TO CAFFEINE OR NOT
TO CAFFEINE?
I
t’s a sad fact that often in the news these days we hear tragedy.
industry, it can handle
A young boy goes into cardiac arrest on a soccer field. A 50 year
FAAE are entrenched
old woman collapses at a trail run. A 25 year old man falls to the
scale events like The Ko
floor at a gym and doesn’t get up. And it happens much more
the GC50 Run Festival.
often than you realise. Every 12 minutes in fact. And that’s not a
defibrillator supplier to
typo – every 12 minutes, an Australian will die from some form of
Games, providing 150
heart disease.
during the Games.
BY HA
N uplifting
Y A L L to S hear
T O the
N ‘good news’ stories; that young boy
So N
it’s
“We’re really proud
was revived in minutes due to the coach that sprinted for the
groups and getting the
onsite defibrillator; that 50 year old woman was defibrillated in 3
of having easily access
minutes due to a roving medic that had a defibrillator at the event;
parkrun Australia have
and that 25 year old man made a full recovery as he was defibbed
their quick thinking an
within 2 minutes via the AED in the wall cabinet above his head.
wonderful to see as th
The importance of having a defibrillator onsite at sporting
in tragedy.
clubs, events and gyms cannot be understated. And it’s vitally
“I guess the key mes
get
the right
for your circumstances.
s a performance coach specialising in trail and ultra- important to
you
would
in a one
non-caffeinated
state. Unless you are ruthless for a tragedy before yo
of
First putting
Aid Accident
& Emergency
(FAAE),
reactive. Don’t wait for
distance running, I am frequently asked about the use Director
of
about
this energy
back in whilst
on Scott
your caffeine-high,
encourages
organisations
to not
only
get a hole
defibrillator
caffeine a supplement to performance. With almost Whimpey,
every
then you can
be digging your
own
energy
that may be Club before you finally
for their business,
but
get impossible,
the right one
their
needs.
one from ever happen
sports nutrition brand providing caffeinated options,
difficult,
or to
near
to for
return
from.
“As an avid runner and multisport competitor myself, I cannot
In addition to defibr
from gels to chews to beverages, I believe it is important to
stress
the importance
of having a defib onsite, especially
training throughout So
address the question – to caffeine or not to caffeine? Sadly, as
you enough
CAFFEINE
IS A DIURETIC
sporting
clubs concept
and events,”
would that
have
to
first
aid, CPR, advance
will soon find out, whilst there are some good rules to abide around
by,
The same
holds says
true Scott.
for the “I effect
caffeine
has on
our
say one of the
best for As
that
scenario
be the HeartSine
are available a
everyone is different. Using caffeine requires you to understand
hydration.
caffeine
is a would
mild diuretic,
it can give an athlete Classes
the
samaritan 360P
defibrillator.
It’s one
of the
toughest
ones
out while thinking,
(with specials now ava
the science, your own body’s response to this common stimulant,
sensation
of needing
to stop
behind
a tree,
all the
there, but also
one I must
of the be
easiest
to use If in you
regards
to technology
and then to deliberately practice and observe its effects
‘great,
hydrated’.
are zinging
along in your race
www.firstaidae.c
and transportability.
And with
one it of
IP ratings
in the
during exercise.
on your caffeine
high,
is the
also highest
imperative
to keep
on top of your
fluids, preferably using an electrolyte higher in sodium.
THAT IS THE QUESTION!
A
CAFFEINE IS A STIMULANT
Let us begin with the most important concept. Caffeine is a
stimulant. It acts to give you a false sense of energy, helping to
heighten alertness and enhance wakefulness. In competition,
these effects can help someone to feel more responsive to the
challenges of the sport, overcome fatigue (both physical and
mental), and to also mask pain (more on this soon). However,
herein lies the caution. If caffeine is a stimulant and can help
someone to feel like a relative of Superman, then it is likely that
this individual is working at a heightened level of physical and
mental exertion. Underlying this is still the same body requiring
the same amount of energy, if not more, to maintain its level of
performance. If you are someone who uses caffeine, then it is
highly likely that you are chewing into energy reserves faster than
32 | MULTISPORT MAGAZINE
CAFFEINE HAS DIFFERENT EFFECTS ON DIFFERENT
PEOPLE
I am a tea drinker and even a small influx of caffeine will hit me
hard, so hard in fact that my mind begins to race and I begin to
feel a little bit jittery. My husband on the other hand loves a coffee,
or two, or three. Whilst I opt for the tea leaves, he will grind, filter
and create an espresso with negligible effects on his physiology
or psyche. Out on the trail, the enormous difference of caffeine’s
effects on our bodies continues to be evident. For me, even a
portion of a caffeinated gel is like putting a firecracker in a tin can.
The nearly instantaneous pulse of caffeine resonates throughout
my body, causing me to feel zingy, jittery and uncomfortable.