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Dr. Mirkin: Caffeine, Hot Weather and Exercise

Posted July 15, 2008 at 01:30 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: In The News, His Fitness, Cardio Training, His Health, Physical Health

A study from Toledo, Spain shows that giving caffeine to dehydrated bicycle racers helps them ride faster, longer and with more power in hot weather (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, July 2008). When combined with water and carbohydrates, caffeine ingestion increases the force of muscular contractions which helps them to pedal with more power. Almost all professional bicycle riders take caffeine is some form because they know it helps them to ride faster.

Another recent study from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign shows that caffeine helps to reduce muscle pain in riders pedaling as hard and as long as they can (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, May 2008). Other studies have shown that caffeine is a diuretic only when a person is at rest, not during exercise.

Check out this article from partner site Her Active Life for more information on these studies and tips for exercising in the heat. 

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Tags: bicycle riders, bike, caffeine, caffeine and exercise, exercise, fast, heat, hot weather, ride, university of illinois, urbana-campaign, workout

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