In endurance events, the first cause of fatigue is loss of muscle sugar, so athletes do whatever they can to preserve sugar levels. Caffeine causes the body to produce large amounts of adrenalin, which causes fat to be released from fat cells and float in the bloodstream.
This extra fat is taken up by the muscles and used for energy, thus preserving the body’s limited stored supply of muscle sugar. When muscles run our of sugar, the athlete requires more oxygen to do the same job, slows down, fatigues earlier, and has difficulty maintaining his performance.
Read the rest of this entry »
In the expanding world of hydration products, nuun has separated itself from the pack with their quality portable electrolyte tablets. It is dissolves quickly, is sugar-free, is convenient to use, and tends to have a mild, pleasing taste.
(For nuun product details and to read TheFinalSprint.com’s review from earlier this year, please click here).
Since TFS’s review, nuun has added “kona cola” as a new flavor to their existing lineup of lemon-lime, tri-berry, and citrus fruit. Not only does Kona Kola give a new taste, but also offers 40 mg of caffeine for each tablet. This quantity of caffeine is roughly half of the amount found in a cup of coffee, and is more on par with a cup of tea or a serving of cola.
Read the rest of this entry »
Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK LARA!
ASK LARA is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK LARA — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.
Q. I know that there are specific foods that help serotonin in the brain. What are they? Chocolate is one. Thanks.
~Michelle from Georgia
A. Interesting question. Since I am not a serotonin expert, I turned to some other sources for help in answering this one. Serotonin is defined as:
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans. Serotonin is also found in many mushrooms and plants, including fruits and vegetables.
Basically, serotonin is a chemical in the CNS that carries signals from one nerve cell to the next (hence, a neurotransmitter), thus allowing the brain to communicate. It is also one type of neurotransmitter that is highly sensitive to what we eat and influential in affecting mood. Other “moody” chemicals are dopamine and norepinephrine (source: the Mood-Food Connection).
Read the rest of this entry »
Recently I participated in Relay Del Sol, an overnight team relay race that traverses nearly 190 miles through central Arizona. As if running and managing team logistics isn’t exhausting enough, I decided to punish myself even further by acting as a vendor and selling souvenirs all day at the finish line. That meant that while other participants had the privilege to go home, take a shower, and dive into the realm of slumber, I had to remain in the land of the living.
Naturally, I expected myself to be dragging a bit (to say the least), and searched for a convenient, portable energy drink to keep me going while I hawked merchandise. I preferred to stay away from some of the other rather noxious, sugar-laden drinks I’ve tried in the past, and coffee (although a favorite) just doesn’t pack well during an adventure race.
Then I found 5-Hour Energy, which comes in a convenient 2-oz, re-sealable bottle and claims to boost energy without sugar or a ridiculous amount of caffeine. It seemed like a good choice - so I decided to give it a try for the relay.
Read the rest of this entry »
It has been established for more than 50 years that caffeine helps you exercise longer in events that require endurance.
Recently researchers at Christ Church University in Canterbury, UK, showed that caffeine also helps you in much shorter events. Trained cyclists raced one kilometer (0.6 mile) on three times, in random order, after taking 5 mg of caffeine, taking a placebo, or taking nothing.
Their speed, mean power and peak power were more than three percent higher after taking caffeine (Journal of Sports Sciences, November 2006).
Read the rest of this entry »
Hersheys, Godiva, Lindt – dark, milk, white…
Guilt free, hedonistic (yet healthy) pleasure - dig into your holiday goodie stash (while it lasts).
Improve your mood, heart health, brain functioning – and even your skin!
Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate. The aroma, taste, texture and tantalizing effects (and affects) are truly addictive – and verifiably good for you, as well.
Discover chocolate in all its glory - indulge in all of its forms – hot, bars, cake or baths! For cocoa enthusiasts and the like - read on …
When it comes to cravings – good news – it isn’t just your imagination – or lack of willpower … In fact, it’s a documented fact that: Chocolate is the No. 1 most craved food, and women are the ones most likely to crave it. There, we know it’s true – but the reasons why we crave chocolate are complex and far reaching (but maybe these cravings aren’t such a bad thing after all!).
Read the rest of this entry »
Energy drinks are quickly becoming our favorite weapon for dealing with our fast-paced and stressful lives. They are convenient, work well and can even taste great. As a matter of fact, Red Bull and other energy drinks have become a true savior for those among us who dislike the taste of coffee, but who also could use that extra boost from caffeine. With all of the “natural” ingredients that the energy drink companies have added to their beverages - won’t we gain energy and become healthier at the same time? Unfortunately . . . (Brace Yourself!) . . . the answer is . . . NO!
Suzanne Farrell, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, believes that there is no substantial evidence proving that the ingredients in energy drinks actually do what the manufacturers advertise them to do. In addition, the caffeine and sugar intakes from these products can be detrimental to your health. Read the rest of this entry »
We have reported in the past, that it might be best to hold off on the coffee, or other sources of caffeine, until your after your run. However, we have posted this article, hesitantly, to at least inform you of the recent studies that have found caffeine to increase endurance. Just remember that although caffeine can produce the positive effects discussed below, there are many possible dangers and moderation is key.
[Studies have shown] that caffeinated drinks increase endurance during long events such as a marathon, triathlon [or cycling events]. A study from the University of Birmingham in England shows that caffeine helps the body use more carbohydrates from drinks that you take during exercise (Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2006). Those who took sugared drinks with caffeine were able to absorb and use 26 percent more of the ingested sugar than those who took the same drinks without caffeine. Read the rest of this entry »
Coffee. The aroma, the warmth, that first thought of so many in the morning.
Coffee beans, among others things like cocoa beans, cola nuts, and tea leaves all contain caffeine and are found in many common products.
According to the American Council on Exercise’s (ACE) Guide for Fitness Professionals:
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, making some people feel more awake and giving the others the jitters.
In affecting the body as such, it seems sensible to think that drinking coffee or consuming another caffeinated product would enhance one’s ability to perform athletically. However, there are many inherent consequences of this thinking (which I will discuss in detail later on in this post). Read the rest of this entry »
This article is written by a TFS guest contributor, Mr. Seth Braun, natural health expert and best-selling author. Seth can be contacted for a complimentary consultation through his site or at his clinic, (303)-444-2357.
Are you one of the many people that gets to 3 PM with a drowsy feeling and struggle to make it to the evening, when you feel a pick me up again?
If you are, than you are not alone. This has become such a common occurrence that advertising has begun to aggressively push quick fix solutions. I recently saw an ad for a new version of several classic candy bars that were offered as a solution to the afternoon slump.
That is more likely the cause of the slump than the solution…
How did American’s get into this? Read the rest of this entry »
© 2006-2008 The Final Sprint, LLC | Privacy Policy | Design by The Blog Studio
The Final Sprint, LLC is owned and operated by Adam Jacobs
The Final Sprint