Caffeine

WHAT IS CAFFEINE?
Caffeine is a methylxanthine known to potentiate the actions of other alkoloids such as yohimbe and ephedrine etc. This explains the obvious use in stacking. It has also been demonstrated that caffeine stimulates energy expenditure and fat burning (lipolysis) in humans. Caffeine has strong stimulatory effects also making it popular as a training aid especially when combined with ephedrine which can make muscle contractions more forceful by promoting greater neurotransmitter release from the nerve at the neuromuscular junction.

COFFEE AS A DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR CAFFEINE
Coffee is the number one delivery product for this drug and is manufactured from the coffee bean found mostly in South America. Due to it's easy availability in so many food and drink products, coupled with the habitual coffee drinking of modern society, the effects of caffeine quickly diminish as the body attenuates to this drugs effects - meaning a higher dose is needed to require a stimulant effect for those who regularly or unavoidably drink/eat caffeine containing products. Some individuals slowly become addicted to this stimulant and find themselves drinking or eating caffeine containing products on an extremely regular daily basis. It is interesting to note that tea, also contains nearly as much stimulant as coffee. This is the reason it is contained in so many foods and drinks, such as cola's and chocolates, as it creates a possible addiction to the product. It is important to note that to see any sport related benefits from this drug the user must restrict the intake of caffeine quite dramatically to allow the system to clear of it's effects. A two week lay off followed by no more than one or two doses of caffeine a day. Once clean from any caffeine addiction using caffeine as a performance enhancer is effective at a dose of around 200 mg. 

EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE
The effects of caffeine tend to become active within about 30 minutes and remain in the system for a few hours. The user experiences better concentration and a perceived boost in energy as it stimulates the central nervous system. In doing so caffeine speeds up heart rate, increases stomach acid and acts as a strong diuretic causing the user to loose water from the body and leading to dehydration and so an increased water intake is to be taken whilst using this drug. This effect can be of benefit to those wishing to appear leaner and more muscular such as those preparing for a body building competition. This drug also dilates some blood vessels which makes it suitable for many asthma sufferers. It is interesting to note that caffeine causes blood sugar levels to rise and can raise blood pressure by up to as much as 10 percent due to it's constriction of certain other blood vessels. Some studies have also shown it to have an effect on pulse rate whereby it slows down. 

CAFFEINE AS A FAT BURNER
Caffeine takes a fast route to increasing the rate of fat burning by the body. IT works by two main functions. Caffeine increases circulating levels of norepinephrine, which works similarly to ephedrine in it's fat burning properties. In addition, caffeine also inhibits an enzyme called phosphodiesterase or PDE. PDE works to decrease the amounts of cAMP by catalyzing a reaction that renders cAMP as useless linear AMP. By inhibiting this negative feedback loop, it essentially allows this sequence of events to run without hinderance, thus increasing the rate of fat burning, and reducing the fat storing effects of adenosine, a compound with multiple functions in the human body, while promoting the lipolytic and fat burning effects of other agents in the body - such as ephedrine.

CAFFEINE AS A TRAINING AID
Useful as a training aid, caffeine, has also grown popularity as a fat loss aid as it speeds up the rate at which the resting body burns energy. Another reason for which it is used in combination in many fat loss supplements. It is not fully understood by which mechanism this drug actually works but it is most likely that it stimulates the release of fats into the blood stream making them more readily available for oxidation.

HOW MUCH CAFFEINE SHOULD I USE/COMBINE WITH EPHEDRINE?
Used alongside ephedrine 200mg of caffeine is combined with 20 -25mg of this drug and often 300mg aspirin in it's drug or herbal form white willow bark which contains salicin.

THE DOWNSIDES OF CAFFEINE USE
It is important to note that caffeine removes iron from the blood and causes a loss of calcium. It is therefore a good idea to supplement with extra iron if you are a habitual coffee drinker. And obviously those who are anemic of bordering on anemia should stay clear of this drug.

CAFFEINE AND ITS POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
It is also worth noting that caffeine is not tolerated well by everyone and can lead to tremors, nervousness, hyper activity, insomnia, irritability, mood swings and depression. These effects are experienced by most people who seriously overdose on caffeine at any one time. This drug has also been linked to high blood pressure and stomach aggrevation including ulceration of the stomach. Although there have been many studies proporting the bad sides of caffeine use and possible serious side effects which it can cause, there have been equal number of studies to disprove or counter act these theories.  The argument of caffeine and heart health has literally been going on for years. There are many scientific professionals who claim drinking from one to five cups of coffee a day stand a 50 percent greater risk of heart attacks than those who drink none. On the other hand, other major studies have shown no link between coffee drinking and heart problems. One study showed that people who drank coffee were more likely to survive a heart attack than non drinkers because caffeine serves as a mild stimulant. Considering caffeine has been in use for many many hundreds of years it seems that overall it is not as dangerous as many try to make it out to be. But as with all drugs, an abuse of it could probably be linked to bad side effects.

A NOTE ON DECAFFINATED PRODUCTS
A further word of note. Many people try to avoid the harmful effects of caffeine by consuming decaffeinated coffee products and other decaf varieties. A process using methylene chloride is used to remove the caffeine and this product is rinsed away. However residues of methylene chloride are left, a strong solvent that can cause cancer when taken extensively for a long period of time.

CAFFEINE IN SPORTS
Most sports ban caffeine use for competition. 

CAFFEINE AS AN ALLERGEN
It is a possibility that caffeine may be an allergen. Food allergies can wreak havoc on the body, they are substances our cells do not know how to deal with, without being processed or utilized efficiently can create very bad side effects on our whole systems. Symptoms are often wide and varied and alter from individual to individual, this can make the offending substance very hard to spot. It is often the offending foods which cause our bodies to function incorrectly that we favour or become addicted to. Very much like certain addictive drugs which obviously cause an overall detrimental effect on the system, initially release a high, a good feeling or a buzz. In many ways food allergens can cause a similar effect often creating a situation where it our favourite foods or drinks which are actually damaging our health. In this respect it is probably wise to consume caffeine only as an aid to training occasionally or at least cycle it's use.