Is Caffeine Bad For Us

Is caffeine bad for us? Is there a certain amount of caffeine that is unhealthy? What does caffeine do? I feel like we get bashed nowadays for the degree of which we love our caffeinated beverages. 

Me personally? I am a huge fan of caffeine and if I had known some of the side effects I would have made it a nutritional staple to drive performance while playing collegiate football. I have heard it all when it comes to opinions and preconceived notions about caffeine.

Caffeine is a drug, it is bad for you. Regular caffeine use over time isn’t good for your heart. So many opinions out there that paint such a negative picture about caffeine. So instead of jumping on the negative nancy bandwagon, I want you to watch this video (these guys are beyond phenomenal and highly recommend following them - they have challenged my bias and helped me grow as a clinician on a regular basis). 

If you don’t have the time to nerd out and learn straight from the source, I get it. Here are some of my favorite takeaways (but seriously, watch that video when you can it is gold). 

1. 1. 85 percent of population consumes at least one serving of caffeine everyday
2. 2. Caffeine does not increase heart rate (just how hard the heart contracts)
3. 3. Can increase muscle excitability 
4. 4. 400 mg a day (4-5 cups) per day is generally considered healthy long term WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS
5. 5. Lethal dose is approximately 150-200mg/kg (75 - 100 cups of coffee for someone weighing 154 lbs… basically impossible!)
6. 6. People who drink caffeine regularly don’t see a change in blood pressure (may slightly increase those who don’t drink it normally)
7. 7.Moderate to even high intakes of caffeine is not associated with increased risks of any cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, cardiac arrythmias, etc) 
8. 8. Avoid caffeine 6-8 hours before sleeping (though this is very general - some people tolerate it prior to sleeping just fine).
9. 9.Caffeine hits you faster when consumed via gum (measured in blood) and slower when consumed via capsules. 
10. 10. The amount of caffeine in the blood is slightly higher when consumed via coffee when compared to energy (big win for coffee here and I will take it)
11. 11. When taken orally 99% of caffeine is absorbed within 45 minutes
12. 12. Cognitive and physical performance remains even in those who regularly consume (so no need to worry about needing to detox!)
13. 13. Performance enhancing dose is 3-9mg/kg bodyweight (generally). So roughly 154 lb individual 2 cups (200mg) is a great dose for performance roughly 60 min before exercise. 

Moral of the story is that caffeine is NOT bad for you. It can increase physical and cognitive performance with virtually ZERO side effects with long term continuous use. I hope you enjoyed this summary of why caffeine is so awesome, I know I did (and that’s all that matters).