Sport Caffeine vs Calories

Sport Fitness
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supanatral

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Sorry if this is considered a "stupid" question.

I'm trying to build muscle right now and I'm told that I should eat 3000 calories a day in order to have enough energy to work out. Since caffeine gives you energy as well, what is the difference?
 
Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system and dilates your blood vessels in your brain, whereas food (mostly, carbohydrates) are what every cell in your body (including muscle cells, neurons, etc.) needs to actually carry out their cellular processes. If you don't have food energy, no amount of caffeine will allow your body to function normally.
 
A cup of hot chocolate made with milk, and containing sugar, is loaded with energy-producing carbohydrates, sugar and milk protein. The nutritional values of black coffee are nil, with the caffeine content supplying the nutritionally empty boost of energy and alertness. Caffeine can help a person stay awake, alert, and energetic. Caffeine consumption greater than 500 to 600 milligrams a day is not recommended. Large, grande, strong brewed cups of coffee can easily reach that level. Hot chocolate does even come close to a caffeine count that is considered questionable.
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It's not a stupid question, just a common misunderstanding. Caffeine doesn't give you energy. Caffeine utilises energy that's already there. Calories and energy are the same thing, because calories are a unit of measurement for energy. Mass is extremely compressed energy in reality, so when bulking you need a lot of energy (typically measured in calories) in order to increase your body mass and thus muscle mass.
 
You also have to be careful because caffeine tends to cause dehydration so it is not recommended to be used regularly or in high amounts when you are working out a lot, and trying to build muscle.
 
rNic said:
You also have to be careful because caffeine tends to cause dehydration so it is not recommended to be used regularly or in high amounts when you are working out a lot, and trying to build muscle.
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I agree to this, when we are trying to build muscle, we should avoid caffeine. If we continue to consume caffeine for a long-term, it will decrease our sensitivity to its effects.
 
OK daft analogy time.
Caffeine = credit card
Calories = bank balance
Body = possessions

Healthy stability
You spend on the credit card. There is just enough in the bank to cover the bill so you keep your possessions.

Increase in weight/ money
You spend sensibly little on your credit card, poor money into your bank balance. Bill arrives you pay for it and have some left over for growth, this could be the growth you want or excess.

Dangerous deficit
Spend like crazy on credit card. There is not enough in the bank to cover your spending so you lose some of your possessions. When this is your body this means breaking down either fat or muscle tissue, generally muscle will be absorbed before fat is unlocked.
 
Does anyone have any research whatsoever on caffeine not being good for muslce building?

I've read lots of bro science about it but never seen ANY studies.

Of course, it was the famous Roman leader Zyzz who said, 'thou shalt drink green tea'

And green tea has high caffeine too!
 
SamSam said:
Does anyone have any research whatsoever on caffeine not being good for muslce building?
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I'm not sure about caffeine per se but I have read studies on stimulants and body building.
The research actually showed that the only time there is any harm is when there is not enough actual energy to back up the training. The body will then start breaking down muscle tissue as fuel and not have enough to replace it.
When there is enough energy, the body will absorb less muscle for fuel, there will always be some cannibalism, but easily repair it after and more.
Training itself can occasionally be improved but most stimulants are very short lived so this will not be enough to get you through a full work out. They are often addictive too so after very little time you end up taking stimulants to be at the level everyone else is without them.
 
Catabolism is the body breaking itself down for fuel, which is effectively your body eating itself. Your body is human, so when your body eats itself, you're technically eating a human. So I've always felt that it's reasonable to to use cannibalism in place of catabolism.
 
no food no energy in the long run- You ought to have green tea as this gives you a steady caffeine release and look at ways to sort your diet out so you are eating the right amounts of food groups.

Hope this helps
 
Not sure how green tea gives you a steady caffeine release? Are you saying that other caffeinated drinks release caffeine differently from green tea?
 
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