Most of us have an understanding of our body’s need for protein, but what about caffeine? Since YPB has incorporated the new coffee/protein drink “Click” there has been some questions regarding the use of caffeine and its effects. Research from Vanderbilt University has found:
Click Protein Vanilla Latte
Caffeine has many specific benefits for different types of athletes. Though much of the research on caffeine in athletics is inconclusive, there are many athletes that believe the substance can enhance their physical as well as mental performance. It is supposed that caffeine can improve the athlete’s endurance in sports where long-term stamina is needed. These sports include cycling, running, and even soccer. In an experiment to study the effects of caffeine as an ergogenic aid, 6 regular caffeine users were monitored while they exercised until exhaustion. During this double blind, placebo test, the athletes were given pills an hour before the exercise trial. The results were that those who received caffeine before the exercise performed more efficiently than those who received the placebo. (Graham, 1998) This shows the importance of caffeine in endurance sports such as cycling, running, and soccer which require a great deal of physical stamina in order to compete successfully. Studies also show that caffeine has very little effect on athletes requiring quick bursts of energy such as sprinters and swimmers. Also caffeine has been known to decrease fatigue in athletes, which plays a physical as well as psychological role in the performance of an athlete.
As far as sports performance, here are a few tips that may prove useful for athletes to maximize their full potential: It is important that the athlete refrains from caffeine use 3-4 days before their competition. This allows for the tolerance levels of caffeine to decrease, thus making the body susceptible to caffeine when consumed. Also it is important for athletes to understand their caffeine limits. If you have never used caffeine for sporting enhancement, then you are unfamiliar with caffeine’s affects on your body. Make sure that you have used caffeine in a variety of training conditions to understand your limitations. Also it is advantageous to ingest caffeine 2-3 hours before competition to ensure a peak of performance. Studies have shown that it takes several hours for caffeine to enter the body and exploit the use of fat, thus storing glycogen for endurance. All of these tips are essential in making the most of caffeine’s benefits in athletics.
While the idea of combining caffeine and protein is quite appealing, one must also recognize the fact that protein takes one to two hours to digest, so it may not be the best choice, pre-workout, as it can cause nausea. So, go ahead and have your morning coffee and enjoy the caffeine effect; however, if you decide to make that Click Mocha or Latte , do so after your workout vs. before.
