stuff). I don't really lay off the coffee before a meet/game; I will usually have about 2 cups a day everyday. The key for me is to drink coffee on an empty stomach to get the full affect of the caffiene boost. :anim_coffee: I will usually get a large cup of coffee on the way to warmup. It is part of my pre-meet ritual. I'll refill it maybe once or twice during the course of the day. I can't speak for others, but I have to control it (sometimes I'll drink it half-decaf) because I don't want to get too hyped up; beyond a certain point I think it is counterproductive. I don't think it is worth playing games of depriving yourself and then "splurging." Some studies seem to indicate that this helps, others do not. But I am always worried about changing such things; what if if makes it harder to sleep during a meet, for instance? I don't drink a lot of caffeine during normal times and don't change that, since then I have a good handle on how it affect me (or doesn't). Just my $0.02; YMMV