Do You Use Energy Drinks Before Meets?

[mustang30]

Try FRS! I didn't beleive any of that stuff works, but this stuff does. I take it daily just to keep up with my Elem PE Kids. Competition days take one straw about 30 min before warm-up and another about 30 min before you come in.

[tsorenson]

Aren't some substances in energy drinks banned by the NCAA? It is my understanding that even caffeine in high levels constitutes a performance-enhancing drug and could get you DQ'd if you are tested.

I tried one of those 5-hour-energy vials one time in a meet (Hayward Classic a few years back) and it really screwed me up. I felt like my head was going to explode or something. I took waaaay too many warmup jumps and only cleared my opening height. Never used them again, just maybe some coffee in the morning (this is an everyday habit for me), H20, and always a banana and some light snacks through the day.

One of my masters vaulter friends was advocating a shot of pickle juice for helping prevent spasms...anybody want to comment on this one? It does have lots of electrolytes...and hey, pickles are good!

This is hilarious, they are making a sports drink from pickle juice...sounds better than some I've tried:
http://www.goldenpicklejuice.com/

Here's the only actual research I could find on it:
http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/pickleJuice.htm

Tom

[dheldr01]

I like taking NOZ before I train. Its an over the counter powder supplement you mix with water. It taste great and gives your muscle extra endurance. It has creatine in it, lots of aminos, and few other things. I have 16oz of water with 10 grams about and hour before I vault.

[vault3rb0y]

I can almost gaurantee it does not give you more muscle endurance. If you are referring to the ATP-CP cycle, taking creatine has an effect of bloating the muscles with water which can help them to recover post-workout. But taking it will NOT speed up your muscle recovery or endurance DURING your workout. Any effect would be psychological due to the stimulant or placebo effect. My coach did his dissertation on the effects of caffeine on athletic performance, and found no actual physical performance increase (endurance, reaction time, strength, etc). However, if you need the psychological effect of caffeine to keep you going during a workout, power to ya.

[powerplant42]

You might have just ruined it for him.

[vault3rb0y]

Lol sorry but i can't sit here studying this stuff in a textbook and let the false information keep circulating. Yes, i agree that for some people, a low amount of caffiene can help with a tough weightroom workout or that creatine can marginally help increase muscle mass and help a PVer in the off-season, but let's not get carried away.

[dheldr01]

Look it up. Discuss the pros and cons of all ingredients and explain it to me like I'm a four year. Just go ahead and download one of yours or your coaches essays on here so I can have all the appropriate and correct information

[vault3rb0y]

Well we are discussing two supplements here- caffiene and creatine. Lets start with creatine:

How it works:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17957000

Essentially the swelling that occurs from creatine is thought to help stimulate all sorts of healthy cell activity, specifically within mRNA expression. Although this study is small scale (n=12) I don't think the effects of creatine in protien synthesis is being debated.

Who it works for:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18500965

Discusses the wide variability in the efficacy of creatine in certain individuals. Some respond well, some don't. Good to keep that in mind if and when you decide to supplement- you may not get the same results as the other guy.

How much to take/what does it help improve:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19387397

Shows that 2.5g is ideal supplement amount to increase maximum power output (as measured by a couple lifts) and than increases to 5g/day only serves to increase body mass (swelling), and that creatine has not been linked to significant increases in endurance OR PEAK POWER OUTPUT. This is important because "peak power output" is measured by vertical jump and another explosive test called the wingate test. This suggests that while creatine may increase your strength on the squat rack, that it does not specifically make you more explosive (aka faster).


As for the caffeine studies, my coach studied that for his dissertation easily 15 years ago, I will email him on the details because i doubt he published it (very small sample size). In the mean time lets see what you could have found if you had just looked on pubmed yourself:


Caffiene effect on athletic performance:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19924012

There is evidence of caffiene helping in endurance as well as resistance training activities, however not in sprinting. It appears that low-tolerance to caffiene improves its effectiveness from this study. 6 of 11 studies found improvements in resistance training. However this is a meta-review, so how much is due to the psychological effects of caffiene vs. physiological effects is not explored.

Nervous system response:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19088790

Punchline is, caffeine does not effect your CNS or improve response time. Instead, the effects are in part due to a submaximal strength increase (hence an endurance increase) and an increased tolerance for pain.

I shouldn't have said that caffiene does not improve your athletic performance, but instead that it's effects are in great part due to an increase in pain threshold. There has been little physiological evidence of caffeine increase maximal strength during lifting. Instead, there is evidence in submax power levels increasing due to helping in calcium re-uptake. This is not the same as being able to work out for longer, but instead means that if you work at 60% effort for an extended period of time, your 60% effort can be greater with caffeine than without. Hence the endurance effect. Any other effects can be attributed to the feeling caffeine gives you, not the physiological changes.

[vault3rb0y]

If you can't tell.... pubmed can answer most of your questions. The rest is what I have talked to Ph.D Exercise Physiologists about throughout the past 2 years. If their information is correct, you can check it yourself through pubmed or similar free research article websites. Just keep in mind that research is always changing, so the first information you find might not always be the most accurate. That is where talking to the doctors of the world can come in handy.

[AeroVault]

Aren't some substances in energy drinks banned by the NCAA?

Yes, stimulants including caffeine (guarana) are banned by the NCAA. I've seen a medal stripped at the Big Ten meet a few years back for caffeine, after officials tested immediately after the race. Just search for "banned substances" at http://www.ncaa.org

In general, it is not a good idea to even start with energy drinks or other supplements. Dietary supplements do not need to be pre-approved by FDA before they can enter the market. There is no guarantee these are even safe, let alone beneficial for athletics.
I know it's not always easy to eat right and get a full night's rest, but at least educate yourself on the effects of the chemicals in energy drinks and supplements. There are a lot of great links above to help.

[somechick]

Let's pare this all down a bit...Eat healthy and stay hydrated. That should be all you need!