Caffeine Use: An Olympic Poll
This week is the start of the much anticipated 2008 Beijing Olympics.
There has been much debate recently as to whether or not Olympians should be able to use caffeine in order to enhance their performance.
In 2004 The World Anti-Doping Agency removed caffeine from it’s list of banned substances. This meant that athletes would not be disqualified for caffeine consumption.
The following is a quote from an Article on an ABC news site which explores the issue and discusses some new studies concerning caffeine and the reasoning for lifting the caffeine ban.
“At the Beijing Olympics, experts say many athletes will be using caffeine to boost their performance, as scientific debate continues over whether or not it should be banned in sport.”
As all you energy fiends know, the world of caffeine has changed a lot since the last Olympics with the complete saturation of energy drinks and performance supplements containing mega doses of the good stuff.
So readers, what’s your opinion on the matter? Take a minute and participate in the poll below.
Should Olympians be allowed to use caffeine?
- yes (60%, 237 Votes)
- yes, but with limits (27%, 107 Votes)
- no (13%, 52 Votes)
Total Voters: 396
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10 Comments
If you start with caffeine, carbohydrates are next
lol@Dusty
Caffeine will heighten your reflexes and make it easier to draw out your best performance. Also, taken in moderate amounts after a race, it will help you recover much faster by returning glycogen to your muscle cells and helping your b ody to remove lactic acid my increasing blood flow. It’s an optimiser, not an enhancer, like say amphetamines, steroids, EPO, HGH, etc.
First they came for the caffeine, but I said nothing, for I don’t drink coffee.
Then they came for the carbs, but I said nothing, for I am on the Atkins’ diet.
Then they came for the protein, and now I have nothing to eat.
Not sure how caffeine helps restock glycogen in the muscles but I’m no doctor. I do long distance events on foot and on bike and know that most brands of gel have caffeine in them but I assumed that was to keep the mind sharp while refueling the body with the simple sugar syrups they use. Either way, I say that ahtletes should be allowed to use caffeine, but they should know how to do it right.
Why not just negate the effects of performance enhancing drugs by instituting the following policy:
Athletes will be permitted to use Performance Enhancing Drugs, however, an approximately equal dose of a drug with the opposite effect will be administered.
For stimulants, they will be given depressants; for synthetic testosterone, estrogen; etc.
Alex, then whats the point?
Per Justin – “It’s an optimiser, not an enhancer, like say amphetamines, steroids, EPO, HGH, etc.” Justin, caffeine IS an enhancer. It enhances the contractility of skeletal and cardiac muscle as well as aerobic capacity, but fails in a major aspect. It tends to increase blood lactate levels during anaerobic exercise (decreases the body’s ability to get rid of lactic acid) – this in turn will ‘wear you out’ more quickly during supramaximal activities (when you are pushing yourself beyond aerobic thresholds).
yo get this…if you can go to the local GNC and buy all those training supplements so you can build more muscle mass and burn off fat and use wey protine to build muscle then what the hell is wrong with caffeine!!!
lol…haha
Hey is they can use those new fancy swimming suits that reduce drag in the water and the latest other sport technologies then they should be able to use caffeine.