Caffeine Helps Muscle Produce More Force

A new study to be presented at the Society for Experimental Biology meeting on 30th June has shown that caffeine boosts power in older muscles, suggesting the stimulant could aid elderly people to maintain their strength, reducing the incidence of falls and injuries. For adults in their prime, caffeine helps muscles to produce more force. But as we age, our muscles naturally change and become weaker. -EurekAlert MY COMMENT: Just one more in a line of many caffeine studies that demonstrate performance enhancement.

Caffeine Does NOT Dehydrate!

To test dehydration, 59 physically fit males were given 246 mg of caffeine per day for six days. After the six-day equilibrium period, the men were split into three groups and embarked upon a five-day test period. The first group was given double the amount (492 mg) of caffeine per day, the second group acted as the control group and kept receiving the same 246 mg per day, while the third group's caffeine intake was dropped to zero.

RESULTS: Results showed no sign of a negative fluid-electrolyte imbalance in any of the test groups

dailycampus.com

MY COMMENT: As the article states, "the key to caffeine consumption is moderation"

Does Too Much Caffeine Put Marathoners at Risk?

More and more of these runners have clean arteries and report having consumed more than the 200mg recommended limit of caffeine. (That is the amount in about two cups of diner coffee.) -Dr. Lewis Maharam, MD, FACSM, speaking about runners who required resuscitation and are known to have consumed excessive amounts of caffeine prior to and during marathons runningdoc.competitor.com.

MY COMMENT: I'll admit this is the first time that I've heard caffeine being linked to cardiac arrest in marathons. I do limit coffee the morning of a race, primarily because of a potential diuretic effect, however before training runs when I don't mind stopping? I probably am usually close to or over the 200 mg limit.

Study finds that caffeine cuts post-workout pain by nearly 50 percent!

In a study to be published in the February issue of The Journal of Pain, a team of University of Georgia researchers finds that moderate doses of caffeine, roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee, cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48 percent in a small sample of volunteers.  -physorg.com

MY COMMENT:  In a related study, one subject reports that beer also cuts post workout pain by at least 48%! 

Does Coffee and Alcohol Decrease Bone Density?

Meanwhile, she'll be staying away from her formerly favorite beverages, coffee and red wine, as she did this summer. "It doesn't have anything to do with performance," she said. "It's entirely a health issue. My doctors say that caffeine and alcohol can interfere with calcium absorption into the bones -Deena Kastor who has suffered 2 foot injuries over the last couple of years. -runnersworld

It's true that caffeine intake is associated with a decrease in bone density. The good news is that scientists believe you may be able to prevent the loss by increasing calcium to 1,200 mg per day. eatright.org

There is also some evidence that tea drinkers actually have better bone density than non tea drinkers.

What about alcohol? According to this study from the American J of Clinical Nutrition noted by Reuters,

Men who had a glass or two of wine or beer daily had denser bones than non-drinkers, the researchers found, but those who downed two or more servings of hard liquor a day had significantly lower BMD than the men who drank up to two glasses of liquor daily

So Kastor is apparently going overboard- she should be switching to tea with milk and continue with her daily glass of wine. Enjoy!