Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008 - (Page 28)

caffeine J Espresso, is it worth the boost? by scott josephson Red Bull, cappuccino, green tea, black tea, chocolate, coﬀee, mountain dew, colas, Excedrin and other pain relievers, diet pills, many cold remedies… what do they have in common? They all contain the most widely used drug in the world: caﬀeine. Caﬀeine is a big, booming business with 80-90% of adults reporting regular use. Consumers currently spend over $30 million a year on supplements containing caﬀeine and an additional $50 billion each year on caﬀeinated soda in the United States alone. These are only two forms of caﬀeine and do not include chocolate, proﬁtable coﬀee or latte, and the current growth rate of Starbucks is about three new stores a day. Caﬀeine is widely accepted and readily available in the forms of sodas, chocolates, cocoa beans, kola nuts and other edible goods. It is a naturally occurring substance found in leaves and seeds of fruits of more than 60 plants, and it is often used as a ﬂavor in a variety of beverages. • Caﬀeine can act as a powerful vasoconstrictor in the brain. What usually occurs is the constriction of blood vessels, which can decrease circulation and oxygen supply in the body. • As a stimulant, caﬀeine can increase heart rate and raise blood pressure. • Coﬀee is acid-forming in the body rather than alkalizing, and decaf coﬀee is even more acidic than regular. Individuals who suﬀer from extensive acidity should be cautious due to further contribution from this ominous element. The body can be forced to rob calcium from the bones in an eﬀort to neutralize the debilitating acid and create a delicate balance. Blood calcium levels should be maintained at nine to 11 milligrams per deciliter in the blood. • On the other hand, some credible studies have linked caﬀeine to calcium loss, which might contribute to osteoporosis or increased bone fractures. For example, when 28 Caffeine Health Facts Several published reports inform us that coﬀee and chocolate, despite their caﬀeine content, are healthy indulgences because they are rich in antioxidants. Studies tend to share that they curb inﬂammation and decrease heart disease. A 15-year study from the University of Oslo in Norway showed that post-menopausal women who drank at least a cup of coﬀee a day were less likely to get heart disease. Can these ﬁndings be true? Let’s consider some facts about caﬀeine: MAY2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008

Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Live Your Supertrainer Legacy Current Controversies Effective Employee Manuals Product Profiles The Coolest Training Zone The Making of a Top-Notch Boot Camp Instructor Mark Your Calendar Caffeine Exercise Spotlight Product Profiles New on the Market [Spotlight] Trish Muse

Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008

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