Deanna's Caffeine 'Withdrawal'

[Guest guest]

Well, I dropped the coffee - the three shots of espresso in the morning,

really - as of the 27th, as I said I would. I had some black tea

Thursday and only green tea with ginseng and licorice today (which might

have 0.01 the caffeine I was taking previously). It is moon time for

me, now fading. I will report progress over time as I go lower and nil

with my caffeine consumption.

Today, I ran 6 miles. I noticed straight away that I felt like my body

could exhale and release for once in a long time. I felt great, albeit

for lower energy time, which I accept cyclically. The next big

recognition was my lung capacity - I could inhale for 4 steps, exhale

four steps!!! I could do this off and on, with longer 3 foot strike

inhales than normal too. I haven't done this since in the mountains in

the mid 1990s, and I have no idea of my caffeine status then, as I have

always periodically drop coffee, a la and Robin Ann. Anyway, my

mileage has been lower and so I am amazed to have an increased lung

capacity, apparently. I feel like I am not restricted or constricted,

anymore. Oh, at 2 pm I had a headache that lasted all of 10 seconds.

That's it, but I have never suffered withdrawal from caffeine in the

past, and no difference is noted thus far now.

It could be that the adenosine sensitivity is back. At least my cooling

system is not influenced by caffeine's vasoconstriction of superficial

blood vessels anymore. Also, however, I have to wonder about caffeine's

real effects on fitness. Certainly, endurance athletes become efficient

by training and end up with lower resting heart rates, blood pressure

and greater lung capacity than the general population. And what does

coffee/caffeine do? Just the opposite in all cases.

Perhaps many folks don't understand the lasting energy that comes as a

result of regular long term training. But I can tell you from my

adaptation to a ketogenic diet, losing caffeine is much like losing

sugar/carbs. (Low carbers will know this from Atkins' advice on

caffeine.) The distance runner doesn't need highs and lows to energy.

A steady pace requires steady energy. I have yet to race this way in

years, so I will report back on that later. But it's not like I need

some jolt that's going to make me feel too fast and constricted in terms

of heart rate and respiration, when I have miles left to go. I will

research this further.

That's the difference and it has become apparent to me overnight

nearly. I have been inhibiting my natural adaptations to exercise by

doping up on caffeine. It makes no sense to me now why all the buzz on

caffeine consumption in Olympics and such. It depends on the sport, of

course, but for a mid distance type like me, I feel I have been

sabotaging my workouts by drinking a substance that absolutely restricts

and shortens my breath, quickens my heart and causes my nerves to work

overtime when I needn't them much at all. Today I passed several

bunnies, two armadillos, a snake, 2 Mississippi kites, two egrets and

lots of other pretty things. Not once did I need as much adrenaline as

caffeine forces me to take when I indulge.

To your improved health, y'all!

Deanna