Caffeine In Sports

[HiatusOver]

Do u think a lot of professional athletes use caffeine before they play? I play a lot of soccer, and sometimes our games are late at night and I drink a Red Bull or something. I can't tell if it hurts or helps my performance, but it got me thinking about if this occurs in the big time sports.

I am pretty sure I have heard of the old time basketball players drinking coffee at half-time etc. Anyone have any insight?

[HiatusOver]

1st thing that popped up on google

[SackUp]

Caffeine is a diuretic so it makes it so you don't retain water and thus dehydrate. This is no good for most sports. It also makes you pee lots.

I remember drinking a red bull before a long run and I definitely noticed a negative effect towards the middle of the run.

So it can definitely give you energy in short bursts but can be long term detrimental for endurance purposes.

[DrewDevil]

I'm pretty sure they've done studies showing caffeine has a positive effect on athletic performance. The diuretic effect is easy enough to counter.

[BuckyK]

You can't have any caffeinated drinks in boxing or MMA type events. The fluids that are issued in your corner need to be accepted by the state athletic commissions. If you were to drink a redbull before a boxing match, the effects will last you maybe a round or two, and you better hope you knock that guy out because when you crash, you're not going to worth anything.

[gilper]

We weren't professionals but, my cycling team used to fill bottles with a mixture of flat coke and water. This was before Red bull and all the other energy drinks. Not sure if it really had any great effect on us or not.

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure they've done studies showing caffeine has a positive effect on athletic performance. The diuretic effect is easy enough to counter.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is the correct answer.

[That Foreign Guy]

Caffeine is a controlled substance in fencing precisely because it helps alertness and explosive movement. I'm not sure just how high the level is - I've heard wildly different stories (ie highest I heard was it was equivalent of 30 cups a day, lowest was "one redbull before a match and you're at risk of failing")

[Shilly]

I don't drink coffee very often, but I drank a cup one time before a tennis match in high school. It made me completely jittery. I definitely wouldn't recommend it for sports that require a great deal of hand-eye coordination.

[soko]

[ QUOTE ]
You can't have any caffeinated drinks in boxing or MMA type events. The fluids that are issued in your corner need to be accepted by the state athletic commissions. If you were to drink a redbull before a boxing match, the effects will last you maybe a round or two, and you better hope you knock that guy out because when you crash, you're not going to worth anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is interesting if true, considering Xyience energy drink is a major sponsor of UFC and MMA in general, Most fighters are required to take a drink after their fight this may have little to do with what they drink during and before their fights but still, the perception is that it's supposed to help fighters.