My love hate relationship with caffeine
Shots of black coffee weren't cutting it anymore. I needed something more powerful, something way more stimulating. That's when I discovered pre-workout caffeine supplements…
I thought I loved coffee. Coffee was my go-to beverage on a day-to-day basis. But it was short-lived. It turns out I never enjoyed coffee as such; it was the constituent. Caffeine was the stimulant I was chasing.
For my initial resistance training sessions, I brewed strong coffee, using about two tablespoons of grounds. Those were the initial months of using a pre-workout. Although I hated the taste of black coffee, the temporary surge in energy felt great. But at some point, just like any food or beverage, saturation hits, and I knew I had to switch to something more potent.
That's when I started consuming energy drinks.
I was chugging a can of Monster Energy right before working out. Now, for comparison, a strong cup of coffee contains about 75 mg of caffeine, whereas a can of Monster Energy (350 ml) packs about 110 mg of caffeine. That's a jump of almost 50%.
Energy drinks worked as expected, but how long was I going to consume aerated sugary drinks? Besides, energy drinks were not a cost-effective solution as well.
This is when I thought of switching to pre-workout caffeine supplements.
Pre-workout caffeine supplements are meant to provide energy during your workouts. One scoop of pre-workout generally consists of around 200 gm of caffeine. I remember the first time I consumed a scoop. It was mind-blowing! My energy peaked, and I could really feel my alertness at an all-time high. It was like I discovered the elixir of energy. An elixir that turned out to be a prerequisite for workouts.
I knew I had to dive a bit deeper to understand caffeine's mechanism. Here's what I found out.
Caffeine is a psychoactive drug (any substance when consumed or administered into one's body that affects mental processes such as perception, consciousness, etc) that exerts a stimulant effect on the central nervous system of our body. Naturally, caffeine is found in coffee, tea, and chocolate, but it is also added to soft drinks and energy drinks. It is also found in certain over-the-counter drugs to help relieve pain.
After you ingest caffeine, it immediately acts on your central nervous system, which triggers short-lived effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. But with regular use, these effects are less pronounced; that is, they tend to become saturated. [1]
Now, how does caffeine actually work?
Before I try to break down the workings of caffeine, you have to understand what adenosine is and what role it plays.
Your body needs a constant supply of energy, which it gets by breaking down a high-energy molecule called ATP (Adenosine triphosphate).
In the process, it releases adenosine. Think of adenosine as a neurotransmitter responsible for sleep drive or a human's need to sleep.
Neurons in your brain have receptors perfectly tailored to the adenosine molecule. The receptors are like tiny knobs on your brain cells that act like receivers for adenosine molecules. When adenosine docks to these receptors, It activates biochemical reactions, which make you sleepy.
ATP molecules are like currencies that your body uses up throughout the day. The more ATP that gets used due to various activities, the more adenosine gets released. You start feeling tired and exhausted as the day passes by.
Caffeine is what's called an adenosine receptor antagonist. It just has a primary goal. Preventing the adenosine from binding to its receptor.
To keep it short, adenosine inhibits your neurons, making you sleepy. Caffeine inhibits the inhibitor, so it stimulates you and makes you alert. Caffeine is also known to boost positive feelings.
In some neurons, the adenosine receptors are linked to receptors for another molecule called dopamine. One of dopamine's roles in the brain is to promote feelings of pleasure.
When adenosine docks in one of these paired receptors, that can make it harder for dopamine to fit in its spot, interrupting its "mood-lifting" work. But when caffeine takes adenosine's place, it allows dopamine to function normally, which makes you feel alert and motivated.
Multiple studies show that caffeine can improve memory, alertness, and orientation and induce positive feelings, to name a few. [2] [3] [4]
Research also suggests that caffeine has shown positive effects when it comes to exercise performance, especially when it comes to aerobic and anaerobic performance. [5] [6]
One thing to note is that caffeine DOES NOT produce any usable form of energy; it just gives you a perception of feeling more energised or more like "pseudo" energy.
According to studies, caffeine is generally safe for most people if used within the recommended dosage of up to 400 mg per day or up to 200 mg in a single dose. [5]
You have read the benefits; you do realise why it is the most popular psychoactive drug out there. But there are times when I dislike caffeine as well.
Especially when it comes to sleep.
One major drawback of consuming caffeine is that it messes up sleep quality and can also potentially reduce sleep duration. There have been multiple instances where my sleep quality drastically dropped due to its consumption before evening workouts.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 studies indicated that consumption of caffeine before bedtime reduced sleep duration by 45 minutes and sleep efficiency by 7%. [8]
According to research, coffee should be consumed at least 9 hours before your sleep time, and caffeine pre-workout supplements at least 13 hours before.
Considering the pros and cons, caffeine is probably a double-edged sword. However, it's a fantastic stimulant if used in the right manner.
Would I ever stop consuming caffeine? Probably never.
The dependency is here to stay. And of course, for the better cause.
References:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1356551/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31837359/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28969341/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33800853/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29527137/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30170953/
