Caffeine

1© Learning ZoneXpress© Learning ZoneXpress

2© Learning ZoneXpress

Think about it• You are pulling an “all-nighter.” How

are you going to stay awake?


Caffeine• A natural chemical found in tea leaves, coffee beans,

cocoa beans, and kola nuts• Found in many common foods

and drinks including:• Coffee• Soft drinks• Tea• Chocolate• Energy drinks• Medicines

• Classified as a drug• Caffeine is a stimulant and can

be addictive


Caffeinated Candy• Chocolate naturally has caffeine• Companies creating caffeinated candy:

• Breath mints• Gum• Chocolate covered coffee beans


Caffeine:How Does it Work?• Absorbed in the stomach and the intestine• Stimulates brain activity• Physiologic effects:

• Increase blood pressure• Increase pulse• Increase stomach acid production• Fat stores break down• Fatty acids released into

blood stream


Too Much Caffeine• Insomnia• Restlessness• Increased heart

rate• Increased blood

pressure• Abnormal heart

rhythm• Anxiety/

nervousness• Irritability


Caffeine SensitivitySeveral factors influencesensitivity:• Body Mass• History of caffeine use• Stress


Caffeine WithdrawalWithdrawal symptoms:• Headache• Tiredness• Mood swings• Jittery feeling• Difficulty concentrating


Prevent Withdrawal Symptoms• Taper your caffeine intake• Eat small, frequent meals• Exercise• Get enough

sleep


Caffeine Comparison Drink Caffeine

Energy drink 72 - 150 mg

Brewed coffee

134 - 240 mg

Tea 48 - 175 mg

Soft drink 22 - 46 mg


Alternatives to Caffeine• Carbonated Beverages:

• Lemon-lime soda• Orange soda• Root beer

• Decaffeinated coffee and tea• Candies:

• Caramels• Licorice• Gum drops

CAFFEINE


Caffeine and HealthStudies have found no substantialevidence linking caffeineto these conditions:

•Blood Pressure•Cardiac Arrhythmias•Pregnancy•Osteoporosis•Cancer


Caffeine and Hyperactivity

• Average intake ages 5-18: 35-40 mg/day• No evidence caffeine contributes to hyperactivity

• May have calming effect


What about fluid balance?• Fluid balance

• Fluid loss = fluid taken in• Does caffeine influence fluid balance?

• No dehydration and GI upset• Slow re-hydration after exercise


Caffeine: Ergogenic Aid?• Ergogenic: increases muscular work capacity and overall performance• Caffeine can be ergogenic at low to moderate doses• Caffeine may increase endurance time• Individual variation, try in training first


Would you drink a beverage that claims to…• …improve performance?• …increase

concentration?• …improve

reaction speed?• …increase

metabolism?


Statistics• 7.6 million (approximately 31%) of U.S.

teenagers say they drink energy drinks.• In 2006, $2.3 billion

was spent by teensand young adultson energy drinks


Energy Drinks• Canned or bottled carbonated beverages with

high amounts of sugar, caffeine, herbal stimulants and supplements

• Marketed with claims of:• Increased endurance• Strength and power• Weight loss• Feelings of euphoria


History of Energy Drinks• Originated in Asia and

Europe in the 1960s• First appeared in the U.S. in

the 1980s with Jolt Cola


A Common MisconceptionSports drinks and energy drinks

are not the same.Energy Drinks

• Caffeine filled• High concentration of sugar• Contain herbal stimulants

Sports Drinks• Fluid balance• Electrolyte concentration• Provide energy • Isotonic


Energy Drinks and the Athlete• No energy drink can make

you a better athlete• Sugar, caffeine, and

stimulants may causean athlete to crash

• There is no substitutefor hard work, goodtraining, healthy diet,and adequate rest


Do you know what you are drinking?• Taurine• Guarana• B-Vitamins• Glucuronolactone• Ginseng• Yerba Mate• Green Tea• Cordyceps• Aloe Vera Leaf

• Carnitine• Creatine• Inositol• Ginkgo Biloba• Bitter Orange• Milk Thistle• Goji Berries• Garcinia Cambogina Rind

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What’s inside? Guarana• A shrub that grows

in South America• Extracts of the plant,

fruit, or seed• A stimulant and flavoring• 1 gram of guarana contains

as much caffeine (40 mg)as a medium strengthcup of coffee


What’s inside? Taurine• Believed to enhance the effects of caffeine• Involved in a number of physiological processes including neuronal excitability• Energy drinks contain up to 10 times the usual intake from diet


What’s inside? Glucuronolactone• “Increases feelings of well-

being”• A normal, human metabolite

formed from glucose• When glucuronolactone is

taken orally, it is rapidly absorbed, metabolized, and excreted

• 600mg/can, normal human intake 250mg/day


What’s inside?B-Group VitaminsB-vitamins include:

• Thiamine (B1)• Riboflavin (B2)• Niacin (B3)• Pyrodoxine (B6)

• Claims to burn fat• Excess B-vitamins

are excreted in urine


Energy Drink Regulation

• Energy drinks are currently unregulated in theUnited States

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires beverage manufacturers to list the presence of caffeine on the label, but not the amount of caffeine in the product

• Herbs and supplements added to energy drinks are not strictly regulated by the FDA

HOW MUCH?


Review• What factors influence caffeine

sensitivity?•Body mass, history of caffeine use,

stress level• Name some beverages that are caffeine

free.•Lemon-lime soda, orange soda, root

beer, water, milk, fruit juice, etc.


Review• What are some marketing claims of

energy drinks?• Increased endurance, strength and

power, weight loss, feelings of euphoria• Why are energy drinks not a good choice

for athletic events?•The amount of caffeine in energy drinks

is dehydrating and the high sugar content can cause an athlete to “crash”


Review• Caffeine stimulates the central nervous

system which makes us feel more awakeand alert

• Energy drinks have a high caffeineand sugar content

• Herbal supplements in energy drinks are not regulated and are not guaranteed safe


Web Resources• Caffeine Awareness:

www.caffeineawareness.org• American Beverage Association:

www.ameribev.org• Energy Drinks and Food Bars: Power or Hype?:

http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/energy.html

• Caffeine: http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/nutrition/general/caffeine.html

http://www.caffeineawareness.org/

http://www.ameribev.org/



http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/nutrition/general/caffeine.html

http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/nutrition/general/caffeine.html

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Caffeine