Caffeine and Alcohol
I have been contemplating this for awhile; there is a lot of the beer and coffee talk that swirls around this site and other sites. On the one hand caffeine is legal, readily available and habit forming. Alcohol is only legal for the over 21 crowd, readily available and habit forming. It would seem that the legally regulated substance would be most avoided, however this is not the case. The majority of the discussion around here is about kicking the caffeine habit. Is this because as triathletes we are all only addicted to caffeine? Or are there assumed (and maybe actual) benefit of alcohol? Or only one vice is acceptable?
Interested in purely an intellectual manner as I will continue to drink a modest amount of caffeine and I don't drink alcohol. Thoughts?
Comments
I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with caffeine consumption unless you're depending on it to get your energy levels up instead of getting good sleep, and eating well. This week I've gotten caught in a bad cycle of not getting enough sleep, so I'm tired, so I drink coffee in the afternoon, so I have trouble getting to sleep the next night, etc. Hoping to break out of the cycle asap!
Interesting topic. In California, you can add marijuana to the caffeine and alcohol discussion. I can share my own personal experience. I was in college during the drug/alcohol extravaganza (think the movie Animal House). I ABUSED alcohol. I can safely say it was because I had a low self image. There were not a lot of consequences if you drank too much. It was almost encourage especially among the young male culture at that time. Excess was in the air from whatever the abused substances. You would brag the day after about how many shots/beers/drinks (lines, snorts etc..) you had the night before and it was "funny" if you "blew chunks, kissed the porcelain throne etc...." The bars would have "specials" that made it very easy to abuse alcohol. As one gets older, the body cannot take as much abuse. I have not had hard liquor in years and when I overdid alcohol, the hangovers would last days.
I loved beer and even brewed my own. This was the days before Sam Adams and all the microbrew beers that we have now. I had beer with almost everything. That's OK when your metabolism is going strong, but as you get older, the extra calories add up. 4 years ago, I decided to go a year without beer. I had 4 beers the entire year for very special occasions. For example, in Munich for Oktoberfest. At the end of that year, I found that I lost my taste for beer. I had broken the habit of everytime you have pizza you follow it with a beer. I guess I un-learned that association. I do have an occasional beer, but it is my decision.
Now as far as health/ athletic benefits you can find studies to justify anything. There is the "French paradox"-they eat heavy fat laden foods and red wine, yet have very little heart disease. Dark chocolate and red wine, my wife tells me, is good for you.
Interestingly, some scientists in Europe did their own study that found over half of double blind, very well done scientific studies had conclusions that were wrong or biased. I think that "Life is an experiment of one." What I mean by that is you have to find out what works for you. Be a student of life. If there is a one in 100,000 chance of you getting a disease, yet you contract the disease, your odd are 100%. If you have an occasional drink and it calms you, you enjoy it as a reward for a days work, then go for it. Be careful of habits. If you have a beer everytime you have pizza, then observe it and make a decision. In the end, it's about choices. The downside is getting good information to base your decisions.
I've been drug and alcohol free since January 2, 1992 and smoke free since May 5, 1996. But I’m never going to give up coffee!
Yes, I had a drinking problem that started early on as a youngster - I grew up in an environment like Jim described except my home was in NJ. Now I find I get all the buzz I need from endurance and adrenalin sports. Years ago I was into rock and ice climbing; winter camping; went thru a sky-dive phase (7 jumps); then got married. Becoming a widower took the boundaries off an I spiraled into alcohol to a degree not seen by most.
Sobriety lead me back to school and eventually I quit smoking after 22 years. A few years later and I was back to camping, hiking and took up white water kayaking and running. Next thing I knew I was running a marathon. Then it was a triathlon, now Ironman. Who knows what will be next…..
I have come to realize that not only do I have an addictive nature to my personality, but I NEED something to be obsessed about. As long as there is a passionate obsession, I am in – in a big way. Over the top – cant think of anything else kind of way. Certainly is better than any chemical addiction out there…….
As far as addictive substances I ask a couple of questions. Does it add value to my life ? Does it harm me ? Am I in control ? As far as limited alcohol and coffee go, they pass all the necessary tests. One of the reasons I became involved in Triathlons was the social aspect for my wife and I. Coffee after a ride or a glass of Barossa Valley Shriaz at gatherings with friends are rewards for lots of hard work.
1- Folks with a 2-3 cup a day caffeine habit really are physically addicted (will experience withdraw symptoms if taken away) but folks who enjoy a beer or glass of wine a few times a week with dinner are not physically addicted. So the discussion around beer/wine consumption becomes more about health choices (like Jim was saying) and more part of the "body composition" discussions where the issue is just foregoing something for the sake of calories, like giving up ice cream or sugar, vs giving up coffee where the person is likely to feel ill effects for a bit from that choice.
2- If someone is physically addicted to beer/alcohol, they either are not going to be in these forums 'cause they have bigger problems or they are a functioning alcoholic who doesn't believe they have a problem (first step in recovery is admitting to the problem). If a member of a forum like this really were to decide they needed to quit the habit, they probably would not be discussing it here, but might be doing so in another type of forum.
@ Nemo, thanks, I think that is what I was looking for.
I also agree with the addictive personality view point. I have seen that in action.
Now why the big drop caffeine push in the Haus, that is an interesting question. Guessing that people feel they need it to get by in their daily lives. Friends/family of mine seem to feel/act that way but it is the furthest thing from the truth. So folks are trying to kick the habit to grab more control of their lives. Caffeine to me is a crutch. I don't knock anyone for having it I just don't see why it is needed.
As for alcohol, I think Nemo said it best. People with real problems won't be on these forums. I'm the beer guy. That's cool. But I want to start my own brewery so that is why I am all about it. I drink maybe two nights a week. Always thinking about beer, but not really about drinking it per se. I will continue to post about it as well. It's all a game. I really feel bad for those with a problem that cannot enjoy the golden age of beer like Steve. He knows how I feel.
But to most of us, talking about beers is all fun. It is harmless to us. It doesn't control our lives and it is something we enjoy. Why not share with others? I mean how many versions of a latte are there to chat about?
Carly
After my first response to your question, and reading the other replies, I began to wonder if we had missed the point of your question. Were you asking, "Would there be a performance benefit in not drinking coffee / alcohol / other ? " For me, its about moderation & common sense. I would need to see some significant advantage in performance and even then, I'd only do it prior to an "A" race. Great discussion you've started, thankyou. Cheers. Terry
Caffeine increases fatty acid metabolism and this theoretically can be of benefit to long course athletes. Caffeine has been considered an important part of race day nutrition of cyclists for decades. Unfortunately, the effect is deminished if one is habituated to caffeine. My opinion is that the effect on race performance is probably minimal and largely due to mental arousal. Add in the potential for stomach upset and the diuretic effect, and caffeine should probably be used very cautiously, and with plenty of practice, on race day. While never really found to cause physical damage (except for those with elevated blood pressure), caffeine is one thing that many EN athletes, including myself are physically dependent upon. I'm not particularly happy about that. It was depressing to see how badly I felt when I tried to stop "cold turkey." I appreciate the people here who would like to work together to change. As for alcohol, it is really not in the same category. The physical and social cost of habituation and physical dependence are extreme. Used in moderation, it is part of healthy social interaction, or it provides pleasure as a beverage. Alcohol does, however, cause dehydration, so one needs to adjust accordingly.
All things in moderation, including moderation. Gotta indulge every now and then.