Caffeine is found in a variety of dietary sources. These include coffee and many types of tea, as well as soda and chocolate. While you may intend to use its stimulant properties to boost your athletic performance, it may not have the desired effect. If you use it regularly, you should also consider its lasting effects and possible withdrawal symptoms, and the effect they will have on your athletic abilities.
The Direct Effects of Caffeine
Caffeine consumption before or during performance may cause several unwanted side effects which, in turn, will hinder your performance. These may include muscle tightness and muscle cramping due to dehydration. Dehydration can also make you dizzy and disoriented, or inhibit your ability to focus on your performance. You may also experience a mild shaking or trembling in your hands as a reaction to caffeine, and this can dampen your performance in certain sports where precision is required, such as archery.
Indirect Effects on Performance
Avoiding caffeine before and after athletic activity may not be enough to prevent its negative effects on your performance. Regular caffeine consumption results in side effects like anxiety, fatigue and insomnia in sensitive users, as well as gastrointestinal instability. The discomfort and drowsiness associated with these conditions can affect your performance, and the effects may last a full day or more. If you experience insomnia the night before, you will find it difficult to perform the next day. If you haven't had caffeine for several days, the headaches and other conditions associated with caffeine withdrawal may still affect you and hinder your performance.
Regulation in Competition
Because it is a stimulant, caffeine has been scrutinized and occasionally banned in organized sporting events. Olympic athletes who tested positive for caffeine consumption were often banned from competition in the last two decades of the 20th century. Caffeine was also considered a banned substance during the 2000 Summer Olympics, where it was considered along with steroids and cocaine to be a performance-enhancing substance, and athletes who tested positive for more than eight cups of coffee in their systems were considered to have deliberately attempted doping to achieve an unfair advantage. While the World Anti-Doping Agency removed caffeine from its prohibited substance list in 2004, it is still considered controversial and its use during athletics may call your sportsmanship and athletic prowess into question.
Caffeine Withdrawal
Caffeine addiction can occur quickly in sensitive individuals, and the resultant withdrawal symptoms can lead to several days' worth of discomfort. Headaches are a common symptom, and having a headache during a sporting event can seriously affect your performance. You may not feel motivated to practice and train due to the irritability and depression that some addicts experience during withdrawal. Even if you do feel motivated, fatigue and drowsiness can prevent you from performing at your peak. In severe cases of caffeine withdrawal, you may experience flu-like symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, which would prevent you from taking part in any athletic activity.
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