Caffeine as a Bodybuilding Supplement
Can caffeine safely be used in bodybuilding supplements? Should you stay away from any supplement that includes caffeine? You don’t need to avoid it. The responses of the body to caffeine make it a good bodybuilding supplement.
Adenosine is a substance that your body makes to make you drowsy. There are receptors in the brain that join with Adenosine causing blood cells to expand and nerve cell activity to decrease making you drowsy. Caffeine and Adenosine appear the same to the brain receptors, but caffeine causes the opposite reaction. Caffeine attaches to the same receptors, but it makes the nerve cells speed up and causes increased neuron firing in the brain.
The increased neuron firing causes the pituitary gland to produce adrenaline. The “buzz” affect you sometimes feel when you’ve had a lot of coffee is a result of the rapid neuron firing and the adrenaline combined. Adrenaline is the same chemical that kicks in when your body thinks it is in danger, and it causes many reactions in the body including the following:
Your breathing tubes open up more to help you take in more oxygen so your muscles work more effectively.
Heart rate increases to move that oxygenated blood to the muscles.
Blood vessels closer to the skin contract, increasing blood flow to the muscles.
Blood flow to the stomach reduces.
The liver discharges sugar into the blood for more energy.
Muscles tighten getting ready for action.
It is easy to see how each of these physical reactions can ramp up your workout. Look at a biceps training article to see how you can combine this supplement with good form to get big biceps.
Don’t avoid caffeine, it is one of the best bodybuilding supplements.
About 500 mg of caffeine a day is safe for most people, and taking it as a supplement before your workout will help you train harder and longer. But the best thing about using caffeine as a pre-workout supplement is you don’t have to drink 8 cups of coffee before your workout, nor do you have to break the bank on a pricey supplement that includes caffeine. The best, least expensive bodybuilding supplement can easily be had by doing this:
At your local drug store, find the generic brand of “No-Doze” or “Stay-Alert”. Check the active ingredients label to be sure the generic has identical ingredients as the name brand. Tablets that are not coated are better because they are more easily crushed. These pills generally have about 200 mg. of caffeine - about the same as in 2.5 cups of coffee.
About 15 minutes prior to your workout, crush one pill between two spoons until it is a powder. Mix the powder with juice or coffee and drink it. The effects of caffeine are not permanent and diminish after an hour or so. Look at this article on building biceps or this one about ab training to see how to best use the extra boost you get from caffeine.
Some research shows that using caffeine can boost memory and may reduce the chances of developing Parkinson’s disease. So stop avoiding caffeine, use it to increase muscle.
