What's Wrong with Caffeine? Give me a Minute ... Or Sixty

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. That's why you feel pretty good within an hour after drinking it. Over time though, the body begins to expect the caffeine and consequently depresses its own nervous system to compensate. At that point you will need the caffeine just to feel normal, and the heightened sense of energy is no longer there-unless of course you continue to raise the level of your intake, which will obviously increase the negative effects. Also, as a stimulant, the quality of sleep will be affected if it is still active in your system, even if you are still able to sleep. Waking up every morning in a state of "withdrawal" does not make for good days either. Finally, correlating to its effect on the CNS, caffeine is a vasoconstrictor: it shrinks your blood vessels while it is active in the body. The headaches experienced when not "on" the caffeine are due to the "bounce-back" effect: the rehydrated thicker blood storms through the tired walls of the previously restricted vessels, causing pain. People with high blood pressure or high blood sugar levels should especially avoid caffeine, as it can raise each of these. It also creates problems for people with heart conditions, and in high doses, can induce irregular heartbeats in healthy people. Finally, as a diuretic, caffeine removes water from the body, yielding detrimental effects on all areas of health. Remember to step down your caffeine intake gradually to avoid the withdrawal symptoms.

Thomas C. Jensen, NASM & NSCA C.P.T.

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