1) Fluid-electrolyte
and renal indices of hydration during eleven days of controlled caffeine
consumption. Armstrong, LE, Pumerantz, AC, Roti, MW, et al. July 2004.
In review.
Departments of Kinesiology, Nutritional Sciences, Physiology & Neurobiology,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
This investigation determined if 3 levels of controlled caffeine consumption
affected fluid-electrolyte balance and renal function differently. Fifty-nine
active males (mean + SD; age, 21.6 + 3.3 y) consumed 3 mg caffeine·kg-1·d-1
on days 1-6 (equilibration phase). On days 7-11 (treatment phase), subjects
consumed either 0 mg (G0; placebo; n=20), 3 mg (G3; n=20), or 6 mg (G6;
n=19) caffeine·kg-1·d-1 in capsules; no other dietary caffeine
intake was allowed. Subjects maintained detailed records of food and fluid
intake. These variables were measured on days 1, 3, 6, 9 and 11: body
mass, urine osmolality, urine specific gravity, urine color, 24-hour urine
volume, 24-hour Na+ and K+ excretion, 24-hour creatinine, blood urea nitrogen,
serum Na+ and K+, serum osmolality, hematocrit, and total plasma protein.
No significant differences were detected between groups G0, G3 and G6
(P>0.05) for any of the hydration-relevant variables, including urine
volume. Although a few significant differences occurred between days (P<.05),
indicating acute within-group perturbations, all hydration indices were
within the normal clinical range. In conclusion, no evidence of hypohydration
was observed in G3 or G6 during 11 d of controlled caffeine consumption.
These findings question the widely accepted notion that caffeine acts
chronically as a diuretic.
2) Nutritional strategies to influence adaptations to training. Spriet
LL, Gibala MJ. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):127-41.
Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
This article highlights new nutritional concerns or practices that may
influence the adaptation to training. The discussion is based on the assumption
that the adaptation to repeated bouts of training occurs during recovery
periods and that if one can train harder, the adaptation will be greater.
The goal is to maximize with nutrition the recovery/adaptation that occurs
in all rest periods, such that recovery before the next training session
is complete. Four issues have been identified where recent scientific
information will force sports nutritionists to embrace new issues and
reassess old issues and, ultimately, alter the nutritional recommendations
they give to athletes. These are: (1) caffeine ingestion; (2) creatine
ingestion; (3) the use of intramuscular triacylglycerol (IMTG) as a fuel
during exercise and the nutritional effects on IMTG repletion following
exercise; and (4) the role nutrition may play in regulating the expression
of genes during and after exercise training sessions. Recent findings
suggest that low doses of caffeine exert significant ergogenic effects
by directly affecting the central nervous system during exercise. Caffeine
can cross the blood-brain barrier and antagonize the effects of adenosine,
resulting in higher concentrations of stimulatory neurotransmitters. These
new data strengthen the case for using low doses of caffeine during training.
On the other hand, the data on the role that supplemental creatine ingestion
plays in augmenting the increase in skeletal muscle mass and strength
during resistance training remain equivocal. Some studies are able to
demonstrate increases in muscle fibre size with creatine ingestion and
some are not. The final two nutritional topics are new and have not progressed
to the point that we can specifically identify strategies to enhance the
adaptation to training. However, it is likely that nutritional strategies
will be needed to replenish the IMTG that is used during endurance exercise.
It is not presently clear whether the IMTG store is chronically reduced
when engaging in daily sessions of endurance training or if this impacts
negatively on the ability to train. It is also likely that the increased
interest in gene and protein expression measurements will lead to nutritional
strategies to optimize the adaptations that occur in skeletal muscle during
and after exercise training sessions. Research in these areas in the coming
years will lead to strategies designed to improve the adaptive response
to training.
3) Fluid and fuel intake during exercise. Coyle EF. J Sports Sci. 2004
Jan;22(1):39-55.
Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education,
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
The amounts of water, carbohydrate and salt that athletes are advised
to ingest during exercise are based upon their effectiveness in attenuating
both fatigue as well as illness due to hyperthermia, dehydration or hyperhydration.
When possible, fluid should be ingested at rates that most closely match
sweating rate. When that is not possible or practical or sufficiently
ergogenic, some athletes might tolerate body water losses amounting to
2% of body weight without significant risk to physical well-being or performance
when the environment is cold (e.g. 5-10 degrees C) or temperate (e.g.
21-22 degrees C). However, when exercising in a hot environment ( >
30 degrees C), dehydration by 2% of body weight impairs absolute power
production and predisposes individuals to heat injury. Fluid should not
be ingested at rates in excess of sweating rate, thus body water and weight
should not increase during exercise. Fatigue can be reduced by adding
carbohydrate to the fluids consumed so that 30-60 g of rapidly absorbed
carbohydrate are ingested throughout each hour of an athletic event. Furthermore,
sodium should be included in fluids consumed during exercise lasting longer
than 2 h or by individuals during any event that stimulates heavy sodium
loss (more than 3-4 g of sodium). Athletes do not benefit by ingesting
glycerol, amino acids or alleged precursors of neurotransmitter. Ingestion
of other substances during exercise, with the possible exception of caffeine,
is discouraged. Athletes will benefit the most by tailoring their individual
needs for water, carbohydrate and salt to the specific challenges of their
sport, especially considering the environment's impact on sweating and
heat stress.
4) Central nervous system effects of caffeine and adenosine on fatigue.
Davis JM, Zhao Z, Stock HS, Mehl KA, Buggy J, Hand GA. Am J Physiol Regul
Integr Comp Physiol. 2003 Feb;284(2):R399-404.
Department of Exercise Science, Schools of Public Health and Medicine,
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
Caffeine ingestion can delay fatigue during exercise, but the mechanisms
remain elusive. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that blockade
of central nervous system (CNS) adenosine receptors may explain the beneficial
effect of caffeine on fatigue. Initial experiments were done to confirm
an effect of CNS caffeine and/or the adenosine A(1)/A(2) receptor agonist
5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) on spontaneous locomotor activity.
Thirty minutes before measurement of spontaneous activity or treadmill
running, male rats received caffeine, NECA, caffeine plus NECA, or vehicle
during four sessions separated by approximately 1 wk. CNS caffeine and
NECA (intracerebroventricular) were associated with increased and decreased
spontaneous activity, respectively, but caffeine plus NECA did not block
the reduction induced by NECA. CNS caffeine also increased run time to
fatigue by 60% and NECA reduced it by 68% vs. vehicle. However, unlike
the effects on spontaneous activity, pretreatment with caffeine was effective
in blocking the decrease in run time by NECA. No differences were found
after peripheral (intraperitoneal) drug administration. Results suggest
that caffeine can delay fatigue through CNS mechanisms, at least in part
by blocking adenosine receptors.
5) Caffeine, body fluid-electrolyte balance, and exercise performance.
Armstrong, LE. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2002, 12:189-206.
Departments of Kinesiology, Nutritional Sciences, Physiology & Neurobiology,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
Recreational enthusiasts and athletes often are advised to abstain from
consuming caffeinated beverages (CB). The dual purposes of this review
are to (a) critique controlled investigations regarding the effects of
caffeine on dehydration and exercise performance, and (b) ascertain whether
abstaining from CB is scientifically and physiologically justifiable.
The literature indicates that caffeine consumption stimulates a mild diuresis
similar to water, but there is no evidence of a fluid-electrolyte imbalance
that is detrimental to exercise performance or health. Investigations
comparing caffeine (100 680 mg) to water or placebo seldom found
a statistical difference in urine volume. In the ten studies reviewed,
consumption of a CB resulted in 0 - 84 % retention, whereas consumption
of water resulted in 0 - 81 % retention, of the initial volume ingested.
Further, tolerance to caffeine reduces the likelihood that a detrimental
fluid-electrolyte imbalance will occur. The scientific literature suggests
that athletes and recreational enthusiasts will not incur detrimental
fluid-electrolyte imbalances if they consume CB in moderation and eat
a typical U.S. diet. Sedentary members of the general public should be
at less risk than athletes because their fluid losses via sweating are
smaller.
6) Ergogenic aids in aerobic activity. Juhn MS. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2002
Aug;1(4):233-8.
Hall Health Sports Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
There are many products that are potentially ergogenic for aerobic exercise,
although evidence-based support varies. The most popular supplements or
ergogenic aids for the endurance athlete are caffeine, antioxidants, erythropoietin,
and the dietary practice of carbohydrate loading. Caffeine and carbohydrate
loading have the most evidence-based support of being both ergogenic and
safe. Erythropoietin is ergogenic but unsafe, and is banned by all major
sport-sanctioning bodies, and antioxidants have potential but warrant
further study.
7) Caffeine and exercise: metabolism, endurance and performance. Graham
TE. Sports Med. 2001;31(11):785-807.
Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario,
Canada.
Caffeine is a common substance in the diets of most athletes and it is
now appearing in many new products, including energy drinks, sport gels,
alcoholic beverages and diet aids. It can be a powerful ergogenic aid
at levels that are considerably lower than the acceptable limit of the
International Olympic Committee and could be beneficial in training and
in competition. Caffeine does not improve maximal oxygen capacity directly,
but could permit the athlete to train at a greater power output and/or
to train longer. It has also been shown to increase speed and/or power
output in simulated race conditions. These effects have been found in
activities that last as little as 60 seconds or as long as 2 hours. There
is less information about the effects of caffeine on strength; however,
recent work suggests no effect on maximal ability, but enhanced endurance
or resistance to fatigue. There is no evidence that caffeine ingestion
before exercise leads to dehydration, ion imbalance, or any other adverse
effects. The ingestion of caffeine as coffee appears to be ineffective
compared to doping with pure caffeine. Related compounds such as theophylline
are also potent ergogenic aids. Caffeine may act synergistically with
other drugs including ephedrine and anti-inflammatory agents. It appears
that male and female athletes have similar caffeine pharmacokinetics,
i.e., for a given dose of caffeine, the time course and absolute plasma
concentrations of caffeine and its metabolites are the same. In addition,
exercise or dehydration does not affect caffeine pharmacokinetics. The
limited information available suggests that caffeine non-users and users
respond similarly and that withdrawal from caffeine may not be important.
The mechanism(s) by which caffeine elicits its ergogenic effects are unknown,
but the popular theory that it enhances fat oxidation and spares muscle
glycogen has very little support and is an incomplete explanation at best.
Caffeine may work, in part, by creating a more favourable intracellular
ionic environment in active muscle. This could facilitate force production
by each motor unit.
8) Dose-dependent effect of caffeine on reducing leg muscle pain during
cycling exercise is unrelated to systolic blood pressure. O'Connor PJ,
Motl RW, Broglio SP, Ely MR. Pain. 2004 Jun;109(3):291-8.
Department of Exercise Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
This double-blind, within-subjects experiment examined the effects of
ingesting two doses of caffeine on perceptions of leg muscle pain and
blood pressure during moderate intensity cycling exercise. Low caffeine
consuming college-aged males ingested one of two doses of caffeine (5
or 10mg.kg(-1) body weight) or placebo and 1h later completed 30 min of
moderate intensity cycling exercise (60%). The order of drug administration
was counter-balanced. Resting blood pressure and heart rate were recorded
immediately before and 1h after drug administration. Perceptions of leg
muscle pain as well as work rate, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen
uptake were recorded during exercise. Caffeine increased resting systolic
pressure in a dose-dependent fashion but these blood pressure effects
were not maintained during exercise. Caffeine had a significant linear
effect on leg muscle pain ratings. The mean (+/-SD) pain intensity scores
during exercise after ingesting 10mg.kg(-1) body weight caffeine, 5mg.kg(-1)
body weight caffeine, and placebo were 2.1+/-1.4, 2.6+/-1.5, and 3.5+/-1.7,
respectively. The results support the conclusion that caffeine ingestion
has a dose-response effect on reducing leg muscle pain during exercise
and that these effects do not depend on caffeine-induced increases in
systolic blood pressure during exercise.
9) Dry mouth:Cappuccino coffee treatment of xerostomia in patients taking
tricyclic antidepressants: preliminary report (In Polish) Chodorowski
Z. Przegl Lek. 2002;59(4-5):392-3.
I Klinika Chorob Wewnetrznych Akademii Medycznej w Gdansku, Poland.
Ten patients underwent a trial treatment with cappuccino coffee. All of
them (8 university lecturers and 2 clerks) aged from 60 to 69 (average
63) years old, used tricyclic antidepressants because of insomnia as a
monosymptomatic type of depression or insomnia as a dominant symptom in
the course of depression. One evening dose of doxepin was from 150 to
250 mg (average 225), causing xerostomia the following day, usually between
9-15 o'clock. The five-minute chewing [drinking?] of 15.0 g of cappuccino
coffee increased the amount of saliva, decreased xerostomia, and improved
the ability of speech. The beneficial effect of coffee lasted from 0.5
to 4 (average about 2) hours. To the best of our knowledge there are no
publications dealing with the positive effect of coffee in xerostomia.
10) Coffee reduces diabetes risk among pre-diabetics by over 60%, according to a new study from the University of California at San Diego.
The study is the first to expand evidence on diabetes risk reduction to those already glucose intolerant, a precursor to full-blown diabetes. Published in the November issue of Diabetes Care, the study revealed that coffee offered protection at the same, significant levels for those beginning the study with high fasting glucose levels, indicating pre-existing glucose intolerance, as it did for those with normal levels. In fact, those with elevated glucose levels showed a lower risk of developing diabetes than those starting out with normal glucose tolerance. Reduced RiskPast or current coffee drinking resulted in a diabetes risk factor of 0.38 on a scale where 1.0 is average risk in the general population. That means risk was reduced in coffee drinkers by 62%. Uncovering the first evidence that coffee also reduces diabetes risk among pre-diabetics, the risk level came in even lower, at 0.31, for the subgroup with impaired glucose. That means pre-diabetics reduced their risk of developing the disease by almost 70%. These results were independent of age, sex, exercise, body mass index, smoking status, daily alcohol intake, and hypertension. Unlike other studies, they were also independent of the number of cups of coffee consumed daily.