Mx racers and cross country racers: do you use caffeine?

[rablack21]

To the racers out there, the question is this. Do you supplement with caffeine before your races or do you stay away from it? I have never actually had any caffeine before a race so I have never tried it myself. A know a couple guys that use it before races and I know a couple that avoid it like the plague. Here are the arguments I have heard for and against it:

In favor:
It increases performance and stamina, so you can run faster longer.

Against:
It severely dehydrates your body.
It will make your arm pump worse.
It will cause you to cramp up.

Again, these aren't facts, just arguments I have heard. I have some caffeine pills that I have used from time to time when extra energy was needed around the house or before my cycling class at the gym. I have to say that I do notice a bit more stamina when I take it during my cycling classes. However, you don't really work your forearm muscles during cycling, so I don't know whether it would increase arm pump or not.

So what are your thought? Do you use it? Stay away from it? Have tried it? Don't care either way? lol

[Burns363R]

Absolutely not. Stay away from it.  Do you think that Olympic athletes drink that stuff?  Now im not saying i dont have a pop on race day.  But its not for any benefit that taste.  

I will carb load a couple hours before a XC race for sure.   You dont want to much or to close to the race otherwise you get bloated and feel full.  But if you eat pasta, or bread, anything like that before the race, your body is digesting it, for the race and during the race for energy.

[rablack21]

Absolutely not. Stay away from it.  Do you think that Olympic athletes drink that stuff?  Now im not saying i dont have a pop on race day.  But its not for any benefit that taste.  

I will carb load a couple hours before a XC race for sure.   You dont want to much or to close to the race otherwise you get bloated and feel full.  But if you eat pasta, or bread, anything like that before the race, your body is digesting it, for the race and during the race for energy.

Honestly, I'm not sure if they do or not. If it was a competition that only required a short burst of speed or power, I might could see them using it. But I'm really looking for something that will keep me powered through long mx races. (Yes, exercise is a given. lol)
How long before a race do you eat pasta and stuff like that? Does it really make a difference? I've never really carb loaded before, so I don't know much about it. I have only heard of long distance runners and some others doing it.

[dem3500]

I used to mtn bike a lot. I used to have to stop every half hr or so and eat a power bar.  Caffeine pills (everyone is a lillte different) will most likely cause your body to crash when it wears off. I would never never never take any drug to "enhance" my stamina! I drink a couple cups on coffee on a normal basis and I might drink a cup before I went out riding. I'd carb load the night before and drink orange juice and a light breakfast. Maybe a power bar or 2. Never any drugs!

[Burns363R]

I started running longer distances like 4-5 miles, i noticed a huge performance gain when i would eat a good meal a couple hours before.  I would say at least 1.5-2 hours before an MX event, eat something solid.  I can see the diffence in my running times from 6when i eat well and when i dont.  And im not a real runner. 6'1" 220lbs, lol im not the typical running body.

[zcarlson12]

I've tried a Monster before riding. It helped for sure and I definitely felt stronger for longer in the moto but I crashed pretty hard after. Not crash on the quad, caffeine crash. I also don't drink them at all or pop to begin with. I was curiuos just like you Ryan. Like Kyle said though, carb load some and eat some fruit. That's what I do now.

[rablack21]

I started running longer distances like 4-5 miles, i noticed a huge performance gain when i would eat a good meal a couple hours before.  I would say at least 1.5-2 hours before an MX event, eat something solid.  I can see the diffence in my running times from 6when i eat well and when i dont.  And im not a real runner. 6'1" 220lbs, lol im not the typical running body.

You are I are almost the exact same size. I'm 6'1" 230lbs.lol. Trying to trim it down though. I absolutely hate running unless it is for a sport. I am terrible at running 4-5 miles, especially on a tread mill. I get tired pretty fast, but also get bored quick. The best I have been able to do is taking a cycling class for about 50 min. It seems to do a good job and helps with the endurance, except that for me atleast, it feels a little different. With they cycling, it usually switches between high intensity for short periods of time and moderate intensity for long periods of time. But to me when I'm racing, it feels like it is high intensity (90-95% effort) for 8-12 minutes! They are close, but still don't seem to be quite the same.

Perhaps that is part of my problem, the food that is. I try to shy away from eating a whole lot prior to the race. Always afraid of feeling full or bloated during a race. I usually will have something solid about 2 hours prior to the race and will eat some of the gatorade carb chews 15 minutes before the race. I almost never eat food any closer than about 2 hours prior to racing. So are you saying that you eat a big breakfast in the morning prior to a race that day? If so, what are you eating?

[rablack21]

I've tried a Monster before riding. It helped for sure and I definitely felt stronger for longer in the moto but I crashed pretty hard after. Not crash on the quad, caffeine crash. I also don't drink them at all or pop to begin with. I was curiuos just like you Ryan. Like Kyle said though, carb load some and eat some fruit. That's what I do now.

Yeah, in my experience, it does push you a bit harder, but you don't know how long it will last. And then you feel even more tired when you come down. I drink a soda that morning, just for taste. I do drink a protein shake after motos. That seems to make me feel a lot better. But that's more towards recovery afterward instead of during. I struggle through those last couple of laps.

[dem3500]

Breakfast......IMHO. Pancakes eggs fruit or orange juice. Nothing greasy. At least for me physical exercise with greasy food in my stomach gives me heart burn lol.

[Burns363R]

I hated running, but i knew its great for cardio.  I started with just running a 5k route i laid out. 3.1 miles.  Within a few weeks i was dropping minutes off my pace.  After getting down to a 24min 30 sec 5k, i decided to start running farther, it started to kind of become fun because i kept setting goals and breaking my own records.   After your body gets used to running its, not as bad.  Im like you i get board on a tread mill, thats why i watch movies on my phone or listed to music while i jog outside.  It helps.

[rablack21]

I hated running, but i knew its great for cardio.  I started with just running a 5k route i laid out. 3.1 miles.  Within a few weeks i was dropping minutes off my pace.  After getting down to a 24min 30 sec 5k, i decided to start running farther, it started to kind of become fun because i kept setting goals and breaking my own records.   After your body gets used to running its, not as bad.  Im like you i get board on a tread mill, thats why i watch movies on my phone or listed to music while i jog outside.  It helps.

Do you feel it is the running that is really helping the most with your mx stamina?

[Burns363R]

Absolutely.  Its about efficiently converting oxygen in your lungs to your blood stream to get to your muscles.  I literally just got done doing a 5 mile run.  And my breathing is so much better now than it was a year ago when i would try to do 1 mile.  I would be gasping after a 9:30 mile pace.   Now i can run 8 min miles and breath normally.   I can push to a 7 minute mile, but then my breathing gets heavy and i cannot maintain it...YET!!!!

But think how nice it would be to be able to push hard for an entire moto and not get winded.  

Also if you look at any pro riders program, it will incorperate a lot of running or biking to keep the cardio up.

I want to get a rowing machine.  I think that would be a great way to do cardio at home and build my arms.

[dem3500]

Absolutely.  Its about efficiently converting oxygen in your lungs to your blood stream to get to your muscles.  I literally just got done doing a 5 mile run.  And my breathing is so much better now than it was a year ago when i would try to do 1 mile.  I would be gasping after a 9:30 mile pace.   Now i can run 8 min miles and breath normally.   I can push to a 7 minute mile, but then my breathing gets heavy and i cannot maintain it...YET!!!!

But think how nice it would be to be able to push hard for an entire moto and not get winded.  

Also if you look at any pro riders program, it will incorperate a lot of running or biking to keep the cardio up.

I want to get a rowing machine.  I think that would be a great way to do cardio at home and build my arms.

Now you are getting me motivated! I never liked to run but I always loved to mnt bike and I've really wanted to start riding again. Perfect excuse! Thanks! Lol

[Burns363R]

I hated running, im not built for it.  But the more i did, and like i said as i started breaking goals and going farther it got easier.  Its kinda getting fun.. Plus i just burned 1000 calories in 40 minutes.. Kind of hard to argue with those results.

[rablack21]

Gasping at 9:30 minute mile? Sounds familiar! I really hate running. They may be exactly what I need. I imagine everyday what it must be like to run an entire moto and not be winded. LOL. Right now, I'm working on running half a moto and not be winded!