Caffeine is a widely used drug found in coffee, cokes, tea, and guarana (an herb in most fat burning supplements). Caffeine is primarily used to:
People not only use Caffeine to get the boost they desire to get the day going, but is also used by athletes looking to improve performance, strength and focus due to its stimulatory effects. You may have also noticed that Caffeine is used in almost all of over the counter diuretics or weight loss products, due to its appetite suppressing and water reducing qualities. Other benefits you can find when using Caffeine are its ability to reduce migraine headaches and also the enhancement of the recovery process after a workout because of its ability to reduce lactic acid buildup.
Due to its versatility of use there are several ways to take caffeine to achieve your desired effect. You can take caffeine via the liquid form in cokes or tea, or you may find capsules and tablets to be more convenient (without any extra calories).
If you are looking to use caffeine as an energy stimulant, studies show that taking 100mg (the equivalent to a strong cup of coffee) to 200 mg up to three times a day should be effective. However, if you are using it for athletic purposes, taking 2mg for every body pound one hour prior to competition or exercise may work for you.
An important note about Caffeine is that people react differently to stimulants and it is recommended that it be taken at a lower dose at first so that you can find the right amount for your needs. It is also important to drink plenty of water throughout the day when taking Caffeine due to it being a diuretic. If you have heart problems, are pregnant, or experience unpleasant side effects, it is recommended that you talk to your doctor before continuing the use of caffeine.
Bodybuilders have been using Caffeine for a long time and have “stacked” it with ephedrine and aspirin for rapid weight loss. This has shown to be effective, but can be very dangerous to the body. Reports have shown them to use a common stack of 200mg Caffeine, 20mg ephedrine, and 150-300 mg of aspirin (also known as an ECA Stack). This stack is usually used for three to four weeks at a time with an off period of one to two weeks. As mentioned before, this is not a safe way to lose weight and should not be used without a doctor’s supervision.
