Caffeine. A super-supplement?

The 2010 Ironman UK triathlon is fast approaching, and as athletes are making their final preparations, i thought it would be a good opportunity to consider the aspects that make up an optimal race day performance.

Amongst the plethora of factors which make up a good performance are obvious things such as getting the right amount of sleep, carbohydrate loading, allowing muscles to recover etc. However, in this blog we will consider the role that supplements can take in improving performance in endurance events, specifically Caffeine.

Caffeine has been widely accepted as a successful performance booster in short duration, maximal effort events that last up to 5 minutes. Caffeine is useful in events such as the 100m sprint because it increases alertness, facilitating a faster reaction time to the starting gun. Caffeine also has a physiological effect, lowering the threshold for muscle recruitment. This facilitates high power muscle contractions.

Both of these factors are beneficial to performance in sprint orientated events, however Caffeine is beneficial to endurance athletes as well, as it allows them to delay fatigue through reducing the athlete's perception of effort. Caffeine achieves this by releasing Beta Endorphins during exercise. These endorphins reduce the athlete's perception of pain and create a sense of well-being.

This is not the only way in which Caffeine aids performance however. A study undertaken by the University of Birmingham looked at the effect Caffeine has on exogenous carbohydrate oxidation (the rate at which carbohydrates consumed are burned).

The experiment involved 3 groups of cyclists taking part in a 2 hour indoor cycling test. Each group consumed a different drink.

Group 1 - 6% glucose solution
Group 2 - 6% glucose solution plus Caffeine
Group 3 - Plain water.

The study revealed that cyclists in group 2 had a rate of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation 26% higher than cyclists in group 1.

The conclusion drawn from this study was that Caffeine may increase the rate of glucose absorption in the intestine. This allows fuel to be provided to the muscles more quickly. This is especially important to triathletes competing in the Ironman competition, as high carb bars and gels can be absorbed faster.

This particular effect of Caffeine is likely to make it possible for athletes to work harder, for longer periods of time, whilst suffering less as a result of fatigue.

Caffeine is the world's most consumed pharmacological substance, most commonly found in tea and coffee. It is clear therefore that the substance isn't harmful when used in suitable quantities.

The suggested intake for an endurance athlete before an event is 5mg to every kg of body weight. This means a 70kg athlete would need to take on 350mg of Caffeine 45 minutes before the start of the event. 350mg of Caffeine is equivalent to about 3 cups of drip brewed coffee.

It is important to consider the possible harmful effects of using Caffeine as a supplement as well as the benefits it provides.

• May cause sleeping problems
• Can cause headaches
• Can cause diarrhoea
• Can lead to over-arousal in a sporting event

In my personal opinion i feel that the benefits an athlete will experience as a result of using Caffeine outweigh the negatives. However, it is absolutely necessary for an athlete to give Caffeine a "trial" run as a supplement during their preparation for an event such as the Ironman Triathlon, as this will allow them to ensure they are not prone to the harmful side-effects.



Ben Brown

The ever-growing grey area

With this years Tour de France underway, you could be forgiven for feeling as though something has been missing from the build up to the big event.
The build up to this years Tour has not seen any scandalous drug/doping busts, despite the allegations flying around as usual.
It is extremely sad that a drug free start to any major sporting event merits praise, and even worse that the weight of expectation suggests that the next positive tests are sure to be just around the corner.

However, to briefly stray onto the optimists side of thinking, it would appear that 2010 has the potential to be a step in the right direction for cycling to repair its torrid reputation.

I thought today's blog would be a good opportunity to consider Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, a method which has recently found itself on WADA's Prohibited List.

PRP Therapy is a method remarkably similar to Blood Doping, however, the purpose is to aid recovery rather than increasing Cardiovascular performance.


This form of therapy uses Plasma, which makes up about 55% of the total blood volume. The Plasma itself consists of 90% water, with the remaining 10% being made up of Dissolved Proteins, Glucose, Clotting Factors, Mineral Ions, Hormones and Carbon Dioxide.

To separate Plasma from blood, there are a number of stages which must take place.

• Firstly, 30mls of blood is taken from the athlete.
• Next, the blood is separated into Plasma, White Blood Cells and Red Blood Cells through spinning with an anti-coagulant in a centrifuge.
• The Platelet Rich Plasma gained from this is then injected into the injured area of the athlete's body.

The Platelet Rich Plasma which has been injected into the injured area aids recovery by secreting Growth Factors. These Growth Factors stimulate tissue recovery, speeding up the rate at which an injury heals.

PRP is useful for injuries involving soft tissue, such as Tendons, Ligaments and Cartilage. Tiger Woods received 4 injections of PRP with the aim of improving the condition of his ACR Ligament more quickly, allowing him to make his comeback.

PRP therapy has been used by athletes for over 10 years now, however this year the method has entered the WADA prohibited list. This ban does not prohibit its use outright though. Section S2-6 of the 2010 WADA Code states PRP can be used by athletes, but only if injections involve joints or areas surrounding muscles. Direct injections into muscles can invoke a 2 year ban from competition.

This ban suggests that WADA have not come to a conclusion over the future of PRP use. I feel that they will have a difficult task in coming to the right conclusion.

Amongst the factors which support the legality of PRP, the strongest arguments are:

• Allows athletes to compete more, facilitating further achievements.
• Commercial benefits, as there is more competition to broadcast/sponsor/advertise etc.
• May allow athletes to pro-long their careers.
• Inexpensive technique, meaning the issue of keeping a level playing field is not a problem.

However, there are a number of negative factors which suggest this method should be banned outright:

• There are suggestions PRP therapy can be used as a mask for Human Growth Hormone injections.
• Could widen the gap between Amateur and Professional.
• Could be considered as taking away from the sport's traditions.
• May have a harmful effect on the reputation of the sport.

Personally, i feel that the correct decision would be to ban the use of PRP therapy completely. There are a number of contributing factors which lead me to this conclusion. The most important factor for me is the belief that unless the necessary morals of sport are maintained, then popularity of sport on a grass roots level will become diminished. This obviously makes the future of sport look fairly bleak. By ensuring future athletes are not alienated by the gap between amateur and professional, participation will increase, and in the future this will be evident in terms of an improved quality of competition.

Ben Brown

Why is Usain Bolt the world's fastest man?

The answer to this question is very likely to lead straight into a nature vs nurture argument.
It is very clear of course that a large amount of Usain Bolt's dominance in world sprinting events can be attributed to genetically inherited factors, such as a high proportion of Fast Twitch type 2b muscle fibres.
However, it is important to consider the other, Nurture aspects which have lead to Usain Bolt's success. It goes without saying that this athlete has undertaken a huge amount of specific training to improve his performance. This Blog will consider one of the training methods used by Usain Bolt which allowed him to develop his performance.


The method we will be considering is Plyometrics.

Plyometric training involves the use of jumping and hopping movements. The purpose of this training is to develop explosive power within particular muscle groups. Usain Bolt will use plyometrics to increase the power of his Quadricep, Hamstring and Gastrocnemius muscles.

Plyometric exercises are effective because they take advantage of the Stretch Shortening Cycle. The Stretch Shortening Cycle is the occurrence of an eccentric contraction, followed immediately by a concentric contraction.

We can use the Squat Jump as an example to explain how these contractions take place. The first movement is a jump into the air from a crouched position. This movement occurs due to a concentric contraction of the quadriceps, as this muscle group is shortening to cause the knee to extend.
The landing phase of the jump causes the quadriceps to perform an eccentric contraction, allowing the body to decelerate. Once the muscle has lengthened to a certain extent, the stretch reflex is initiated. This reflex is a protective measure, as it prevents the muscle from overstretching. The stretch reflex is important in Plyometrics as it not only stops the muscle from lengthening, but reverses the muscle contraction.
The Stretch Reflex therefore initiates the next phase of the Squat Jump (the next jump).


It should also be said that there are a number of problems with this form of training. The first of these is the high risk of injury associated with such intense training. The high impact landings can prove stressful to joints.
Plyometric exercises are also very likely to cause D.O.M.S (Delayed Onset Of Muscle Soreness). D.O.M.S is almost certain to occur 24-48 hours after the training session has taken place.

Both injuries and D.O.M.S can be reduced through use of proper Warm-ups/downs, Ice Baths, Massages and most importantly suitable Rest Periods.



Examples of Plyometric Exercises can be found here (http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/plyometricexercises.html)


Ben Brown