caffeine during marathon

Let me know how it goes...

if you haven't done it in training, then don't try it next week.

Thats a very good question.

Unlikely you'll have problems with your stomach. Caffeine is a great stimulant. Don't take too much, or when you come off it you'll feel like you're ready to die. 200mg is fine. Last 30 - 40 min of the race is the time to take it. If you use a drink, I recommend (if it is a soda) making it flat...bubbles are no good.

Don't do it - it'll trash your glycogen by turning the fire up too hot.

Ed? Darby? Is that you guys?

Dont do it! ....check out my one & only experience with caffeine.....

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=567226

Good luck!

AC wrote:

Don't do it - it'll trash your glycogen by turning the fire up too hot.

Could you point to some evidence of this? Refer me to a book or series of studies that so this?

I've never had that problem w/ the caffeine pills!

A woman that does research for elite world-record breaking runners told me to stay away from caffeine as much as possible - especially during a race. (I'm not an elite, but I trust her.) An addition, she told me to shop on the perimeters of a grocery store and stay away from processed stuff as much as possible. I still buy pirate's booty though. Did you know they sell girlfriend's booty now? And fruity booty? And cannon ball s booty?

Deena Kastor took in steady amounts of caffeine in Athens. It didn't seem to have a negative impact on her performance.

loyalbuff wrote:

Deena Kastor took in steady amounts of caffeine in Athens. It didn't seem to have a negative impact on her performance.

Deena Kastor used Cytomax with "herbal lift". According to the label it contains no caffeine.

jack rabbitt wrote:

I was thinking of taking 200 mg tab of caffeine or red bull at mile 15. I take it an hour before races, up to 1/2 marathon. I'm shooting for 230 next week.

I'm planning to do the same thing next weekend, only I'll pop a 200 mg caffeine tablet abt. 30 minutes BEFORE the race (marathon). The idea of taking it before the start is to spare the glycogen early in the race so I'll have more at the end. Just a theory. BTW, I'm also shooting for 2:30. Let us know how your race turns out and I'll do the same. Good luck!

I'll look for Kastor's diary entry following Athens. In it she said she drank something called Peachy Keen at regular intervals through the marathon. It contains hefty doses of caffeine.

loyalbuff wrote:

I'll look for Kastor's diary entry following Athens. In it she said she drank something called Peachy Keen at regular intervals through the marathon. It contains hefty doses of caffeine.

This is what I was telling the other person. 'Peachy Keen' is one of the flavors of Cytomax. It contains no caffeine. If Deena was ingesting caffeine, it wasn't from her sport drink unless she added it separately. From the website:

"Cytomax Does Not Contain Sucrose, Aspartame, Caffeine." Here's what it says about 'herbal lift': "Natural Herbal "Lift": Cytomax reduces your perceived effort so you can push harder. (in Tangy Orange, Go Grape and Peachy Keen flavors only)"

shipalum wrote:

if you haven't done it in training, then don't try it next week.

if you haven't done any training, then dont bother

Here's Kastor's quote in Runner's World. Maybe she added caffeine to her drink.

"My carbohydrate drink worked spectacularly in Athens. It was Cytomax Peachy Keen with caffeine. After the Trials Marathon, I found out I had been drinking the low glycemix Cytomax, which was a disastrous choice for me. I bought the Peachy Keen off an Internet site, along with a lot of other drinks, and then tried them all out in practice, and this is the one that works best for me. I love the flavor, and it doesn't give me any nausea or allergies, as some of the others did."

What about gusclose pill w/ caffeine pills at 15 miles?

"Could you point to some evidence of this? Refer me to a book or series of studies that so this"

Sorry - no empirical evidence, only anecdotal from personal experience. I had filled the tank thoroughly before last year's La Rochelle marathon - a good carbo load in the days prior to the race. However, just after 34km I blew up spectacularly and am convinced that caffeine ingestion before and during the race was the root of the problem. It'd be good to hear other experiences of this subject though.