I'd argue the only reason it isn't banned is because of its prevalence in everyday diet. It's a more effective PED than some on the banned list. You don't think that taking a drug right before or during competition for performance enhancement is grey zone?
Caffeine has a huge # of harmful effects.
I personally avoid it completely, and I'm completely healthy in my 70's, no drugs, no health problems.
What is the benefit? An adrenaline boost? Well then why not give up caffeine and allow natural adrenaline response to dominate your mood swings rather than a drug?
jewbacca wrote:
I'd argue the only reason it isn't banned is because of its prevalence in everyday diet. It's a more effective PED than some on the banned list. You don't think that taking a drug right before or during competition for performance enhancement is grey zone?
Huh? I absolutely agree that taking a drug right before or during competition for performance enhancement is grey zone (or flat out wrong, if the drug is banned). I exclude caffeine from that for the reasons I explained above.
It's a habit. More to do with psychology than morality. It's not like drinking and driving, which is very much a morality issue.
I mean who cares if the guy who beat you drank coffee before the race?
And does anyone really believe it's worth 3%? That's a minute in a 10k. I mean come on people, that's not realistic. If you really believe you need coffee to race your best, then something is wrong with your thinking and lifestyle.
No real argument here, but personally I don't see any reason to exclude it for the reasons you listed. It could depend on our definitions of "grey zone." To me taking a drug that is undeniably performance enhancing with the intent of improving performance is solidly grey zone. We're talking about popping pills to run faster. Doesn't something seem funny about that?
Don't get me wrong -- I have zero qualms about using caffeine as it is both a legal and generally accepted practice. There's just something in me that says popping performance enhancers for competition doesn't line up with the spirit of the law.
ThatAverageRunner wrote:
otter wrote:
Use your judgement. A cup of coffee in the AM before a race is ok. Taking caffeine pills might be a slippery slope to something else as you have suggested.
I disagree. I discovered caffeine helped my running by accident the first time I had a coffee-ish beverage and had a great practice shortly thereafter. I started drinking coffee before workouts knowing it would help. I had tired it before races but it just didn't settle well in my stomach. After a while, I discovered caffeine pills.
I generally just take 1 (200mg) only before races, otherwise I am just a coffee drinker. I noticed it certainly does seem to help me race, If nothing else, it helps me focus on pushing and getting more out of myself during the race.
It is not a banned substance in normal amounts, therefore there is nothing wrong with it, morally or otherwise. I've been using caffeine pills before races for years and have not went down 'a slippery slope' as some have suggested. I'm just smart enough to not leave time on the table.
Hey, do what you have to do. I feel like popping caffeine pills for performance enhancement is sketchy compared to having a cup of coffee.
It's like that guy I used to compete with in the altitude tent every night in hos house as opposed to the guy who lives at elevation. You might not see a difference in behavior but I do
Caffeine is a GATEWAY DRUG to HGH, Testosterone and EPO.
jewbacca wrote:
To me taking a drug that is undeniably performance enhancing with the intent of improving performance is solidly grey zone.
There is no such thing. It's a social construct that earns lot of money for lots of people.
I Run on Dunkin' wrote:
Caffeine is a GATEWAY DRUG to HGH, Testosterone and EPO.
Cigarettes and alchohol are gateway drugs to.... etc
and wrote:
I Run on Dunkin' wrote:
Caffeine is a GATEWAY DRUG to HGH, Testosterone and EPO.
Cigarettes and alchohol are gateway drugs to.... etc
What's bad about being a gateway to etc.?
According to the NCAA caffeine is a banned stimulant:
"The NCAA considers caffeine to be performance-enhancing and a health risk at high levels but allows for average dietary intake such as from coffee or cola. The NCAA drug-tests for it, and a urinary caffeine concentration exceeding 15 micrograms per milliliter would result in a positive test, according to the NCAA.
That corresponds with ingesting 500 milligrams of caffeine within two to three hours of competition."
There is no question that caffeine fits the very definition of what a 'drug' is. It is also without question a performance enhancer. There are now hundreds (thousands) of scientific studies on the efficacy of caffeine and you would be hard pressed to find more than one or two claiming otherwise. As someone with chronic lyme, I couldn't consider even an easy run without it.
meh, sugar basically gives you the same high as caffeine
I'd like to know what Ben True thinks about caffeine, since he got mad at his wife for drinking beet juice.
Obviously Nick Symmonds is chill with caffeine use.
Don't Cheat Yourself wrote:
If the rules don't prohibit it, it is not cheating. PED's are only cheating if they violate rules, not simply because they enhance performance. Steroids, EPO and any other PED's wouldn't be cheating if the they were an accepted part of the sport.
Let's extrapolate that out to a recently common discussion on these boards... Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%. Not prohibited by the rules of the sport, hence, not cheating.
Let's not - we've had quite enough of that debate on these boards thanks very much...
Vaporflier wrote:
Let's extrapolate that out to a recently common discussion on these boards... Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%. Not prohibited by the rules of the sport, hence, not cheating.
otter wrote:
ThatAverageRunner wrote:
I disagree. I discovered caffeine helped my running by accident the first time I had a coffee-ish beverage and had a great practice shortly thereafter. I started drinking coffee before workouts knowing it would help. I had tired it before races but it just didn't settle well in my stomach. After a while, I discovered caffeine pills.
I generally just take 1 (200mg) only before races, otherwise I am just a coffee drinker. I noticed it certainly does seem to help me race, If nothing else, it helps me focus on pushing and getting more out of myself during the race.
It is not a banned substance in normal amounts, therefore there is nothing wrong with it, morally or otherwise. I've been using caffeine pills before races for years and have not went down 'a slippery slope' as some have suggested. I'm just smart enough to not leave time on the table.
Hey, do what you have to do. I feel like popping caffeine pills for performance enhancement is sketchy compared to having a cup of coffee.
It's like that guy I used to compete with in the altitude tent every night in hos house as opposed to the guy who lives at elevation. You might not see a difference in behavior but I do
I don't see the difference.
What i do is open up a caffeine capsule and sprinkle it into a cup of caffeinated tea. Or i sprinkle it into a cup of gatorade.
How is that any different than choosing a strong coffee rather than a cup of my caffeine-laced tea? Or how is that any different than choosing a can of energy drink? The only difference is convenience and price.
And by choosing to use the caffeine capsule, i get less stomach upset and i know exactly how much caffeine i am consuming.
Caffeine is dangerous wrote:
Caffeine has a huge # of harmful effects.
Citations? ?