Coffee Pre-Workout

How helpful can a pre-workout cup of coffee be for workout energy levels!?
 
I'm doing Ripptoe's Starting Strength and I'm looking to break through my squat and bench plateau, so I'm considering having a cup of coffee before working out to help break that plateau.
 
Is one cup enough? and how soon before working out should I drink it? 30mins?10?immediately before?

Don't like coffee or caffeine personally, but do you know when you start feeling its effects? I would time it so you feel the energy once you get to the gym.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

usually takes an hour to 30 minutes before i start getting my coffee buzz

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From what I have found, it's effects are from 1 to 2 hours after ingestion.

How much should be taken though? I was thinking of doing the same thing.

Age: 20
Weight: 167 
BF%: 14%
Currently: Bulking up.

anywhere up to 300-350mg max of caffeine can be healthy and helpful to the body daily.

I would drink the coffee black, or with milk added, or you can even mix it with some whey, try to stay away from adding sugar.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

In terms of cups how much would that be? Its gonna be hard staying from the sugar, i love coffee with sugar and milk. Wouldnt coffee without milk be better than with it?

Age: 20
Weight: 167 
BF%: 14%
Currently: Bulking up.

Personally I prefer caffeine pills for preworkout cos you can be more precise with timing and quantity.  But coffee's good too.  100mg is a pretty good place to start.  That should be about 12 oz of drip coffee (depending on how strong it is).  Drink it black 30-45min preworkout, and it should be peaking while or just after warming up.  I don't do it much before that (someone said up to 2 hours??) cos I've crashed in the middle of a workout from taking it too early... though this info below suggests it should effect you longer.  (I wonder if physical activity causes you to metabolize it faster..)



How long does it take to feel caffeine's effects?

Caffeine is rapidly absorbed through the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream, where it takes about 15-45 minutes to reach peak levels. The level of caffeine in the blood reaching the brain determines the potency of its effects on the body. Usually the central nervous system is maximally stimulated within 30-60 minutes. Caffeine is metabolized by the liver and eventually its metabolites are excreted in urine, although caffeine can also be secreted in saliva, semen, and breast milk.

Caffeine will continue to have an effect on the body as long as it remains in the blood. The time required for the body to eliminate one-half of the total amount of caffeine consumed (or caffeine's half-life) varies from several hours to several days, but for the average non-smoking adult it is about 3-4 hours. Several factors can lengthen caffeine's half-life, such as some medications, liver diseases, pregnancy, and the level of enzymes in the liver needed for caffeine metabolism. The half-life of caffeine in a pregnant women is 18-20 hours; the half-life in women taking oral contraceptives is up to 13 hours. Other factors, such as smoking can shorten caffeine's half-life. Half-life in a newborn baby may be as long as 30 hours.



from:  http://www.erowid.org/c...caffeine_effects.shtml#2

severe dyhydration will rob you have a good workout. Really no matter how much water you drink after, the coffee will dry out your muscles like crazy.

This is only IMO, but I have never been a fan of pre-workouts. Best pre-workout I have ever had is taking Beta-alanine, L-Arginine and Creatine 45minutes prior to a workout. best pump ever and I've tried NOX, superpump and they don't cut it. They are all loaded with suger and caffiene and small amounts of creatine and arginine.

Robtimusprime

severe dyhydration will rob you have a good workout. Really no matter how much water you drink after, the coffee will dry out your muscles like crazy.  

That's not true at all. 

It certainly wouldn't hurt to drink a little extra water.  But it is well-documented that the diuretic effects of caffeine are miniscule when it is consumed in moderation. 

taking below or at the recommended dosage of caffeine wont dehydrate you like that. as snatch said, in moderation.

second, YOU are hurting your gains in the gym by taking L-arganine before your workouts. Before bed I believe is the best time. Check out Dans section, he has some information on it.

Robtimusprime


severe dyhydration will rob you have a good workout. Really no matter how much water you drink after, the coffee will dry out your muscles like crazy.

This is only IMO, but I have never been a fan of pre-workouts. Best pre-workout I have ever had is taking Beta-alanine, L-Arginine and Creatine 45minutes prior to a workout. best pump ever and I've tried NOX, superpump and they don't cut it. They are all loaded with suger and caffiene and small amounts of creatine and arginine.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"