Caffeine Buzz

After talking with one of my coworkers about Coffee consumption and the effects on the body I was left with a ginourmous "Huh?" in my mind. I'm the kind of person that wants to see facts, long term studies before I start throwing out half-formed opinions to the world as fact so off i went. I was a bit disappointed because as I was reading several articles and studies in journals I checked the date and many were in the 80s and 90s, granted that's not ancient but Come ON its 2009! Where are the recent studies at?? So I finally hit the jackpot and found some Quality, Recent and Informative studies/articles that I'll list the links for at the end of this post.

Here are my main questions I wanted answers to and HEY YOU THERE! if you have similar questions or any random question let me know and I'll be on it like white on rice and I'll pick the brains of my nutritionist/dietitian/fit pro friends until you're satisfied.

1. What are the physiological changes the body undergoes with caffeine use?
2. What are the safe/unsafe/recommended dose of caffeine?
3. Effects on workouts psychological/physical?
4. Risks?
5. Benefits?
6. How much caffeine does the avg American consume?
7. Withdrawal/Addiction?
8. Chemical make up and natural sources of caffeine?

#1 Changes the body experiences due to caffeine consumption?
It stimulates the central nervous system.
It releases free fatty acids from adipose (fatty) tissue.
It affects the kidneys, increasing urination, which can lead to dehydration.Lowers perception of effort, wards off drowsiness and increases alertness by stimulating the central nervous system.
Increases the amount of energy derived from fat, thus theoretically sparing glucose and glycogen stores and delaying the onset of fatigue in long distance runs (over 20 miles).

#2 Amount of Caffeine?
For adults it is generally agreed that consuming up to 300 mg of caffeine per day is safe. For children under the age of 12 caffeine consumption is not recommended and should be limited as much as possible.The United States hasn't developed guidelines for caffeine intake and kids, but Canadian guidelines recommend that preschoolers get no more than 45 milligrams of caffeine a day. That's equivalent to the average amount of caffeine found in a 12-ounce (355-milliliter) can of soda or four 1.5-ounce (43-gram) milk chocolate bars.
#3 Caffeine and Exercise?
Caffeine does not improve maximal oxygen capacity directly, but could permit the athlete to train at a greater power output and/or to train longer. It has also been shown to increase speed and/or power output in simulated race conditions. These effects have been found in activities that last as little as 60 seconds or as long as 2 hours. There is less information about the effects of caffeine on strength; however, recent work suggests no effect on maximal ability, but enhanced endurance or resistance to fatigue. There is no evidence that caffeine ingestion before exercise leads to dehydration, ion imbalance, or any other adverse effects. Recent studies also support the statement that caffeine consumption prior to exercise decreases pain post-exercise.



#4 Risks?
EXCESS CAFFEINE - Too much caffeine can cause an array of problems including:
*Restlessness
*Irritability
*Anxiety
*Heartburn
*Headaches (sometimes severe)
*High blood pressure
*Sleeplessness
*Rapid heartbeat
*Nausea
CAFFEINE WITHDRAWAL - Symptoms can begin as soon as 12 hours after your last cup, depending on the amount of caffeine your body is used to. Symptoms can last for up to a week and include:
*Restlessness
*Irritability
*Anxiety
*Headaches (sometimes severe)
*Muscle stiffness
*Chills and/or hot spells
If you are attempting to reduce your caffeine intake, do so gradually. Cutting back slowly will help you avoid some of the withdrawal symptoms. If you simply must have a cup of something in the morning, try decaf or an herbal tea.

#5 Benefits?

(1) Caffeine increases alertness and reduces fatigue. This may be especially important in low arousal situations (e.g. working at night). (2) Caffeine improves performance on vigilance tasks and simple tasks that require sustained response. (3) Effects on more complex tasks are difficult to assess and probably involve interactions between the caffeine and other variables which increase alertness (e.g. personality and time of day). (4) In contrast to the effects of caffeine consumption, withdrawal of caffeine has few effects on performance. There is often an increase in negative mood following withdrawal of caffeine, but such effects may largely reflect the expectancies of the volunteers and the failure to conduct "blind" studies. (5) Regular caffeine usage appears to be beneficial, with higher users having better mental functioning.

#6 Avg American Consumption?

200mg/day

#7 Withdrawal/Addiction?

Caffeine alters mood and behavior, and it can also result in physical dependence, says Roland Griffiths, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "People are hesitant to think of it as a drug of addiction because it doesn't have a lot of the health
and adverse social consequences associated with our classic drugs of addiction, yet the basic mechanisms by which it hooks people are very much like our classic drugs of addiction," he says.

Most people experience mild to modest withdrawal, Griffiths says, which is relieved by drinking coffee in the morning after abstaining from it overnight. Many people say, "'I really don't get going until I have coffee, [and] then I feel great.' What they're not recognizing is that if they didn't consume coffee [at all], they would wake up feeling great," Griffiths says.
Here are some of the signs of caffeine withdrawal, which typically appear 12 to 24 hours after abstaining from coffee.
Headache
Lethargy
Depressed mood
Nausea
Vomiting
Muscle pain and stiffness

#8 Chemical make up and natural sources of caffeine?

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug.

Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the cherries of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut. Other sources include yerba mate, guarana berries, and the Yaupon Holly.



So there are the answers to the questions that I had and I hope that this will serve as a guide for any of you that have similar inquiries.



References
Iowa State
AHA
Old but Thorough
Kids and Caffeine
Risks
Benefits