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Coffee

Why do nutritionists not like coffee?  Is it just the caffiene or is it something else?  Why do the CORE diet folks want you to avoid it and is decaf okay?  I know the paleo folks talk about some alkaline issues, but what about the rest.  Just wondering as I only take my caffeine in gel form.

Comments

  • I dont smoke, drink , or do drugs anymore because I am an addict! Now if you take my coffee away , I'll kill ya! I subscribe to the performance improvements while training and racing aspect of caffeine ingestion.... Oh and the antioxitants! Thats my story and I'm sticking to it!
  • Like Tim I had to give up everything..... coffee is my last vice and not something I am willing to forgo.... at least until I am told to by my Dr.
  • I drink craptons of coffee. Apparently it dehydrates you. I drink water too so hopefully there's an offset...
  • + 3 or whatever, though I've tweaked things so that I don't get AM headaches if I don't have coffee after 12p. That is, my addiction was so bad that if I didn't have coffee in the afternoon I would wake up the next morning with a bad headache. 

    But when I travel, if/how/when will I get my fix is a problem that must be solved 

  • 2 IM mugs in the morning most days. Trying (lamely) to drink more green tea as it has the good stuff for you in it, but yeah. I like me some coffee. image
  • Coffee... Even the word is pleasurable. So, when your watching TV near bedtime and a D & D commercial comes on, do you think "Man, that looks good"? Well, that is me. I buy my beans from shade grown forest through free trade markets. I have them roasted and then I grind the beans for each pot with my burr grinder. Oh yes, I am a coffee achiever!

  • I know you all love your cup of Joe in the morning. I just want to know those nutritionist that are sting don't drink it are saying it's the caffeine or something else ?
  • Robert, ask away, but my fingers are firmly inserted in my ears....

  • My google search turned up way more positive studies and articles about coffee.... As far as decaf goes I would consider that worse as it is more processed in order to extract the caffeine out....

    Done my run.... swim coming up after lunch digests..... Time for another cup......
  • ...10 x Season Plans knocked out, about to pedal mtn bike ~400yds to SBUX for afternoon cup and 2 x blog posts to write :-)
  • It's SOOOOOO funny the responses some topics get (ie...@Edwin: "coffee..even the word is pleasurable". @Rich: "ask away, but my fingers are firmly inserted in my ears")

    So to your original question Robert, here is my take on it as a chiropractor with a practice heavy into metabolic disorders, and who has additional training in functional medicine. There are a LOT of people who have as part of their chronic heath disorder (ie..chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, thyroid disorders etc..), a sub-optimal functioning of the adrenal glands, with or without a dysglycemia (either hypoglycemic or insulin resistance). When this is the case, it's almost always necessary to get coffee/caffeine intake eliminated or reduced as much as possible to accomplish recovery/improvement.

    Not always, but more often than not, these individuals are rather unhealthy in general (ie..lack of exercise, poor diet),in other words, FAR from the peeps on THIS board. This is why I would say, while it would be better IMO for anyone to give up coffee/caffeine intake because of it being a CNS stimulant, and it often is accompanied by refined sugar intake.....a reasonable (operative word being "reasonable" coach Rich) intake isn't really a big deal for you or probably most anyone on this board, give the VERY healthy lifestyle overall.

    I'm sure this is one of those topics that could/will get a variety of responses, but that's my .02

  • I recently noticed that "sometimes" when I drink coffee in the AM before a HARD bike, my stomach seems to suffer from the acidity in coffee and it makes me feel bad if I have a hard effort in the first 30 minutes.

    Lately, I have switched to an 8oz sugar-free RedBull before a ride and then coffee afterward.... Problem solved!

  • Posted By Dino Sarti on 12 Feb 2014 04:23 PM


    I recently noticed that "sometimes" when I drink coffee in the AM before a HARD bike, my stomach seems to suffer from the acidity in coffee and it makes me feel bad if I have a hard effort in the first 30 minutes.



    Lately, I have switched to an 8oz sugar-free RedBull before a ride and then coffee afterward.... Problem solved!

    That's not acidity...that's FEAR.


  • Posted By Dino Sarti on 12 Feb 2014 04:23 PM



    Lately, I have switched to an 8oz sugar-free RedBull before a ride and then coffee afterward.... Problem solved!
    That Red Bull stuff is battery acid! ICK!

  • Most of the time time the EN forums are great place to get a wealth of knowlegedgable responses. Sometimes not. But if you can't gain Knowledge then a good yuck will do.
  • OK Robert,



    I am an Orthopaedic Surgeon with Specialty certification in sports medicine.

    since I do not know exactly the recommendations by which nutritionists that you are referring to, I can't exactly answer the question that you asked but I maybe able to Provide some insight into Caffeine and it's effects on Athletic performance.



    1. Caffeine is classified by NCAA as a "performance Enhancing drug" over a certain level and athletes can be disqualified frm NCAA events for too much caffeine in their system.

    2. Studies do demonstrate that caffeine improves cycling performance and causes relatively increased metabolism of fat. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/723503

    3 The metabolism of Caffeine is complex and affects most of the systems in the body. http://udel.edu/~danikoll/effects.html

    Like any substance, the effects of Caffeine are dose dependant and may vary based on the individual.  I do not suggest that anyone accept at face value the recommendation to "completely avoid" any particular food or drink but each needs to be evaluated in the context of the individual.  I would agree that in many instances (think sodas) that the indescriminate overuse of caffeine may contribute to chronic health issues but moderate use in most people has been shown to have some beneficial effects.

    Part of the reason that this issue is of interest to me is that about a year ago, I was up all night at work, drank 6 or 7 cups of coffee during office hours, then went home and started on my 6 mile run.  About a half of a mile into the run, I felt really tired so I stopped and walked a few yards and the feeling passed so I went on and finished the run.  When I downloaded my data the computer said "Congratulations, new HR Max of 222,"   Thousands of dollars, a stress test, running 3 races with a heart monitor on, a Metabolic bike study, and half a dozen visits to a Cardiologist later, it was diagnosed as "Caffeine induced myocardial hyperirritabilty."  I now have a max of 2 cups in the AM and the problem has never recurred.

    Interestingly, my research suggests that these problems can become more common as we age so folks (like me) who never had any problem before, may develop increased sensitivity to caffeine over time.

    So my takehome message is that Caffeine is not bad in itself but when overused or used in sensitive individuals, it can cause problems.

    Hope that was not too longwinded and at least a little bit helpful.

  • As far as decaf goes...

    1. if you were familiar with the chemical process used to remove the caffeine, you wouldn't drink it.
    2. what is the point?
  • Great stuff Ralph, thanks.

  • Posted By Scott Alexander on 13 Feb 2014 09:23 AM

    Posted By Dino Sarti on 12 Feb 2014 04:23 PM




    Lately, I have switched to an 8oz sugar-free RedBull before a ride and then coffee afterward.... Problem solved!


    That Red Bull stuff is battery acid! ICK!



    To each his own....  image


  • Posted By Robert Sabo on 13 Feb 2014 09:31 AM


    Most of the time time the EN forums are great place to get a wealth of knowlegedgable responses. Sometimes not. But if you can't gain Knowledge then a good yuck will do.

    Just keeping the thread on the Not Read list until a Smart Guy could show up 

  • I was under the impression that nutritionists suggest athletes restrict their consumption of coffee was because the beneficial impact of caffeine on the perception of RPE is enhanced if consumption of caffeine is limited — so when preparing for a race, I don't have caffeine for 2 weeks before and use caffeine during the race.
  • I could not give up coffee. Coffee is a big motivator to get me out of bed at 4:30 to get my workout in.  I look forward to it! 

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