Benefits
of Caffeine Use in Sports
By Prachar Stegemann
Caffeine is the
world's most popular psychoactive drug, with over 80% of
the human population classed as habitual users. Its
popularity dates from prehistoric times. The most common
sources of caffeine for
human consumption have traditionally been tea, coffee,
cocoa, kola and guarana: of these, freshly brewed coffee
has the highest concentration of caffeine.
However, caffeine in its 'pure' form now appears as an
almost mandatory ingredient in more and more popular
'tonic' drinks as well as widely-used sports supplements.
Until 2004, caffeine was listed as a banned substance by
the World Anti-Doping Agency, and for good reason: it
works! Athletes have been stripped of their medals at
Olympic Games for its use.
Caffeine has long been recognised as a pick-me-up, an aid
to maintaining alertness and mental clarity. This is
because caffeine stimulates the central nervous system,
thus reducing mental fatigue and increasing wakefulness
and coordination.
How does it do this? Caffeine binds to and blocks
proteins known as adenosine receptors. Normally these
receptors bind to adenosine, inducing feelings of
sedation, lowering the heart rate and blood
pressure and reducing neural activity. The ingestion of
caffeine has the opposite effects because it allows
dopamine, a stimulatory neurotransmitter, to become more
influential in comparison to the sedatory adenosine.
However, as the central nervous system also plays a key
role in physical control and performance, caffeine's
application to sports goes far beyond its effect as a
mental stimulant. It is now believed that
the sensation of muscular fatigue during exercise is
itself a function of the brain rather than actual
muscular depletion, and that caffeine use, by masking
this sensation in the brain, reduces the athlete's
perception of muscular fatigue. In short, caffeine
appears to enhance the mind's sway over the body.
In clinical studies, caffeine has been found to
significantly enhance performance not only in endurance
sports, but also in shorter events such as middle
distance running and sprint cycling. One of the
advantages of caffeine as a supplement is the
'sustainability' of its action in the body. The effects
of caffeine peak about one hour after ingestion, but
continue without further supplementation for a further 2
- 3 hours, and up to 6 hours regardless of exercise,
making it a most practical supplement for endurance
sports.
Prachar Stegemann is a
member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and helps to
organise the popular Sri Chinmoy Triple-Triathlon and Sri
Chinmoy Triathlon Festival in Canberra, Australia.
http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/au
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