Although it is simple biochemistry and physiology, caffeine and other similar compounds remain some of the most misunderstood poisons within nutrition and “sports performance science.”
While I’ve covered caffeine in depth in previous articles such as “Caffeine is a Defense Chemical and a Potent Poison — Do Not Neglect Accumulated Damage,” this randomized controlled trial, as summarized by Examine.com, gave me another opportunity to expand on the subject and explain some more of their faulty backwards thinking — especially that of “habitual” adaptation.
Quick Summary
In this randomized controlled trial, researchers compared the “ergogenic” performance effects after 8 weeks of daily caffeine use compared to a placebo, and also the effects after a one week “washout” and the use of caffeine again compared to the first test.
Key study details
“The participants (73 sedentary male college students) usually consumed less than 25 milligrams of caffeine per day. For this trial, they took a caffeine supplement (3 mg/kg of body weight) or a placebo daily.”
3 mg/kg is within the usually recommended dosage of 3 to 6 mg/kg for an alleged “performance boost” without the risk of poisoning you to such a degree that you might get a heart attack or simply become an incapacitated jittery mess.
For a regular guy at 75 kg, or 165 lbs., that would be around 225 mg of caffeine a day.
“After 8 weeks, the participants performed a 3-kilometer running test and a Wingate test (which measures anaerobic power and capacity) twice, taking caffeine before one set of tests and a placebo before the other set.
In week 9, all of the participants took a placebo daily. At the end of the week, the participants took caffeine or a placebo and completed the same tests (delayed test).”
We should see a better “performance boost” (as in an acute poisoning fight-or-flight stress response) in those who only took caffeine before the test compared to the poor suckers who took caffeine for 8 weeks. As for the second test, a “washout” of one week might be enough to let the body heal and recover a bit and the stress-response might once again be similar to those only taking it occasionally.
“Caffeine improved performance, but to a lesser degree in the daily caffeine group. Caffeine’s ergogenic effect did not differ between the groups for the delayed test.”
Yes, that’s what I said. An acute poisoning will trigger a fight-or-flight stress response, temporarily improving performance as your body perceives the caffeine as a threat to your life.
So, poisoning yourself daily for eight weeks will not make your body accustomed to being poisoned, but rather the accumulated damage from the caffeine, especially on all the endocrine glands involved with hormonal release will decrease the body’s response due to damage and being overworked.
Examine.com’s take
“This study provides strong evidence that habitual caffeine use reduces its ergogenic effect but conflicts with a previous meta-analysis. Further research is needed.”
No, it’s not “habitual,” as in “getting used to” or “getting accustomed to,” or due to “tolerance,” which is the common backwards belief. Your body does not suddenly begin to ignore acute poisoning because it gets used to it. However, the poisoning will cause damage — damage that accumulates over time and stress the glands and organs involved in the fight-or-flight stress response. So, over time, the effects will not be as pronounced as the body can no longer release the same amount of epinephrine (adrenaline,) norepinephrine (noradrenaline,) and cortisol from being overworked and damaged. That is not “habitual,” that is a damage-induced reduction of functionality.
However, this might vary between individuals depending on their overall toxic load, daily stress levels and nutritional status (ability to detox and heal.) Someone getting enough nutrients from animal-based foods will be able to keep up for a much longer period of time than someone mostly consuming inappropriate plant-based or processed crap. Same with someone who is calm and grounded and only gets stress-responses from the caffeine compared to someone who is feeling stressed most of the day due to work, school or social burdens/conflicts. That is why studies and trials differ, as all people involved have different lifestyles and diets.
So, what this trial showed us is that only 8 weeks of daily caffeine use within the 3 mg/kg range is enough to cause damage and loss of function in these glands and organs. Just imagine how a body looks on the inside that has been poisoned daily with caffeine for years, especially those who consume caffeine pills, energy drinks or pre-workout formulas that will guarantee 3 mg/kg or more caffeine most days of the week. Not to mention everything else they abuse their bodies with…
Again, most people reach for caffeine or similar drugs because they have damaged their bodies and can’t muster enough energy to feel productive — or they simply run out of energy early in the day, or can’t even get going without it. And then, after taking it, they get a little kick of stress-induced fake energy, and they also cause more damage, and thus become even more dependent on the same backwards solution. It’s a catch-22 circle of abuse. You could call it an addiction.
And the only way to break it and feel energized again is to remove the offenders, as in caffeine and anything plant-based and processed. Then feed and heal the body with species-appropriate foods, as in animal-based foods. And the best way to quit caffeine or any other stimulant is by loading up on nutrients from animal-based foods and then doing a 3 to 5 day fast, preferably with 1 day or more of dry fasting. Just start fasting and drop the caffeine. The withdrawal will be minimal, especially if dry fasting, as the healing and detoxification will be amplified. After the fast when you resume eating animal foods, you will feel like a new man or woman.
If you’re unsure about how to do it or how to best set it up, you know where to reach me.
If you need help with any kind of health problems or transitioning from your current way of eating to our natural species-appropriate, species-specific way of eating, I’m available for both coaching and consultation.
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