Caffeine Confessions

The benefits, the downsides, the truth, and the things that just aren't discussed

I was shocked when I looked at the ingredients of the pre-workout I have been taking for 4 months and saw that it contained 250mg of caffeine per serving - over half the adult daily recommended amount. But I had to google the daily recommended amount because it's not widely discussed. I know my daily calories, my macros to the gram and how much fibre and iron and what micronutrients I should be eating because in the world of fitness, that is discussed. But caffeine... it seems as if we are blindly sold supplements containing caffeine when we don't really know the truth of the impacts this is having on us.

The recommendation for daily caffeine intake from the FDA is 400mg which is the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee. Some pre workouts exceed this daily allowance and if you are consuming coffee and caffeinated beverages alongside this, you may be well over the threshold without even being aware, and more worryingly, be at risk to certain side effects you hadn't even considered.

The Benefits of Caffeine

One of the reasons caffeine is so popular in health and fitness is that it is proven to be performance enhancing (while remaining legal for bodybuilders and powerlifters who tend to be the industry leaders). Subjects of a study were asked to cycle as hard as they could for half an hour and the participants who had taken caffeine were able to exert up to 28% more energy than those who did not take caffeine. Put this into perspective for weight loss and that is a lot more calories burnt per hour of exercise. Caffeine can be especially useful if you are in a calorie deficit and struggling for energy during an intensive workout or just for everyday activity levels and attentiveness.

Other studies have found caffeine consumption to be beneficial in preventing Alzheimers and Parkinson's disease. There are few dietary proteins but host antioxidants and various minerals. There are a range of health benefits sought from consuming caffeine, and in the studies, 'overconsumption' was expressed alongside the negatives of caffeine use.

The Downsides of Caffeine

Exceeding your recommended caffeine limit according to the FDA, can cause irritability, restlessness, tremors, insomnia and an upset stomach. My problem, and I guess what prompted me to look into this and write about it is the grey area of caffeine consumption. If I drink 8 double vodka sodas, I know I've drank too much alcohol. I know I'll be drunk, probably get my tits out at some point and miss my lectures in the morning. If I take 2 scoops of pre-workout, as I have been for months, alongside numerous cups of coffee, I'm not aware that it's too much. The guidelines are just not clear. Yet the long term health impacts, especially for women, double especially for women with a history of iron deficiency, are really quite shocking.

Tanin is found in coffee and tea and it prevents your body from absorbing iron. Many people drinking high doses of caffeine are most likely going to be in a calorie deficit, consuming less than ideal amounts of many nutrients including iron. Iron deficiency can cause fatigue in the short term as red blood cells are not produced to carry oxygen around the body which is ironic if you are consuming coffee for energy. Once this advances, you are at risk of anaemia.

Caffeine above all, is a drug. I'd rather be addicted to caffeine than heroin and it's sure as hell cheaper than cocaine, but it's nonetheless a drug. The longer someone uses caffeine, the more they have to take over time in order to have the initial effect it had. For me, I know this has lead to me taking two, sometimes three doses of pre workout in order to get the same buzz I did initially. This can lead to caffeine intoxication which has been heavily studied in relation to adolescents' use of energy drinks. Addictive, with long term damage to heart health, links to severe insomnia, panic attacks and even hallucinations, this can all be prevented by reading labels and being more aware. A study also suggested that the rise in anxiety amongst teenagers and young adults is partially due to increased consumption of energy drinks and 'coffee culture'. Don't let your desire for a 110% workout put you at risk to panic attacks, eat a banana and blast out some Meek Mill.

I'm not saying don't use caffeine. Apart from the fact I would never tell anyone how they should live their life, I know I'll probably have a coffee every morning and throw back the pre workout when I don't want to get the workout in. I just thought it was important to be aware of the truth behind caffeine. Look at your pre workout label and information on the side of energy drinks and sports drinks and keep in mind that 400mg is the recommended daily allowance for a reason.