# Water intake and caffein.



## walkertalker (Dec 13, 2011)

I read often that coffee or caffein is a duretic. Basicly makes you go to the toilette more often. Now I have found this to be true, but will this not also increase the speed of my water intake. What I am saying is say start with a caffein based drink then change to a hydrated base drink. Would this not improve your water absorbtion. Thanks.


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

Caffeine really isn't a strong diuretic, especially in the quantities a person would typically consume. If you drink a cup of coffee, you will come away more hydrated than if you hadn't had a cup.


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## captnpenguin (Dec 2, 2011)

i had to do physiology labs in college based on the affect of caffeine and water intake and what not. Caffeine's diuretic affect last several hours, meaning that it forces you to excrete more water more often and as long as it is in your system it also prevents you from absorbing as much water as you normally can. I've played around with caffeine during rides and I only like to use it at the end of a long ride/race when I know it's almost over and I value the energy over the lack of water intake. At the beginning of a ride i almost never have caffeine (unless it's early and I'll have a small bit of espresso). Definitely partially a personal preference thing. Depends on how your body reacts.


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

captnpenguin said:


> i had to do physiology labs in college based on the affect of caffeine and water intake and what not. Caffeine's diuretic affect last several hours, meaning that it forces you to excrete more water more often and as long as it is in your system it also prevents you from absorbing as much water as you normally can. I've played around with caffeine during rides and I only like to use it at the end of a long ride/race when I know it's almost over and I value the energy over the lack of water intake. At the beginning of a ride i almost never have caffeine (unless it's early and I'll have a small bit of espresso). Definitely partially a personal preference thing. Depends on how your body reacts.


How much caffeine were you dealing with? Most recent studies I've read about have concluded that the effect of caffeine is negligible unless consumed in large quantities.


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## CasualNerd (Nov 5, 2010)

s0ckeyeus said:


> Caffeine really isn't a strong diuretic, especially in the quantities a person would typically consume. If you drink a cup of coffee, you will come away more hydrated than if you hadn't had a cup.


That's what I've read, but I can honestly say from personal experience it's true. I usually drink 6 coffees a day at work and it's never left me dehydrated.


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## SamL3227 (May 30, 2004)

whats "large" quantities? 200mg? 300? more?


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

SamL3227 said:


> whats "large" quantities? 200mg? 300? more?


As I understand it, anything under 300mg won't be an issue. It seems that over 500-600mg might have a mild diuretic effect. If you regularly consume caffeine, it seems your body is less likely to have a problem.


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## Flat Ark (Oct 14, 2006)

I've changed a lot of things this winter concerning my training/preparation. One of the things I've done is cut my coffee consumption in half. I used to drink coffee all throughout the day and now I only have a couple of cups in the morning before work. I've also done a little experimenting. If I drink caffeinated coffee I am constantly going to the restroom. When I drink decaf it's no different than if I had just drank water. My conclusion is the caffeine definitely causes my body to excrete its fluids. May just be coincidence or some other factor but I am no longer having issues with the leg cramps that have plagued me in the past.

Also a lot of people on this forum swear that switching to "Infinit Nutrition's" drink mixes alleviated their cramping issues. I went onto their website and played around with their "mix calculator" and the only difference they made to my formula to help with cramping was to omit any caffeine from the mix. Thought that was interesting.


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## liteandfast (Nov 6, 2007)

So if a guy drinks decaff coffee there should be no effect? I stopped drinking caffinated coffee 6 yrs ago, I still love the taste of coffee so I went decaf, and love it. No more rollercoaster rides of energy, I'm flat all day long. Friends wonder how I can get through a day without caffine, its easy now. I used to get cramping when I would have a coffee before a ride, but that was caffinateed coffee. Now I get cramps on really hot days or long epic rides. Can't seem to stop the cramps from coming. I use Elete in my water and use Elete capsules too.


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## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

I drink 10 or 12 diet cokes a day. I piss often during the day. When I try and mix it up and drink a few waters in between I piss even more. Wonder what that means.

But it's been that way for years. And outside of being over weight and some allergy issues controlled by shots i seem to be healthy.


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## Crockpot2001 (Nov 2, 2004)

From a clinical perpective caffeine is no longer considered a significant diuretic but more of an expeditor of the urge to urinate. Total volume out against total in is pretty similar. If a patient of mine wants to drink coffee in our facility, not a problem unless they are in renal failure or never drink any other fluids. The later we aren't so sure of either. 

Crockpot, RD, LD


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

ArmySlowRdr said:


> I drink 10 or 12 diet cokes a day. I piss often during the day. When I try and mix it up and drink a few waters in between I piss even more. Wonder what that means.
> 
> But it's been that way for years. And outside of being over weight and some allergy issues controlled by shots i seem to be healthy.


Wow. That's a lot of Diet Coke. That can't be good for you.


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## Air Bud (Apr 4, 2012)

s0ckeyeus said:


> Wow. That's a lot of Diet Coke. That can't be good for you.


Roughly a gallon of diet coke to be exact, my wife's grandpa is the same way, drinks it from 6 am till bedtime. Don't know how he does it, dude just doesn't like water. As for coffee, it runs right through me. I swear I can drink an 8 oz cup of coffee and piss 20 ounces no problem. And thats without consuming any other fluids. Love the stuff though, definitely gets me going in the morning


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

I gave up Coffee a long time ago and it has been the best thing ever. I do drink some tea but most of it is decaf now, and caffeinated tea is weaker than a cup of coffee anyways. 

I couldn't imagine drinking that much pop in a day! lol


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## turquoise (Jul 25, 2011)

There's an interesting nytimes article on caffeine and exercise. Unfort. I can't post links now but title is How Caffeine Can Galvanize Your Workout


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## turquoise (Jul 25, 2011)

Yay, now I can Phys Ed: How Caffeine Can Galvanize Your Workout - NYTimes.com


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

I haven't noticed a terrible increase in water consumption post coffee. Bear in mind that the bean, how you brew it, and how much you drink has a significant impact on the amount of caffeine you get. A light roast has more caffeine than a super dark Italian roast, and one person's cup of coffee may be very different from the next person's.


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## ballerina18 (Jul 29, 2010)

I try to drink at least 60oz a day. =)


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## CrazyCanuck1969 (Jul 1, 2012)

s0ckeyeus said:


> Caffeine really isn't a strong diuretic, especially in the quantities a person would typically consume. If you drink a cup of coffee, you will come away more hydrated than if you hadn't had a cup.


Do you have any proof of that? Caffeine leaches minerals from your body because coffee is acidic. Unless you drink enough water you will slowly start getting dehydrated. Also your energy level will probably crash especially if you drink more than one. That's why quite a few coffee drinkers drink several cups a day.


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## Michael374 (Jul 5, 2012)

Caffeine cannot decrease your water intake and I think that it can only help you to loose the toxic from the body.


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## JRS73 (May 26, 2012)

I drink 2-4 cups of coffee every morning. To be honest, I never think about caffeine. What I really think about is how much water I drink on a daily basis. I drink AT LEAST 80oz. of water everyday. Usually is is closer of 100oz. per day


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

I start every ride (I ride in the AM) with a cup of coffee. Caffeine is great for riding and gives me a good boost. I use Cytomax during the ride. I have never become dehydrated.


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## SpecializedWindsor (Jul 19, 2012)

Michael374 said:


> Caffeine cannot decrease your water intake and I think that it can only help you to loose the toxic from the body.


You are right. Caffeine has been proven to increase mental activity (particularly in the frontal lobe). It also can help prevent diabetes and Alzheimer's. Drinking 1 cup of coffee a day is beneficial, though I wouldn't exactly guzzle 8 cups everyday. Coffee "crashing" depends on the person, I think. Some people get a crash from it, but others, like me, don't. 
Personally, I'm both a coffee and tea drinker. Having either in the morning is a great way to start the day, though tea does have more benefits - and it's not just Green tea. Black tea (which naturally contains caffeine, BTW) has the flavanoids, the antioxidants, and can even greatly diminish risk of heart disease, lowering triglyceride levels by 40%. Just three cups a day . 
CrazyCanuck1969 seems to be forgetting that even Green tea has caffeine in it, though in less quantities than coffee, but caffeine nontheless. 
In my view, coffee is good, but when you regularly start drinking lots and lots of coffee everyday, then it becomes a bad thing. 
I have NEVER felt dehydrated after drinking a good brew (and there's nothing quite like a real Italian espresso to start your engines ). I think Crazy needs to check his sources; I don't know if he means that any caffeine at all is "bad", but if he does, he is mistaken.


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## hey_poolboy (Jul 16, 2012)

I quit caffeine over 6 years ago due to the recommendation of my cardiologist. Quit cold turkey after being a 2-3 coke and 2 dew a day guy. The first two weeks were AWFUL! After the withdrawals were all over I have never felt better. Frequency of headaches has dramatically decreased. I can't remember the last time I had one. All I consume now is water, some gatorade, and one caf free soda /day. 

I did it out of necessity, but it has proven to be a great move for me. YMMV. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## bikeriderguy (May 2, 2006)

Interesting thread. I'm a coffee junkie and I like nothing more than grinding my own beans and enjoying a fresh brew or 10. 
Over the last year I set some personal goals about training, riding and diet and I've found that reducing my coffee intake has improved my performance. I still like some caffeine at the end of a long ride or the odd cup here or there but if I stay away from it I have a much more balanced energy supply for the duration of my exercise. I also have discovered that my cramping has basically dissappeared.


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## SpecializedWindsor (Jul 19, 2012)

bikeriderguy said:


> Interesting thread. I'm a coffee junkie and I like nothing more than grinding my own beans and enjoying a fresh brew or 10.
> Over the last year I set some personal goals about training, riding and diet and I've found that reducing my coffee intake has improved my performance. I still like some caffeine at the end of a long ride or the odd cup here or there but if I stay away from it I have a much more balanced energy supply for the duration of my exercise. I also have discovered that my cramping has basically dissappeared.


That's because caffeine increases heart rate, thus making your heart work more, which can be a good or a bad thing. Caffeine is a mild stimulant, which is why many people feel the urge to drink beverages like coffee or some types of tea. But yes, in large quantities, well, it can be a no-no. My mother can't have caffeinated beverages much anymore because her cardiologist said that her blood pressure was too high, and the oddest part was that her heart would sometimes skip beats. 
From what I know, it's not the caffeine that's the problem - but it can aggravate health problems when too much is consumed. 
But I am glad that things have worked out for you . And hey, there's always decaf .


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## slacker607 (May 25, 2005)

The best thing I have done with my coffee habit is switching from a coffee pot to k-cups. Before I would regularly drink 6-8 cups In the morning. with the k-cups it makes it easy to regulate that down to 2 cups a day. That is except for Sunday when I dust off the burr grinder and French press. :thumbsup:


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## Cracker69 (Oct 30, 2006)

Hi All, My impression is that there is quite a large confidence interval on the average response of the human body to caffeine. That is to say that one persons experience might be markedly different from another. Personally I drink one industrial strength cup each morning (and thoroughly enjoy it) and leave it at that, primarily because it is a rather strong diuretic for me and this response is heightened by higher carbohydrate intake. 

With regard to exercise, caffeine is a known inhibitor of glycogen phosphorylase, the enzyme that liberates glucose from glycogen. As such it should suppress your capability to use your glycogen stores. I have never really reconciled as to whether this is good or bad for exertion. Using available calories immediately from the diet might be sufficient and caffeine may allow the rider to keep glycogen in reserve - beats me. 

I think the collective wisdom on this one is rather anecdotal and not particularly enlightening for any one individual.


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## DennisF (Nov 4, 2011)

bikeriderguy said:


> Interesting thread. I'm a coffee junkie and I like nothing more than grinding my own beans and enjoying a fresh brew or 10.


I'm not a big coffee drinker, but love the taste and smell of good coffee. I buy green beans off the internet and roast them in an old popcorn popper. Wow is it eer good.


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