Caffeine - A Bodybuilder's Secret Weapon

Caffeine. It's the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance - and the

only one that is completely unregulated. You find it in soft drinks, coffee, tea, energy drinks, and of course, those magic little "reviving" yellow pills we find on the medicine aisle. While caffeine has always played a small role in the diet of most people (90% of Americans consume it daily), it's only recently that bodybuilders have discovered that caffeine gives them an edge. However, caffeine has some risks and dangers that many are not aware of. While bodybuilders will spend hours measuring their rice and chicken to the gram, they will often ignore the side effects of the pills they pop without worry.

Caffeine is tremendously beneficial to the bodybuilder. Alone, it is a great stimulant which can give a trainer extra energy in the gym. It boosts the metabolism. The user feels more alert and will have better blood flow for that ever-essential pump. Used with other compounds, it can help the user shed a great deal of bodyfat with few side effects.

However, there are risks associated with caffeine especially with over periods of months or years. Let's start with the stomach. Extended caffeine use can lead to peptic ulcers, gastric reflux, and most embarrassingly, excess gas. Next comes the brain. Nervousness, headaches, anxiety are also reported, as well as memory loss and multiple sleep disorders. When you move down to the cardiovascular level, things become more serious. Caffeine mimics the effects of epinephrine - causing heart palpitations and high blood pressure. The laundry list of symptoms continues. Twitching, tremors, panic attacks - all for a little buzz in the gym?

Stacking (use of multiple substances for a synergistic effect) caffeine with aspirin and ephedra is a highly effective thermogenic mix used by thousands of bodybuilders worldwide. The list of risks grows tremendously when this stack, called E.C.A., is used by athletes to shed bodyfat. Nearly every top amateur or pro athlete (of both genders) uses E.C.A. in his/her contest preparation, and studies to this point are very incomplete, as to the long term effects on the body of using these substances. Our generation is the guinea pig.

Caffeine can be your best friend of your worst enemy. Any bodybuilder who chooses to jump into caffeine use for improving workout quality or losing bodyfat should take time to learn about the side effects of long term caffeine use. After all, what good is looking great if you're not going to be around to enjoy it?

by: Dane Fletcher

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