Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

So, I have already cut down my coffee intake dramatically. As of right now, when I wake up in the morning...I brew coffee consisting of two tablespoons of regular coffee and one tablespoon of decaf coffee (with six cups of water.) Throughout the day I find myself craving the TASTE of coffee, and even if I'm tired, I'll get myself decaf coffee to avoid the jumpy/anxious feeling I can get from caffeine. But I've heard even decaf coffee isn't the best for you. I'll either have a small decaf coffee with just a little soymilk, or a small decaf soy latte. I've noticed some acid reflux issues that I think might be connected to my coffee intake and I'm wondering if anyone can provide me with some more info about coffee (especially decaf) that will cause me to want to completely stop drinking it. Ha. Is it going to hurt my gains at all? I've purchased teccinno (grain/herbal coffee) to make at home at night...but the issue is when I'm in the city all day, and start craving that warm taste that doesn't seem to be satisfied by tea. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Coffee will not hurt your gains. It has a positive effect on your body composition.

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It kicks up your metabolism but also decreases insulin sensitivity. Not sure there's ever been any studies weighing the two effects but as long as you're not downing a few pastries along with your coffee I bet it's a net positive.

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I know where you're coming from. I was just there. Thankfully, my gym owner is anti-caffeine. We were talking coffee in protein shake and he shook his head. He said the following, which I took as truth, because its what I needed to hear regardless of truth.

He said that coffee will make you weak because it hinders protein synthesis in the body, it will make you stupid and useless without it, and it affects your adrenal gland after a while so (something or another, yada yada yada) you get stupid and weak.

I dunno. It was enough to convince me to not use it.

Athletes and drugs don't mix (save for hgh. That's a big win (sarcasm)). Caffeine is a drug. I'll stay away.

Good luck in your search for info. I'll be watching this thread.

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"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad." - Brian O'Driscoll

I gave up coffee a few years ago. Mostly because it bothered my stomach and I was feeling nauseous a lot. I tried replacing it with (non-caffeinated) tea but like you I didn't really feel like tea had the same effect. After a month or two I just got used to it. Now I only have coffee very occasionally...like maybe 3-4 times a year. I don't even miss it.

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vegan for the win!

i fucking love coffee. pour me another big cup of of that stupid useless weakness.

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Radical simply means "grasping things at the root." - Angela Davis

also. see this:
http://www.naturalnews.com/012352.html

excerpt:

Everybody "knows" that caffeine makes you more alert and clearheaded. Think again. A cup of coffee gives you a wakeup jolt because it triggers a stress response. Your adrenal glands are prompted to kick out the same stress hormones that are released when you perceive an external threat or danger. Your muscles tense, your blood sugar elevates for extra energy, your pulse and respiration rates speed up, and your state of alertness increases so you're ready to wrestle with or run from environmental dangers. You may be only sitting at your table or desk drinking a cup of coffee, but your body doesn't know that. It's preparing for action.

The Memory Solution by Dr Julian Whitaker, page 261

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"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad." - Brian O'Driscoll

i love coffee too! But alas, I have all but stopped drinking it save for the occasional decaf. Too acidic for me, and bone loss runs in my family. I do wake up and have STRONG black tea every morning with soymilk in it to make it taste a little creamier. Doesnt taste like coffee, but its decent.

Something that tastes similar to coffee (not the same mind you) but has no caffeine and is not acidic is Tecchino. It's a "grain drink" that you brew like coffee. It's in the coffe section at natural grocers and it's kinda pricey, but it is tasty. I also put soymilk in that when i used to drink it. Just too expensive for me now. but mmm mmm good.

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the beginning is always today.

here, here!

Honestly... coffee is another one of those things that there is a lot of conflicting information about. Coffee in excess is definitely bad for you due to the high amounts of caffeine, however, if you drink one or two cups in the morning, I don't think it's going to have a negative impact on your health...in fact, for me, it has a negative impact to cut it completely out of my diet. I have poor circulation in my hands and feet that tend to cause them to swell up and ache from time to time, and for whatever reason coffee seems to help regulate this and minimize the frequency that the swelling and pain occurs. And I have read about others who have had the same.

There's also theories that coffee in lower amounts can be beneficial for you liver and digestive system. But you know...it's just like the controversial discussions that surround soy, too... no one really knows, and it's also based on what works for the individual. If coffee doesn't work for you, don't drink it, but I don't think it's fair to say that one or two cups a day for everyone makes them "stupid and weak"

I can tell you right now if I didn't have my coffee every morning I wouldn't even have the ambition to train. (And there was a point in time that I did quit coffee for a few months, and I never got past the feelings of mental cloudiness when I quit drinking it)

oh and by the way, it also depends on how you take your coffee...of course if you're pouring a whole bunch of creamer and sweetener into it...it's going to be bad for you.

I personally take mine black...

I've never been into coffee. Like the smell but that's it. Yerba Maté is much better (taste and benefits) for me.

vega sport(lemon lime) is a good replacement.

I started feeling withdrawls of it though when I didnt have it.

Crazy how our bodies are.

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I'm not so sure about this. Ephedrine works this way, by causing your adrenals to release larger amounts of catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline). Caffeine basically works by enhancing the action of the normal amount of adrenaline that you produce (it inhibits the breakdown of the second messengers produced in response to adrenaline).

There have been studies which show doctors make fewer mistakes on long shifts when they take caffeine. There have also been studies which showed benefit to weight lifters. Caffeine is a tool which can have significant benefits, but it can also cause physical dependence. It's a double-edged sword.

I used to drink like a pot a day quite a few years back. I had to quit due to stomach upset. Now, I love tea and drink a lot of the green sort. I might have a cup of coffee once a week. Before a longer cardio session or when I need a boost I like Guayaki Yerba Mate....but that has caffeine too. The mate seems to give me less of a "crash" after though.

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If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men. -St. Francis of Assisi

Modus omnibus in rebus.

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_hea ... _of_coffee



What is a drug? How do you define it?