How effective is caffeine before a workout? During? After? We review what happens when energy drinks dress up like workout supplements, and the science around caffeine's effectiveness for each occasion. We also review GreenEyedGuide's "5 Levels of Fatigue" and how this system helps people identify how much caffeine (if any) is truly needed per level of fatigue.

1. Caffeine in
Supplements
and the
Five Levels of
Fatigue
Danielle Robertson
aka
Green-Eyed Guide

2. The Plan
 About Me – Beachbody, Caffeine and Food
Science
 When Energy Drinks Dress up like Workout
Supplements
 The 5 Levels of Fatigue
 Questions
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3. About Me
 Competitive gymnast 7 years
 Energy Drink enthusiast
circa 2003
 BS Biochemistry - UC San Diego
 MS Food Science/Food Biochemistry
- UC Davis
 Beachbody R&D
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4. When Energy Drinks Dress Up
Like Workout Supplements
 PRE-Workout
 Too tired to workout? Caffeine to the rescue!
 The ideal amount of caffeine from the variety of
different studies on caffeine and athletic
performance falls in the range 3-9 milligrams of
caffeine per kilogram of body weight
PRE-
WORKOUT
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5.  Benefits
 Significantly increased muscle endurance
during brief, intense exercise (4–6 min) performed by
recreational athletes
 [6 mg/kg body weight of caffeine]
 Significant improvement in performance
compared with a placebo for competitive male
rowers during a 2,000-meter time trial.
 [The lower dose of caffeine (6 mg/kg body
weight) resulted in the fastest performance times]
 Significantly greater anaerobic
metabolism and performance among
recreational runners when consumed prior to a
maximum effort run
[5 mg/kg body weight]
 Significantly improved endurance for healthy
untrained subjects performing a maximal oxygen
deficit cycling test [5 mg/kg body weight]
 Limitations
 While caffeine is often added to protein
powders or protein drinks, protein is not
the best nutrient to have right
before exercise. Consuming a large
amount of protein prior to a workout may lead
to a lag or heavy stomach sensation during
exercise.
 Just because the 3-9 milligrams of caffeine per
kilogram body weight was the right amount for
the study participants (trained athletes), it does
not mean that range will be the right
amount of caffeine for your body.
 For a woman who is 140 pounds/63 kilograms,
the 3 mg/kg level dictates a dose of
192 mg caffeine. That’s more than two Red
Bulls or a whole can of Monster Energy!
When Energy Drinks Dress Up Like Workout Supplements
PRE-WORKOUT5
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6. EFSA Says: “Single doses of caffeine up to 200 milligrams (mg) and daily
intakes of up to 400mg do not raise safety concerns for adults.”
When Energy Drinks Dress Up Like Workout Supplements
PRE-
WORKOUT
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7. When Energy Drinks Dress Up Like Workout Supplements
 DURING Workout
 If your workout is LESS than 60 minutes and/or only mild to moderate
intensity, you probably don’t need a during-workout/hydration supplement
 Caffeine is better PRE – workout than during, but it can still improve
performance.
 The ideal amount of caffeine in a DURING workout supplement is the same
range as a PRE-workout supplement: 3-9 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram
of body weight
 Determined “unlikely” that consuming caffeine* will results in fluid-electrolyte
imbalances
*IN MODERATION
DURING
WORKOUT
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8.  Limitations
 During exercise, electrolytes like magnesium,
calcium, chlorine, and especially sodium are
lost through sweat.
 Not a typical combo for energy drinks.
 If you have to choose between caffeine and
these electrolytes, choose the electrolytes.
 Best fluid replacement during exercise is one
with ~5% carbohydrates.
 Water alone can dilute the blood; too much
sugar can cause gastrointestinal (GI) distress. It
may be difficult to find an energy drink with this
concentration of carbohydrates.
“Hydration/energy drink hybrid”
Source: http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/rockstar-recovery-energy-hydration
When Energy Drinks Dress Up Like Workout Supplements
DURING
WORKOUT
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9.  POST-workout
 When you’ve had a GREAT workout … but still
have to survive the rest of the day,
caffeine can help, but PROTEIN is CRUCIAL!
When Energy Drinks Dress Up Like Workout Supplements
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found the following:
“Current dietary recommendations for protein are focused on total daily
intake of 0.8 g/kg body weight, but new research suggests daily needs for
older adults of ≥1.0 g/kg and identifies anabolic and metabolic benefits
to consuming at least 20-30 g protein at a given meal.”
POST-WORKOUT9
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10.  Benefits
 Can help you get the protein you need AND help you find the energy for the rest of the day after a grueling
a.m. workout
 Limitations
 Many energy drinks contain high amounts of B-vitamins, but some may also contain other vitamins like
Vitamin E or Vitamin C. Watch out for these two in particular because Vitamin C and E can hamper
protein synthesis; including these nutrients in a protein post-workout drink is counterproductive.
 L-carnitine is a common energy drink ingredient, but L-carnitine has to be consumed in gram amounts on a
regular basis to contribute to improved exercise performance.
When Energy Drinks Dress Up Like Workout Supplements
POST-WORKOUT10
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11. The 5 Levels of Fatigue
 Level 0 – Natural High
 Level 1 – Boredom/Dehydration
 Level 2 - < 90 mg caffeine, preferably tea-based
 The thing about Red Bull…
5 Levels of Fatigue
CaffeineInformer.com
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12. The 5 Levels of Fatigue
“
The most dangerous part about Red Bull is the alarming
frequency with which it is mixed with alcohol.”
5 Levels of Fatigue
http://greeneyedguide.com/2015/03/12/energy-drink-of-the-month-march-2015/
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13. The 5 Levels of Fatigue
 Level 3 – Juiced, non-carbonated,
<120mg/serving
 The effect of
carbonation…
5 Levels of Fatigue13
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14. The 5 Levels of Fatigue
5 Levels of Fatigue
Carbonation irritates the stomach, so that a carbonated caffeinated
drink will take effect quicker and feel stronger than its non-
carbonated counter-part.
Save the carbonated drinks for the higher level of fatigue.
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15. The 5 Levels of Fatigue
 Level 4 carbonated, concentrated <400mg (the max)
 The thing about shots…
5 Levels of Fatigue
Don’t judge an energy drink by its cover.
This drink has 240 mg caffeine, but…
This energy drink has no artificial colors or
flavors, no high fructose corn syrup or artificial
sweeteners. It is sweetened by sucrose and
glucose only, which accounts for its unique tarty
sweetness.
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16. The 5 Levels of Fatigue
5 Levels of Fatigue
Remember that scene in Pirates of the Caribbean where they
thought they were cured of the curse? They all closed their eyes
and waited. And waited…
They didn’t feel any different, so Captain Barbosa took a shot.
The problem with energy shots is people take a sip, and wait, and
wait…and when they don’t feel any different, they take another
shot.
But caffeine takes ~20 minutes to kick in! By the time it does kick
in, it’s too late to doo anything if you’ve had too much.
By putting so much caffeine in a concentrated little bottle, energy
shots become more easily abused through over-consumption.
Serving size – half a 2 ounce bottle!
(Better use an eye-dropper)
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17. The 5 Levels of Fatigue
 Level 5 = Zombieville
There comes a point at which no
caffeine can save you.
5 Levels of Fatigue
As some point, the only thing you can do is
take a 20 minutes or 6-8 hour nap.
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18. For more information on energy drinks and their
ingredients, get your copy of
Are You a Monster or a Rock Star:
A Guide to Energy Drinks –
How They Work, Why They Work,
How to Use Them Safely
(available wherever books are sold)
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