Performance Nutrition: Caffeine Supplementation

Personally, coffee is my favorite supplement for both life and training. With the right amount of caffeine, both my brain and body feel sharp and ready in quick order. And a good, strong cup of joe has been the precursor to many important business ideas and breakthrough training sessions.

But, the research and individual reactions to ingesting it varies.

CAFFEINE: YES/NO/MAYBE

The Perfect Pour-Over

This stimulant can definitely help your workout, but it might not be for everyone. While it can increase power output and may modestly increase adrenaline frequent consumption will decrease these effects. To prevent this from happening, cycle caffeine usage or save it for special occasions like heavy workout days or for competitions. If you are a habitual coffee drinker I’m sorry to tell you that the adrenaline/power output boosting features of caffeine supplementation will be lost on you. However, it may still assist in keeping you alert.

PRO TIP – If you are an NCAA or professional athlete, there are limits to how much caffeine you are allowed to take. Check with your organization to make sure you aren’t overdoing it.

Some people do not respond well to caffeine, as it may cause them to feel jittery. If this happens you can try one of two things:

1 – If you’re really intent on trying caffeine, try taking it on a few more occasions to see if the jitters persist. (Note from Kelsey: or just take less caffeine; play around with your dosage so you know how much your body can actually handle.)

2 – Stop taking it. Some people just don’t feel well when taking caffeine. There are other options out there you can try for improving performance.

VERDICT: MAYBE

The above caffeine analysis snippet is pulled from a post with more excellent assessments of other supplements: A Yes/No/Maybe Guide to 6 Sports Performance Supplements.

Now, if you are a seasoned caffeine consumer and coffee lover like I am, please check back for the second part to this post. In it I will share instructions on how to make the Perfect Cup of Pour-Over Coffee.

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Pomegranate Juice Reduces Muscle Soreness?

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research published a paper entitled "The effect of pomegranate juice supplementation on strength and soreness after eccentric exercise" in July of 2011. Here is the abstract:

The purpose of this study was to determine if pomegranate juice supplementation improved the recovery of skeletal muscle strength after eccentric exercise in subjects who routinely performed resistance training. Resistance trained men (n = 17) were randomized into a crossover design with either pomegranate juice or placebo. To produce delayed onset muscle soreness, the subjects performed 3 sets of 20 unilateral eccentric elbow flexion and 6 sets of 10 unilateral eccentric knee extension exercises. Maximal isometric elbow flexion and knee extension strength and muscle soreness measurements were made at baseline and 2, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 168 hours postexercise. Elbow flexion strength was significantly higher during the 2- to 168-hour period postexercise with pomegranate juice compared with that of placebo (main treatment effect; p = 0.031). Elbow flexor muscle soreness was also significantly reduced with pomegranate juice compared with that of placebo (main treatment effect; p = 0.006) and at 48 and 72 hours postexercise (p = 0.003 and p = 0.038, respectively). Isometric strength and muscle soreness in the knee extensors were not significantly different with pomegranate juice compared with those using placebo. Supplementation with pomegranate juice attenuates weakness and reduces soreness of the elbow flexor but not of knee extensor muscles. These results indicate a mild, acute ergogenic effect of pomegranate juice in the elbow flexor muscles of resistance trained individuals after eccentric exercise.

Sometimes... okay, lots of times... I find strength and conditioning research to be quite limiting and, in the end, not that helpful. It's been well accepted and practiced for years that the best post-training meal to consume is a liquid meal with roughly a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of carbs:protein.

Pomegranate juice really has nothing more substantial in it (for exercise recovery) than any other fruit juice or a sports drink. It's ALL sugar.

Take this study for what it's worth: further proof that something is better that nothing after you train. I'm sure the study participants would have been better served and demonstrated recovery in the "knee extensor muscles" if they'd been given a pomegranate drink that also included the proper ratio of carbs:protein.

Here's a SUPER simple recipe for a recovery drink I make for myself:

3-4 tbsp Nestle Quick powder

1/2 scoop protein powder

Water

Dunzo.