Is caffeine good or bad? I drink about 5 cups of coffee a day and when I swim I don’t get an upset stomach or anything that some people get. I’ve been reading articles online about how caffeine increases athletic performance but is it really beneficial to drink a load of coffee and workout?
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Former Member
I do love my coffee and diet cokes. :)
When I caffeinate all day my heart rate goes bonkers the first 5 minutes of my afternoon bikeride.
Normally during an easy caffeine-free warmup my heartrate would gradually increase from resting to about 145 and only hit max (172) later on climbing steep hills or time trialing.
Under influence of caffeine, my heartrate will bounce crazily around between 63 and 218 bpm with no other noticeable symptoms - not even breathing hard. Eventually it settles down, but still my heart is 5 beats per minute more during the entire ride than it would be if I wasn't so caffeinated.
The warmup is mostly easy soft-pedaling to loosen up a stiff knee.
My habit is 3-4 cans of Diet Coke and 4 shots of espresso. Sometimes I'll substitute in a 24-oz cup of coffee instead of a can of Diet Coke.
I do love my coffee and diet cokes. :)
When I caffeinate all day my heart rate goes bonkers the first 5 minutes of my afternoon bikeride.
Normally during an easy caffeine-free warmup my heartrate would gradually increase from resting to about 145 and only hit max (172) later on climbing steep hills or time trialing.
Under influence of caffeine, my heartrate will bounce crazily around between 63 and 218 bpm with no other noticeable symptoms - not even breathing hard. Eventually it settles down, but still my heart is 5 beats per minute more during the entire ride than it would be if I wasn't so caffeinated.
The warmup is mostly easy soft-pedaling to loosen up a stiff knee.
My habit is 3-4 cans of Diet Coke and 4 shots of espresso. Sometimes I'll substitute in a 24-oz cup of coffee instead of a can of Diet Coke.
