What is Caffeine?
Chemists technically refer to Caffeine as an alkaloid. There are several types of alkaloids of which Caffeine belongs to a specific class called the methylxanthines. Other methylxanthines include theophylline (used in medicines to treat asthma) and theobromine (found in chocolate). Each of these methylxanthines have stimulant properties.
What is a "moderate" intake of Caffeine?
For an adult, it is about 300 mg a day. That’s roughly 2-4 cups of brewed coffee.
Why is Caffeine added to so many medicines?
Because Caffeine further enhances the analgesic (i.e. pain relief) properties of medications. For instance, one study looked at the efficacy of 100-mg diclofenac sodium softgel (an NSAID or non-steroidal anti-inflammator) with or without 100-mg Caffeine versus placebo in individuals during migraine attacks. The major finding of the studywas that diclofenac softgel plus caffeine produced statistically significant benefits compared to placebo at 60 minutes. Diclofenac softgel alone was no different than the placebo! Another investigation looked at the benefits of acetaminophen, aspirin, and Caffeine (AAC) in the treatment of severe, disabling migraine attacks. Scientists concluded that "the nonprescription combination of AAC was well tolerated and effective.". Perhaps this is one reason why caffeine might help exercise performance! You feel less pain during exercise and can therefore work out even harder and with more intensity.
Is Caffeine banned by the International Olympic Committee?
Caffeine is no longer a banned substance by the IOC. Nor is it banned by other sport governing bodies (e.g. NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, etc).
What’s an effective dose of Caffeine for enhancing exercise performance?
A range of 250-350 mg Caffeine seems to be sufficient for inducing an ergogenic effect.
What’s the best dose of Caffeine for promoting fat burning and thermogenesis?
A range of 280-560 mg will get your metabolic furnace turned even higher!
Can you overdose on Caffeine?
There are case reports of Caffeine toxicity secondary to overdose. For instance, one individual ingested approximately 3.57 grams of caffeine in a suicide attempt and developed rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure. The patient was treated successfully. This case, according to the doctors, “represents a rarely reported complication of caffeine intoxication, rhabdomyolysis, which occurred in the absence of other toxins or conditions that predispose to muscle necrosis.” There was another case of a 20-year-old bulimic woman who ingested 20 grams of caffeine in a suicide attempt. After being evaluated and discharged from the emergency department, she was re-admitted with ECG changes and was ultimately found to have sustained a heart attack. Keep in mind that these doses are over 11-fold greater than a typical daily serving of caffeine. Or, to put in perspective, a 20 gram dose of caffeine would be equal to 78 Diet Cokes (in the first case) and 438 Diet Cokes (in the second case). The LD_50 of caffeine (that is the lethal dosage reported to kill 50% of the population) is estimated by some to be 10 grams for oral administration.
How does Caffeine itself taste?
Caffeine has a bitter taste.
What’s the best dose of Caffeine for improving mental alertness and energy?
A range of 300-600 mg Caffeine is effective for enhancing energy.
Should pregnant women avoid Caffeine?
One study suggested that Caffeine consumption may produce a small decrease in birth weight, however, it is “unlikely to be clinically important except for women consuming >/=600 mg of caffeine daily. Another study looked at caffeine intake among 111 mothers of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants (56 boys, 55 girls) compared to the intake among 747 mothers of non-SGA infants (368 boys, 379 girls). Mothers of SGA infants had higher mean intake of Caffeine [281 mg/day] in the third trimester than mothers of non-SGA infants (212 mg/day). Scientists concluded that “high caffeine intake in the third trimester may be a risk factor for fetal growth retardation, in particular if the fetus is a boy.” Also, a high intake of Caffeine prior to pregnancy seems to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion, whereas a low-to-moderate alcohol intake does not influence the risk. The prudent course of action would be to limit caffeine consumption to less than 200 mg of caffeine daily. Certainly, we would urge pregnant women to seek their physician’s advice.
What’s the effect of Caffeine on children?
Generally, caffeine is well tolerated in usual dietary amounts, and there is evidence that individuals differ in their susceptibility to caffeine-related adverse effects, which in turn may influence their consumption. Overall, the effects of caffeine in children seem to be modest and typically harmless. However, like any substance, there is potential for abuse. One study reported on children and adolescents with daily or near-daily headaches and excessive consumption of caffeine in the form of cola drinks. The mean age of the subjects was 9.2 years (range 6-18) and mean headache duration was 1.8 years (range 0.6-5). All were heavy cola drinks consumers; at least 1.5 liters of cola drinks per day (192.88 mg of caffeine daily), and an average of 11 (range 10.5-21) liters of cola drinks weekly, which amounts to 1414.5 mg of caffeine (range 1350-2700 mg). Patients were encouraged to gradually withdraw from drinking cola, which led to complete stop of all headaches in 33 subjects, whereas one boy and two adolescent girls continued to suffer from headaches. Based on available evidence, scientists have concluded that children could consume
Cancaffeine increase the risk of heart disease?
Contrary to common belief, published literature provides little evidence that coffee and/or caffeine in typical dosages increases the risk of heart attack, sudden death or arrhythmia. In one of the largest studies ever conducted, The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals' Follow-up Study, scientists followed 41,934 men from 1986 to 1998 and 84,276 women from 1980 to 1998. These participants did not have diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease at baseline. Coffee consumption was assessed every 2 to 4 years through validated questionnaires. What did they discover? Scientists discovered an inverse association between coffee intake and type 2 diabetes after adjustment for age, body mass index, and other risk factors. Also, total caffeine intake from coffee and other sources was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for diabetes in both men and women. In plain English, this means that coffee/caffeine consumption may infact be good for you! Thus, long-term coffee consumption is associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes. Another study indicated that high consumers of coffee have a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance. The beneficial effects may involve both improved insulin sensitivity and enhanced insulin response.17 However, if you are hypertensive or have several cardiovascular risk factors, it would be wisre to seek the advice of your family practice doctor.
Is caffeine addictive?
The word addicted is usually misused and misinterpreted by most individuals. Some liken caffeine "addiction" to the same way they say they are "addicted" to shopping or watching TV. Oddly enough, caffeine is not addictive by accepted definitions in the neuroscience literature. When regular caffeine consumption is abruptly ceased, it is certain that some individuals may experience headache, fatigue or drowsiness. Whether this qualifies as ‘addiction’ in the strictest sense is debatable. According to a study published in the journal Brain Research, "low doses of caffeine which reflect the usual human level of consumption fail to activate reward circuits in the brain and thus provide functional evidence of the very low addictive potential of caffeine."
Does caffeine cause cancer?
There’s no evidence that caffeine increases your risk of cancer. In the Swedish Mammography Screening Cohort, a large population-based prospective group study in Sweden comprising 59,036 women aged 40-76 years. Scientists found consumption of coffee, tea, and caffeine was not associated with breast cancer incidence. In a case-control comparison of 323 women with benign breast disease and 1,458 controls, no differences were noted in the coffee and tea consumption patterns of the cases and controls. Even mice given caffeine showed an inhibition of tumor formation in high-risk mice.
Does caffeine affect bone mineral content in women?
Not if you add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to your coffee! The epidemiologic studies showing a negative effect may be explained in part by an inverse relationship between consumption of milk and caffeine-containing beverages. What? This means that low calcium intake per se, not consuming caffeine (i.e. in beverages) is the main culprit. The negative effect of caffeine on calcium absorption is small enough to be fully offset by as little as 1-2 tablespoons of milk according to a study published in 2002. There is no evidence that caffeine has any harmful effect on bone status or on the calcium economy in individuals who ingest the currently recommended daily allowances of calcium. In a study on college-aged women, caffeine consumption was not associated with significant reduction in rates of bone gain. While calcium and protein nutrition affect bone gain in the third decade of life in women, moderate caffeine intake (one cup of coffee per day, or 103 mg) appears to be safe with respect to bone health in this age group.
How long does caffeine stay in your system?
Scientists have a term for how long something lasts in your body; it’s called ‘half-life.’ And half-life represents the time required for the potency of a drug or substance to fall to half of its potency or to be eliminated from the body. For example, if the amount of a drug in your body is 10 with a half-life of 2 days, the amount left after 2 days will be 5. And then it drops in half each subsequent 2 days. In a study on normal weight and obese subjects given 162 mg caffeine orally the half-life was slightly longer in obese (7.1 hours) versus normal weight (5.4 hours) individuals. Also, for women who use oral contraceptives the half-life of caffeine tends to be longer (average of 7.9 hours versus 5.4 hours in the controls [women who don’t take birth control pills]). In general, you could say that most normal weight healthy individuals will eliminate from their body 50% of the ingested caffeine after 5-6 hours.
Source: Javafit.com
Chemists technically refer to Caffeine as an alkaloid. There are several types of alkaloids of which Caffeine belongs to a specific class called the methylxanthines. Other methylxanthines include theophylline (used in medicines to treat asthma) and theobromine (found in chocolate). Each of these methylxanthines have stimulant properties.
What is a "moderate" intake of Caffeine?
For an adult, it is about 300 mg a day. That’s roughly 2-4 cups of brewed coffee.
Why is Caffeine added to so many medicines?
Because Caffeine further enhances the analgesic (i.e. pain relief) properties of medications. For instance, one study looked at the efficacy of 100-mg diclofenac sodium softgel (an NSAID or non-steroidal anti-inflammator) with or without 100-mg Caffeine versus placebo in individuals during migraine attacks. The major finding of the studywas that diclofenac softgel plus caffeine produced statistically significant benefits compared to placebo at 60 minutes. Diclofenac softgel alone was no different than the placebo! Another investigation looked at the benefits of acetaminophen, aspirin, and Caffeine (AAC) in the treatment of severe, disabling migraine attacks. Scientists concluded that "the nonprescription combination of AAC was well tolerated and effective.". Perhaps this is one reason why caffeine might help exercise performance! You feel less pain during exercise and can therefore work out even harder and with more intensity.
Is Caffeine banned by the International Olympic Committee?
Caffeine is no longer a banned substance by the IOC. Nor is it banned by other sport governing bodies (e.g. NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, etc).
What’s an effective dose of Caffeine for enhancing exercise performance?
A range of 250-350 mg Caffeine seems to be sufficient for inducing an ergogenic effect.
What’s the best dose of Caffeine for promoting fat burning and thermogenesis?
A range of 280-560 mg will get your metabolic furnace turned even higher!
Can you overdose on Caffeine?
There are case reports of Caffeine toxicity secondary to overdose. For instance, one individual ingested approximately 3.57 grams of caffeine in a suicide attempt and developed rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure. The patient was treated successfully. This case, according to the doctors, “represents a rarely reported complication of caffeine intoxication, rhabdomyolysis, which occurred in the absence of other toxins or conditions that predispose to muscle necrosis.” There was another case of a 20-year-old bulimic woman who ingested 20 grams of caffeine in a suicide attempt. After being evaluated and discharged from the emergency department, she was re-admitted with ECG changes and was ultimately found to have sustained a heart attack. Keep in mind that these doses are over 11-fold greater than a typical daily serving of caffeine. Or, to put in perspective, a 20 gram dose of caffeine would be equal to 78 Diet Cokes (in the first case) and 438 Diet Cokes (in the second case). The LD_50 of caffeine (that is the lethal dosage reported to kill 50% of the population) is estimated by some to be 10 grams for oral administration.
How does Caffeine itself taste?
Caffeine has a bitter taste.
What’s the best dose of Caffeine for improving mental alertness and energy?
A range of 300-600 mg Caffeine is effective for enhancing energy.
Should pregnant women avoid Caffeine?
One study suggested that Caffeine consumption may produce a small decrease in birth weight, however, it is “unlikely to be clinically important except for women consuming >/=600 mg of caffeine daily. Another study looked at caffeine intake among 111 mothers of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants (56 boys, 55 girls) compared to the intake among 747 mothers of non-SGA infants (368 boys, 379 girls). Mothers of SGA infants had higher mean intake of Caffeine [281 mg/day] in the third trimester than mothers of non-SGA infants (212 mg/day). Scientists concluded that “high caffeine intake in the third trimester may be a risk factor for fetal growth retardation, in particular if the fetus is a boy.” Also, a high intake of Caffeine prior to pregnancy seems to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion, whereas a low-to-moderate alcohol intake does not influence the risk. The prudent course of action would be to limit caffeine consumption to less than 200 mg of caffeine daily. Certainly, we would urge pregnant women to seek their physician’s advice.
What’s the effect of Caffeine on children?
Generally, caffeine is well tolerated in usual dietary amounts, and there is evidence that individuals differ in their susceptibility to caffeine-related adverse effects, which in turn may influence their consumption. Overall, the effects of caffeine in children seem to be modest and typically harmless. However, like any substance, there is potential for abuse. One study reported on children and adolescents with daily or near-daily headaches and excessive consumption of caffeine in the form of cola drinks. The mean age of the subjects was 9.2 years (range 6-18) and mean headache duration was 1.8 years (range 0.6-5). All were heavy cola drinks consumers; at least 1.5 liters of cola drinks per day (192.88 mg of caffeine daily), and an average of 11 (range 10.5-21) liters of cola drinks weekly, which amounts to 1414.5 mg of caffeine (range 1350-2700 mg). Patients were encouraged to gradually withdraw from drinking cola, which led to complete stop of all headaches in 33 subjects, whereas one boy and two adolescent girls continued to suffer from headaches. Based on available evidence, scientists have concluded that children could consume
Cancaffeine increase the risk of heart disease?
Contrary to common belief, published literature provides little evidence that coffee and/or caffeine in typical dosages increases the risk of heart attack, sudden death or arrhythmia. In one of the largest studies ever conducted, The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals' Follow-up Study, scientists followed 41,934 men from 1986 to 1998 and 84,276 women from 1980 to 1998. These participants did not have diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease at baseline. Coffee consumption was assessed every 2 to 4 years through validated questionnaires. What did they discover? Scientists discovered an inverse association between coffee intake and type 2 diabetes after adjustment for age, body mass index, and other risk factors. Also, total caffeine intake from coffee and other sources was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for diabetes in both men and women. In plain English, this means that coffee/caffeine consumption may infact be good for you! Thus, long-term coffee consumption is associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes. Another study indicated that high consumers of coffee have a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance. The beneficial effects may involve both improved insulin sensitivity and enhanced insulin response.17 However, if you are hypertensive or have several cardiovascular risk factors, it would be wisre to seek the advice of your family practice doctor.
Is caffeine addictive?
The word addicted is usually misused and misinterpreted by most individuals. Some liken caffeine "addiction" to the same way they say they are "addicted" to shopping or watching TV. Oddly enough, caffeine is not addictive by accepted definitions in the neuroscience literature. When regular caffeine consumption is abruptly ceased, it is certain that some individuals may experience headache, fatigue or drowsiness. Whether this qualifies as ‘addiction’ in the strictest sense is debatable. According to a study published in the journal Brain Research, "low doses of caffeine which reflect the usual human level of consumption fail to activate reward circuits in the brain and thus provide functional evidence of the very low addictive potential of caffeine."
Does caffeine cause cancer?
There’s no evidence that caffeine increases your risk of cancer. In the Swedish Mammography Screening Cohort, a large population-based prospective group study in Sweden comprising 59,036 women aged 40-76 years. Scientists found consumption of coffee, tea, and caffeine was not associated with breast cancer incidence. In a case-control comparison of 323 women with benign breast disease and 1,458 controls, no differences were noted in the coffee and tea consumption patterns of the cases and controls. Even mice given caffeine showed an inhibition of tumor formation in high-risk mice.
Does caffeine affect bone mineral content in women?
Not if you add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to your coffee! The epidemiologic studies showing a negative effect may be explained in part by an inverse relationship between consumption of milk and caffeine-containing beverages. What? This means that low calcium intake per se, not consuming caffeine (i.e. in beverages) is the main culprit. The negative effect of caffeine on calcium absorption is small enough to be fully offset by as little as 1-2 tablespoons of milk according to a study published in 2002. There is no evidence that caffeine has any harmful effect on bone status or on the calcium economy in individuals who ingest the currently recommended daily allowances of calcium. In a study on college-aged women, caffeine consumption was not associated with significant reduction in rates of bone gain. While calcium and protein nutrition affect bone gain in the third decade of life in women, moderate caffeine intake (one cup of coffee per day, or 103 mg) appears to be safe with respect to bone health in this age group.
How long does caffeine stay in your system?
Scientists have a term for how long something lasts in your body; it’s called ‘half-life.’ And half-life represents the time required for the potency of a drug or substance to fall to half of its potency or to be eliminated from the body. For example, if the amount of a drug in your body is 10 with a half-life of 2 days, the amount left after 2 days will be 5. And then it drops in half each subsequent 2 days. In a study on normal weight and obese subjects given 162 mg caffeine orally the half-life was slightly longer in obese (7.1 hours) versus normal weight (5.4 hours) individuals. Also, for women who use oral contraceptives the half-life of caffeine tends to be longer (average of 7.9 hours versus 5.4 hours in the controls [women who don’t take birth control pills]). In general, you could say that most normal weight healthy individuals will eliminate from their body 50% of the ingested caffeine after 5-6 hours.
Source: Javafit.com
