Coffee drinking contest....how much is possible?

The only concern that I would have would be the dehydration issue if you're running a lot right now. If you're doing low/no milage, I wouldn't worry too much. The caffeine buzz might get to an annoying level, but I don't think it'll cause any real health problems unless you have some heart condition. Of course, not the kind of thing you want to do every day, but if you're healthy it's probably safe to do once. I'm no doctor though, so if you die, I apologize in advance for misleading you. Good luck.

You can get psychosis from too much caffeine. Rare but possible.

For a time I was drinking about 8-10 20 oz. cups per day. I have now switched to decaf after two cups of regular.

5+ cups in an hour = failed drugs test

Caffeine

Caffeine intake is restricted (but not totally banned) by the NCAA. Urine concentrations up to 15 mcg/ml are permitted by the NCAA, about 500 mg of caffeine ingested within one hour would approximate this level in a normal adult male. Levels above this would result in a failed drug test.

Product Amount of Caffeine Equiv. in urine

1 cup of regular coffee 100 mg 1.5 mcg/ml

1 coke/ pepsi 46 mg .7 mcg/ml

1 No Doz 100 mg 1.5 mcg/ml

1 Vivarin 200 mg 3.0 mcg/ml

Possible side effects from caffeine include heart palpitations, anxiety, nervousness and insomnia.

This really doesn't sound like a good idea, but I guess it's up to you. If you start shaking or start to feel dizzy, you should probably forfeit.

Brady Anderson wrote:

I once saw this documentary about artists living in Paris during the early 20th century, and there was this one dude who drank like 40 cups of coffee every day while sitting in some cafe. I don't know what the size of his cups were, but that's a lot of coffee.

The coffee in Paris is served in tiny cups--but it's a good thing it is. You're getting jet fuel--very, very strong stuff! I tend to drink coffee black and in Paris when I asked for black coffee, I'd get some pretty skeptical looks from the person selling it... "Are you sure, madame?" I soon understood why, but I continued to drink it black.

I'm surprised anyone could survive drinking forty cups of Parisian coffee in a day, but I guess if your system is used to it....

I'd choose discretion over victory in a contest like the one described by the OP.

It is possible to overdose on caffeine you know.

Everything in moderation. Too much of a good thing can quickly turn into a bad thing.

A bump for the Monday morning office crowd.

I'm pretty sure that the person you're thinking about was the writer Honore de Balzac--not an early 20th century guy, but a mid-19th century guy. I've heard that he composed his novel after drinking several dozen cups of coffee.

strongest consistent cup of coffee/espresso I've come across in the world...strata on college ave in berkeleystuff makes peet's look like wateritalian espresso i found to be the best in europe but it was only about as strong as peet's

kudzurunner wrote:

dpmrunner wrote:

The coffee in Paris is served in tiny cups--but it's a good thing it is. You're getting jet fuel--very, very strong stuff! I tend to drink coffee black and in Paris when I asked for black coffee, I'd get some pretty skeptical looks from the person selling it... "Are you sure, madame?" I soon understood why, but I continued to drink it black.

I'm surprised anyone could survive drinking forty cups of Parisian coffee in a day, but I guess if your system is used to it....

I'd choose discretion over victory in a contest like the one described by the OP.

I'm pretty sure that the person you're thinking about was the writer Honore de Balzac--not an early 20th century guy, but a mid-19th century guy. I've heard that he composed his novel after drinking several dozen cups of coffee.

If this contest hasn't been done then I would like to offer a suggestion. I've done an alcohol and a food consumption contest with similar time restraints and found an even intake method the best route but also be conscious of the leading consumer. Don't let anyone get too far ahead of you and don't be afraid to eat just keep the meals smaller and spread out. If it is close in the end then I would never let anyone beat me (other than some professional eaters).

Those super dark French and Italian roasts are actually weaker in caffeine (as well as in the inherent flavor of the coffee bean) than lighter roasts.

I'm not saying they don't brew their coffee and/or espresso strong (as in a concentrated final product), just making the tangential point that the dark roasts people tend to think of as "strong", aren't, caffeine-wise, compared to beans less burnt.

And unhealthy, even dangerous. But good luck.

I'm quite surprised to be the first one on this thread to tell this type of story. A few months ago I went to buy some drinks at a local market when I saw a friend of mine there, and he was talking to this old guy. When we had a chat a few minutes later, he told me that the old guy´s son, or someone he knew, died because he drank 17 red bulls in one night. He had a heart attack. Now I know that red bull contains lots of caffeine, but still, I wouldn´t do it if I where you, unless you are used to drinking large amounts of coffee.

If this story is true, the dead man must have been some genetic freak predisposed to caffeine death and better off out of the gene pool.

Consider that 17 Red Bull x 80mg caffeine/red bull is a pitiable 1.36g of caffeine

Assuming a lethal dose of 150mg/kg, which is on the low end, the dead man would have had to have weighed 9.067kg, about 20 pounds - a ridiculous conclusion.

Even if he were skeletally thin, clocking in at say 100lb/45.4kg, 17 Red bull would still only constitute a dose of 30mg/kg

Harry Kooter wrote:

The only concern that I would have would be the dehydration issue if you're running a lot right now.

Dehydration from drinking numerous cups of coffee? Please explain.

Caffeine is a diuretic.

drunk runner wrote:

Dehydration from drinking numerous cups of coffee? Please explain.

a kid died last year from taking 2 dozen no doz. that is almost 5 grams of caffein which is the equivalent to 50 cups of coffee. I think that this contest is a really stupid idea.