Training & Nutrition - no more coffee

Well, it looks like I'm giving up coffee, again. I'm just tired of being addicted. I don't really enjoy drinking it anymore. Anyway, I'm wondering what the effects of drinking coffee are and if it is in anyway beneficial to cycling. I'm sure I'll be better off without the 2-4 cups of coffee a day I've been used to, but will I see increased performance by giving it up?

One thing I've found is that when I've gone without it for awhile,
the next time I drink any I'm very sensitive to its effects.

Originally posted by Pete Clark
One thing I've found is that when I've gone without it for awhile,
the next time I drink any I'm very sensitive to its effects.
I have a cure for that: don't ever go without it! :D
:beer: (That's coffee in the mugs)

I too have never had a drink of coffee in my life, my big "crutch" to getting going in the morning is Mt Dew, I admit, im a dewaholic, drinking 24 - 40 oz of the crap every day, I gave it up for 5 years, then I turned 6 :) .. Im slowly trying to drink more water, and give up the dew, I know this will effect my cycling in the long run for the better.

Badger, i love Red Bull, I usually pour two cans in my 100oz camelbak before a long ride.

Hmm, i think there may be a connection Badger... I kinda like the $1.49 price of red bull, it keeps me from overdosing :)

Servus!

GOOD LORD!! Don't scare me like that thbirks!! Coffee is the only reason that I am somewhat coherent come 0830! I was sure that this was to announce a global ban on the most wonderful morning stimulant this side of a hot shower. Joyfully, I was blowing things WAY out of proportion (As usual ;))

I would have to say that I still enjoy my morning cup despite the fact that I probably drink too much of the Black Fuel.

I think I'm adding coffee to my list of things it's unwise to discuss: religion, politics, and now coffee.

Eventually there will be nothing left to discuss.

I guess I can always go ride my bike. :(

Coffee? Love it! I think it does give a little boost, the reason it's in those energy drinks, but I just like the taste.

My wife the RN says caffiene is BAD. It's a central nervous system stimulant , and causes a the heart to beat faster. If it was a new drug introduced today, it would be strictly controlled. I love coffee, but recently switched to half-caf in the morning, and decaf at other times. My resting pulse rate has been way too high, and is now a lot better since I gave up the full strength java. Maybe it's more just a matter of moderation.

Grump, I respect that.

But the rest of you guys who think coffee is a religious taboo but drink Red Bull like Mama's milk: PPPPPPPPP! Mountain Dew
IS controlled...somewhere, I think!

Anyway, if you're going to drink caffeine, whether it costs 5 cents or $1.99, don't fool around. "Just Do It."

If you're abstaining, well, good for you. You can be my new mentor, because I haven't licked it for over 20 years. (I respect you highly as I have been there for short periods. It's a weakness.)

ok, this is a FUN post, get over it?

(And to my buddies who like the taste, decaf tastes the same, but I hate it!) :D

I notice I have more energy, I can wake up earlier, and I can bike longer when I have been off of caffine. I have given up soda(except for on hollidays) and I feel a lot better. My stomach doesn't seem to cramp as much either.

Hi my name is AlphaGeek, and I'm a coffee addict!

Limit 2 mugs per day, but none the less, java for me. :beer: (I agree with Jon, that's coffee in those mugs!)

By the by, caffene comes in soda pop bottles too! Not just coffee cups. ;)


Sure, I could give it up. Maybe tomorrow! ;) ... Not!

This is a fairly sore point with me, and I promise this will be my last post on the subject.

I am an alcoholic; I quit drinking with the help of AA in 1986 and have not consumed alcohol since then; in common with many recovered alcoholics I drink a lot of coffee.

Coffee is a great pleasure for me.

I do not have a partner. My best friend died of cancer last September. I don't have many friends. (That's one reason I enjoy the bikes forum so much, because it usually feels as though I'm among friends.)

I live on a very, very small retirement income.

I have lifelong, probably genetic, clinical depression which has been treated unsatisfactorily in any number of ways including hospitalization for a month with electric shock therapy (which I would not recommend to anybody).

Even if coffee kills me, which is a remote but just barely possible outcome, I would rather die from coffee than from alcohol.

There are days when coffee is about all I do enjoy.

And by now I'm not even sure what I'm getting at, except to add that I have been tempted to abandon this forum because of this thread.

ANYTHING that provides pleasure or comfort would be a "controlled substance" if it were discovered today, including s*x.

I'm glad coffee, and aspirin, and s*x, and music, are not new inventions. And bicycles, for that matter. They'd be off-limits, too.

The Puritans were wild partying rebels compared to today's worry-warriors.

End of--I guess--rant.

Jon,

It would be a sad day indeed to lose you from the forum!!!
Don't even kid about such a SERIOUS thing!!!!
Talk about going into withdrawal. :( We would be :(

Coffee is not THAT big a deal. I agree that it is my stimulant of choice. But coffee like so many things is a matter of "personal preference". When you and I drink coffee it is not hurting others, in fact there are ongoing research studies that show coffee and chocolate and sex and 437 other things to have pretty good advantages. :)

Next time you have a cup of java, remember you friends on BFC really care for you and I for one will join you each morning while reading the forum!
:beer: (yes, that's good ol coffee in those mugs!!!)

Mark

Umm... I wasn't aware that coffee was such a touchy subject. Seriously I was just wondering what experiences any of you may have had after quitting coffee.

I don't feel that coffee is a bad thing or anything, but I just recently realized that I no longer enjoy drinking it. It doesn't make any sense to me to continue drinking it if it's not bringing me any pleasure. I like pleasure and spend alot of time in search of it.

Jon, I'm sorry if this thread has brought you grief. I can only hope that you were kidding about abandoning this site as you certainly have a lot of friends here.

Originally posted by thbirks
Umm... I wasn't aware that coffee was such a touchy subject. Seriously I was just wondering what experiences any of you may have had after quitting coffee.


Now that it's several hours later (and I've had my coffee), I think it wasn't so much that the subject "quitting coffee" touched me off, as that it served as one of those triggers that can explode somebody under too much stress.

A couple of my (few!) friends are being treated like dirt by the corporations (one large, that you've all probably heard of; one small) they have the misfortune to work for; they aren't in a position to get new jobs after many years of DEVOTED service, and I worry about them a lot and it hurts me how they're being treated. I think that's the major stress, and it's constant. Then there's still the grief from losing my friend even though it's eight months ago--I learned from a grief support thing that that can keep on for ten years or more. Great.

And then just the little stresses of daily life especially in a big poorly-managed city. It all adds up.

And it just bubbled over this morning.

I agree there's no reason to go on drinking coffee or doing anything else optional if it's no pleasure anymore, or if there's no longer benefit from it (there's a subtle distinction).

I will even describe my own withdrawal symptoms, for I quit drinking coffee on two or three occasions, some years ago, before I replaced alcohol with coffee. ;)

When I laid off coffee, after about one day I started to get this severe headache--and it lasted for at least 24 hours. It was not particularly "sharp" pain but it filled my head and was no fun at all. I felt very tired, probably because of the pain more than from real tiredness (dealing with constant pain can be exhausting, as cancer patients find out pretty quick).

After the headache was finally gone on the second or maybe third day, I was OK and could do without coffee just fine. There was no lingering "addiction." However, I found out I preferred not to do without it--after a few weeks each time. I think the social and cultural associations built up around a habit like that can be a powerful inducement to continue, but I don't think it's a real addiction, like some drug addictions where there's danger of death from withdrawal.

Thanks for bearing with me in my tantrum today. This seems to have been a week for forum members to either quit or threaten to--at least three of us. No, I wasn't kidding, but I feel better now. I appreciate your kind support, all. :)

I admit, even tho i don't drink coffee, I love to sit in barns and noble and read the latest issue of bicycling (yes, i purchase it after i read it at BN, i hate when people who read a magazine, then put it back) in the café. Im not sure if it's the coffee smell I like, or just the people who hang out there, but its a nice place for me to escape.

Jon, my doctor wanted me to quit Mt Dew at least a month before my surgery, so i quit cold turkey, for the next three or so days i had nothing but major headaches, and felt very lazy and tired 24hrs a day. However within a week, i felt like i had more energy then ever before, and my headaches were gone. I also noticed that when i wake up, i was more awake, then depending on the caffeine. After reading this thread, im going to try to give up Mt Dew again, im taking a few old water bottles to work tomorrow, water only :)

Jon, you are absolutely right about coffee being preferable to alcohol for people like us. I've been sober for 12 years, have learned a lot from AA,(like open-mindness and tolerance) but forget sometimes to apply it to life. I didn't mean to be critical by implying that caffeine is bad. I am not by any means anti-coffee or anti-alcohol; well, yes I am anti-alcohol, but only for me. Anyway, peace, brother. Always remember the important things, like cycling, respect, and never passing up a good opportunity to pee.

Whew! This coffee thread is getting deep.

So, to pull it up, let me say that you will notice your muscles will be more limber, hurt less, and recover faster if you drink less or no coffee.

It isn't so much the caffeine which is the problem. It is the tannins and oils in the coffee which are "body polluting".

Caffienne, on the other hand, has been shown to enhance physical performance.

I know that switching from that warm friendly cup of coffee to, say, tea is not inviting. Tea and coffee are two totally different types of enjoyment. However, I did make the switch and notice a big difference. Sure, I enjoy coffee too. Nummy nummy. A cup a week isn't a problem. If I do go on a coffee binder and drink it for a week, I notice the effects quite shockingly.

JonR, stick to the coffee. For you, coffee is more than just coffee and I appreciate that. For many people, coffee provides a certain comfort and pleasure beyond taste and even the caffienne kick. You mentioned that you suffer from clinical depression. Obvioulsy, you are not alone, JonR. I know people with clinical depression. The medication for depression makes them sleepy, so they drink enormous amounts of coffee to fight the dullness of the prescription drugs. Have you ever heard of this?

Originally posted by Grump
Always remember the important things, like cycling, respect, and never passing up a good opportunity to pee.

LOL! Glad to see Grump's got his priorities in order! ;)

I believe things are best in moderation....except cycling. Every morning when I get to work, I have a big glass of water. Then about an hour later I get a coffee, and then at lunch I have a Mt. Dew. I drink water the rest of the afternoon and evening. I occasionaly have a beer, maybe one or two a week. I would not say I am addicted to caffeine, but I definitely like it.

I like to choose things, or not choose them, myself. If I decide to give up coffee, I'll appreciate any support I can get. But until then, if you touch my mug, you'll draw back a nub!

I drink one cup of coffee a day, and thats it for me just one cup....

Originally posted by mike
I know people with clinical depression. The medication for depression makes them sleepy, so they drink enormous amounts of coffee to fight the dullness of the prescription drugs. Have you ever heard of this?
I don't know that I've heard of it, but it makes sense. Some medications given for depression, notably trazodone (one brand name Desyrel) produce tremendous sleepiness: in fact, trazodone is often prescribed to counteract insomnia caused either by OTHER antidepressants or by the depression itself.

I stopped taking antidepressants by personal choice in spring of 98, I think it was. I feel less numbed without them.... It's a kind of you-can't-win situation, ultimately.

Joe, good luck with the bottles full of water!

Pete, I thought of making a sticker for my bike echoing that famous one of years ago: "I'll give up my coffee when they pry it out of my cold, dead hand." But I looked at my bikes and they already have enough stickers: Animaniacs, Free Tibet, I Voted, and some bike-parts one I don't even know what it's about anymore....

Grump, I like the advice about peeing. I concur. :)

I hope you are being sarcastic about leaving JonR.
If coffee is what it takes for you to maintain a non-alcoholic status, then you keep drinking coffee. The effects of coffee are miniscule compared to alcohol.

Well, it looks like I'm giving up coffee, again. I'm just tired of being addicted. I don't really enjoy drinking it anymore. Anyway, I'm wondering what the effects of drinking coffee are and if it is in anyway beneficial to cycling. I'm sure I'll be better off without the 2-4 cups of coffee a day I've been used to, but will I see increased performance by giving it up?

Give Up Coffee? :( Grrr ..........

I know this thread is cold, but, being from New Orleans and having been weaned on the stuff -- coffee and chicory, actually, I couldn't let this pass without domment.

I have drunk coffee for many decades, usually black and strong. I have seldom noticed any negative effects, even insomnia, aside from a rare sour stomach. About 8 years ago I suffered a bout of reflux, so I decided to quit coffee. I was a bit warey, since once before, when on a two week travel vacation, I couldn't get my (then) usual 10 plus-cups a day, and I had a two-day moderate headache.

But I experienced nothing at all that I could attribute to withdrawal: no headache, no jitters, no craving, no crankiness. The reflux did go away, and about a month later I resumed my usual pattern. I have never had reflux again and suspect that I may have had a mild virus, or something. Now, I drink about 4 cups a day, since the coffee eventually began to not taste as good. I enjoy the coffee I drink now much better, I must admit. Again, the change from 10 to 4 cups was pretty abrupt -- about 4 months ago -- and happened without any noticeable withdrawal.

I am not a racer and am only moderately athletic, so I can't say one way or the other regarding whether quitting would improve performance, endurance or whatever. If you did quit, I hope you found that it did. If you have resumed, I hope you enjoy it again -- cheers!

Green teas is good for you, at least that's what they say.
Get it in bulk, and only buy it if it smells good. It's a little weak on caffeine, and the flavor won't set you dancing (the way a truly great cup of coffee can).... but it's my morning beverage now. How was that for a rousing endorsement?

Thing to remember is that caffine is a diuretic. Which is not good from a performance aspect. But caffine also encourages the use of fatty acids as an energy source as opposed to the glycogen stored in your muscles. You want glycogen to last as long as it can.

At least thats how I understand it.

I've got a theory about this ("OH NO" from the gallery) :D

I gave it up a few years ago for about two weeks, and I noticed that I was (obviously) much more relaxed, but I also noticed that I didn't have to sleep as much.

You hear of people who occasionally use amphetamines who sleep for three
days when the effects wear off. Well, I figure that coffee has a similar effect,
but obviously much less severe. I reckon that, because it stimulates the
central nervous system, as "speed" does, when you "come down" after the
day's 'drinkings', slightly more sleep is required.

Green teas is good for you, at least that's what they say.
Get it in bulk, and only buy it if it smells good. It's a little weak on caffeine, and the flavor won't set you dancing (the way a truly great cup of coffee can).... but it's my morning beverage now. How was that for a rousing endorsement?

Try a flavored green tea. My favorite is:
Harney & Sons Organic Green (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000CH4FF/002-9893000-2606422?v=glance)

Another source for exotic tea is http://www.adagiotea.com

Sorry.... Back to the dicussion of coffee...

Dan

You all have to be on crack! :eek: Give up coffee? You might as well ask me to amputate my big toes!

I love the coffee... When I went to Italy and Switzerland this summer, I returned with my 5000 cu in backpack full of nothing but coffee and chocolates. Mostly coffee, though. Half my refrigerator is italian and swiss coffee. Life doesn't begin in the morning until I've had my first cup of coffee. Actually, my eyes won't dilate until I've had my first sip of java. I have language classes every Monday. I don't walk through the door unless I have my coffee and my coffeemaker on me so everyone can enjoy that beautiful experience of coffee! I get a good night's sleep- I hit the pillows, and within 5 minutes, I'm solid asleep until the alarm gets me up. It's not coffee that can keep people up, it's lack of a good mattress!

Coffee is good... it's tea that I tend to avoid.

I'm serious!

Koffee

Koffee,
have you ever seen this website? It's a good site, the link takes you to a review of a brewer I am thinking of getting.
http://www.coffeegeek.com/reviews/drip/krupsmokabrew/JohnHoffman

i had a bit of a problem with coffee about a year ago. i drank about 2-3 cups a day (which isn't a lot compared to some people) but it started to irritate my stomach. i was sick of feeling dependant on it and not feeling all that well. so, i gave it up and felt much better. my cycling improved a lot, mainly because i just felt heathlier all around. but then i slowly started drinking it again just last month, and i'm feeling addicted to it again. powerful stuff, that coffee.

About a year ago I temporarily (for 6wks) stopped caffiene on a whim, from 2-3 cups of coffee a day

I really didn't have any withdrawl symptoms (like a headache)

After a week or so I found I has more consistent energy, slept better and per the consisten energy woke up feeling more awake and didn't get the afternoon sleepies as much.

About 6mo. ago I started cycling to work every morning. I have cup before leaving, but once at work I have no desire for more, this has been replaced by craving for water/juice.

So the daily cycling has increased my energy so as a side effect of cycling I drink about half the coffee as I used to.

Howeve the days I don't cycle to work I need coffee much more.

Al

My understanding (limited as it is) is that caffeine isn't really bad for you. Wasn't there a study that came out in the past year showing that caffeine could slow the advance of Alzheimers, even?

When I was teaching, man if I didn't get a cup of coffee after lunch, it would have been me and not the kids who were nodding off during class!

Sometimes too if I'm feeling tired but I need to go work out (riding or lifting), I find a shot of espresso will be perfect for zinging me right up.

One of my favorite parts of the day is getting that first cup of coffee in the morning and opening up the New York Times. Mmmmm. Or a few glasses of wine with dinner and then some java afterwards, mmmm, heavenly. I love coffee. But do any other coffee drinkers think that the beans smell better than the coffee itself tastes?

I'll tell ya though, I can't imagine how people could take any kind of soda with them on a bike ride!

I like the tast of coffee decaf or regular can't tell the difference. Want towake up? Drink cold grapfruit juce I find it gets my attention better than coffee. I still have a cup or so but just for taste and stutch to ice water after a couple of cups of coffee.

Joe

Koffee,
have you ever seen this website? It's a good site, the link takes you to a review of a brewer I am thinking of getting.
http://www.coffeegeek.com/reviews/drip/krupsmokabrew/JohnHoffman

I haven't seen the website, but I'm liking what I'm seeing. Thanks. I was in the market for a new coffee maker, and it's nice to know I can check out what others say first.

Koffee

coffee is part of my nutritious breakfast. i brew/drip just enough to taste 1/2 cup before my customary 28 mile morning ride. when i return i fire it back up to finish the other heaping excuse me....HEAPING big 'ol cup of java.
after the morning, i don't need any more and feel energized.

About a year ago I temporarily (for 6wks) stopped caffiene on a whim, from 2-3 cups of coffee a day

I really didn't have any withdrawl symptoms (like a headache)

After a week or so I found I has more consistent energy, slept better and per the consisten energy woke up feeling more awake and didn't get the afternoon sleepies as much.

About 6mo. ago I started cycling to work every morning. I have cup before leaving, but once at work I have no desire for more, this has been replaced by craving for water/juice.

So the daily cycling has increased my energy so as a side effect of cycling I drink about half the coffee as I used to.

Howeve the days I don't cycle to work I need coffee much more.

Al

Good point: "consistent" everything. Consistent energy, consistent sleep, consistent mood.....but now I'm back on it :) :(

Coffee is supposed to slighly reduce the risk of colon cancer because it increases lower intestine motility.

There was a guy on that Katie Couric breakfast show thing you have ("Today, on NBC"?) telling katie how good it was, and kate says: "yes, but are the benefits significant?" The coffee guy replies: "oh, ABSOLUTELY." Then Couric has this look on her face like she's thinking: "hmmm, my big coffee drinking husband just died of colon cancer."

I like the tast of coffee decaf or regular can't tell the difference. Want towake up? Drink cold grapfruit juce I find it gets my attention better than coffee. I still have a cup or so but just for taste and stutch to ice water after a couple of cups of coffee.

Joe


I can always tell decaf. It just doesn't kick in at all and packs NO punch. It's like flavored water, in my opinion. I drink it for the kick AND the taste... I guess maybe I am addicted, but damn, that's good stuff!

Koffee

Not really related but it involves caffiene so I'll comment. Back in my late highschool and early college days (7 years ago) I was a Coca Cola fiend. I would easily drink from 4-8 cans a day, more if my friends and I got buffalo wings (I'd drink 5 cans with 30 wings, yummy). I didn't ever think to tie the two things together until now, but I used to get very bad (borderline severe at times) stomach aches if I ate too fast or too greasy of food. Since I've stopped the Coke habit and maybe have a can of soda per week, all that stomach pain has disappeared. Not that it's a good thing to be able to eat greasy food, but it's better to be able to eat it and stand up and walk around afterwards.

I drank a cup of coffee a day for a year back in highschool too. It woke me up in the morning but I felt lousy the rest of the day. I haven't had coffee in probably 4 years now.

I can always tell decaf. It just doesn't kick in at all and packs NO punch. It's like flavored water, in my opinion. I drink it for the kick AND the taste... I guess maybe I am addicted, but damn, that's good stuff!

Koffee
I guess I just don't get the kick. Maybe I've drunk too much, but The first thing I drink in the morning is (usually) grapefruit juice then a cup of coffee. I realy like the taste, but don't get a kick. Maybe I should try Koffee instead?

Joe

No coffee, no caffeine, for 20 years, no liquor (ever), no drugs (illegal/weed, etc.) - ever, no smoking (ever).

Bad for me, bad for my heart.

I am a really boring kind of guy! :D

I never thought coffee was such a provocative subject. I guess since I started this I should chime in once more. After starting this thread I did give up drinking coffee for awhile. I went through the common withdrawl symptoms; headaches and fatigue. However, as in previous attempts to quit coffee, I ended up having a cup and that first cup had a dramatic affect. I then fell back into drinking coffee on a regular basic.

In preparation for the cross country bike tour that my brother and I did this summer I decided to quite drinking coffee again. On our first day of the tour my brother suggested stopping at the Wawa (convenience store) for coffee. It seems he was now a coffee drinker and so we tended to be in search of a good cup of joe the entire tour. In the Midwest you can get a never ending cup of coffee for as little as $.75, but drinking a pot of this coffee will have no effect on you and it tends to taste like flavored water. When we got to Southern Utah, beautiful scenery by the way, there were espresso machines to cater to the tourists but an absence of good coffee. In California you can get good coffee just about everywhere.

Now I'm living in Denver and once again I'm drinking coffee. Oh Well, It's an addiction I can live with. In fact I'm headed to a coffee shop in a few minutes.

Damn... I'm the opposite of most people on this thread. My coffee usually has Jameson in it... Maybe someday, I will get rid of them and the smokes I keep rolling for myself...

I just read the entire thread, and not once was any actual evidence supplied showing coffee was bad for a person.

I just read the entire thread, and not once was any actual evidence supplied showing coffee was bad for a person.

Caffeine is a prime causer of heart palpitations. It also dehydrates you, and. for me, causes my prostate to tighten up something awful!

Not necessarily bad for you, but annoying as heck! For more effects of caffeine, see:

http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/caffeine.html

Caffeine is a prime causer of heart palpitations. It also dehydrates you, and. for me, causes my prostate to tighten up something awful!

Not necessarily bad for you, but annoying as heck! For more effects of caffeine, see:

http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/caffeine.html

:)




Many studies have suggested a relationship between chronic caffeine use and a number of diseases. Proving a cause-and-effect, however, has been difficult and most of these suggested links remain inconclusive. Some of the difficulties that arise in studying the long term health effects of caffeine are due to problems in accounting for other lifestyle variables (eg. smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise), differences in genetic inheritance, form of caffeine intake (coffee, tea, sodas), and the presence of other biologically active substances in the beverage. For example, one study looked at the whether caffeine intake increased the risk of heart disease. Over 45,000 people were evaluated and the data indicated a slightly increased risk of death from heart disease in individuals who had an average daily consumption of more than 5 cups of *decaffeinated* coffee. Currently, there is no evidence that caffeine causes cancer, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, or serious heart arrhythmias.




About what I thought....no evidence. Everyone responds to caffeine differently, so really it seems to be an individual choice. Still no evidence that it's bad for you. If you want to read something interesting, try googling "coffee enemas", and No I never did LOL

:)
. Still no evidence that it's bad for you. If you want to read something interesting, try googling "coffee enemas", and No I never did LOL

I don't think anyone said it is bad for you, infact, one person said it may slow the onset of Alzheimer's, and another person said it may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Some of these posters are just saying that they feel a bit better without it. :)