Which elite runners drink coffee?

I have this queued up on my reading list:

http://goo.gl/q2NP0I

Goat Herder wrote:

Honestly I love drinking coffee. Although, I keep hearing mixed messages whether the benefits outweigh the cons, or visa-versa. I quit for a couple weeks after use for around two years straight, and really wanting to start up again.

Which elites drink coffee? And what are some other justifications that I can use to start drinking it again.

What are these 'cons' that you speak of?

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This is a great Letsrun thread. Let's run with it. Classic.

I recall a video interview with Solinsky from a year or two back in which he's drinking large bowl of coffee. He graduated from mugs apparently.

Here's a nyt article you've probably already seen with some links to studies on the benefits.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

joho wrote:

What are these 'cons' that you speak of?

Blood pressure spikes and heart palpitations in some people. Probably not an issue for elites, but for an older runner with high blood pressure it can be a problem.

black tea > coffee

black tea hydrates and is high enough in caffeine and doesn't bother the stomach.

I ran for a competitive NCAA team and I have experimented with coffee in various ways.

teaman wrote:

I ran for a competitive NCAA team and I have experimented with coffee in various ways.

How were the enemas?

I run with one of the top females and within the first half mile I can tell if she had coffee, tea or nothing....if she has a strong cup of coffee the pace starts out much faster and without she is much more sluggish.

lolzzek wrote:

Goat Herder wrote:

Honestly I love drinking coffee. Although, I keep hearing mixed messages whether the benefits outweigh the cons, or visa-versa. I quit for a couple weeks after use for around two years straight, and really wanting to start up again.

Which elites drink coffee? And what are some other justifications that I can use to start drinking it again.

Coffee can make you anxious and disturb your sleep if you have it too late (I literally can't drink coffee after 10 AM). Other than that, what negative health effects are you talking about?

Every coffee study I've heard of in the past several years has revealed pretty much magically positive benefits of coffee. Long-term studies have found that, controlling for other risk factors, coffee drinkers live longer than non-coffee drinkers. The more coffee you drink, the more benefits you receive (up to about 5 cups per day).

I am familiar with the pro-coffee findings. I'm not here to argue or name call, as I haven't had the time to sit down in my university's research databases and answer the question to some minimum definitiveness. But, just presenting what I've been lightly "aware" of.

USA Today, August 15, 2013, "heavy coffee consumption linked to higher death risk" , based on study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal. Same articles says "the reasons for the higher death risk among younger adults are not clear since experts through the years have found both health benefits and problems associated with coffee" (emphasis mine).

And many doctors tell me about stimulants' effect on blood pressure. How are you aware of sleep schedule and anxiety effects but not the blood pressure ones?

akvcx wrote:

Kipketer_Pumpkin_Eater wrote:

Can you not read?

Quite well, and as I said, some of you are flat out nuts, and pretty creepy.

"Coffee intervals" That's a good one you whack job.

You're the one who is strange, and a troll. Usually, people who lack social skills via the opposite sex and in relation to manners are deemed "creepy." How does raising a question in a running forum about lifestyle, health and performance cost and benefits of coffee use, amount to being creepy? As I said, you "cannot read" because you misinterpreted the OP's post. The OP is not debating whether or not to drink coffee, out of reasons of worrying about his/her self-image and fashion sense, so your earlier statement about not caring about what other people think is irrelevant here.

joho wrote:

What are these 'cons' that you speak of?

Seriously in bad faith, or trolls. Every idiot can at least surmise that drinking large amounts of black coffee daily also stains teeth. Unless you want to argue with the entire dental establishment.

akvcx wrote:

[...]

"Coffee intervals" That's a good one you whack job.

Finally, I did not say "coffee intervals" in the quoted post. I said intervals OF coffee drinking. You do realize the sport of distance running did not invent the term "intervals" nor does it have a monopoly on its meaning? Perhaps you did not enjoy grade school math education... Look up the term in any dictionary. And please, be more polite and don't name-call

Flow Endurance wrote:

For all you coffee lovers and fellow runners check this out!

http://www.teamflowendurance.com/new-products/flow-ultra

This is another option which could be more effective and easier on the stomach than chugging coffee before a race or training:)

If you like what you see it would be greatly appreciated if you could follow our Facebook page as well!

https://www.facebook.com/FlowEndurance

Not objecting to this consideration, but another is to stick to "natural" or near natural (along a spectrum) products. The idea that enjoying fresh fruits and veggies as opposed to frozen, or juiced or some sort of extract, is preferred. I've personally found better enjoyment and effect when it comes to fresh coffee versus extracts, caffeine products (which that Flow Endurance product is more than, but still). There are other compounds besides caffeine in coffee and tea which I hypothesize may have beneficial effects both by themselves and in creating synergy with the caffeine. I usually follow black coffee up with a chaser of fat free skim milk and that prevents any stomach issues.

Maybe they don't want to share their secret with you. Maybe the coffee in your town is not good?Have you been to Ethiopia? Almost every runner I encountered started their day off with Ethiopian coffee.See 2:00min and later: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pa8CH2RU5Y

noseeum wrote:

[quote]Gebster wrote:

Pretty much any Ethiopian runner.

False. most of the Ethiopian runners I have known personally (many, but not yet famous names) have avoided coffee. Maybe if they partook they would run better and become famous?

Kipketer_Pumpkin_Eater wrote:

"heavy coffee consumption linked to higher death risk" ,

Great data here. Care to define what "heavy" might be?

You cite another beauty: "not clear since experts through the years have found both health benefits and problems associated with______"

You can pick anything and insert it in the blank.

In all of your barely coherent rambling in this thread, you've posted nothing of substance except cherry picked pieces to suit your confused position.

There are also renal and electrolyte balance implications of coffee and even tea use, but the recommendations in those regards and, if not this topic at wide, should be left to responsible, unbiased biomedical professionals. Let's keep the discussion honest and kind, people. It's hard for me not to believe that every poster on this forum is generally quite intelligent, since distance running and discussing it is already such a conscious, positive lifestyle choice.

brals wrote:

Kipketer_Pumpkin_Eater wrote:

"heavy coffee consumption linked to higher death risk" ,

Great data here. Care to define what "heavy" might be?

You cite another beauty: "not clear since experts through the years have found both health benefits and problems associated with______"

You can pick anything and insert it in the blank.

In all of your barely coherent rambling in this thread, you've posted nothing of substance except cherry picked pieces to suit your confused position.

You, sir are completely rude and of bad faith. It is posters like you who ruin Letsrun and who bring down society. Did I ever once take a position on this thread? My position was that this topic is complex and there is a lot of data. I didn't conduct this study. Why are you attacking me? You obviously read none of my posts, and instead insult and personally attack me. I take the honest position: there are positives, negatives, many nuances and this a continued field of research, and I am not a professional in the sciences. How does one "cherry pick" for such an honest position?

been there 5 times, specifically to work with runners trying to break through.

Gebster wrote:

Maybe they don't want to share their secret with you. Maybe the coffee in your town is not good?

Have you been to Ethiopia? Almost every runner I encountered started their day off with Ethiopian coffee.

See 2:00min and later:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pa8CH2RU5Y

noseeum wrote:

[quote]Gebster wrote:

Pretty much any Ethiopian runner.

False. most of the Ethiopian runners I have known personally (many, but not yet famous names) have avoided coffee. Maybe if they partook they would run better and become famous?