College athletes should avoid drinks containing caffeine

By Jacqueline Raithel

Caffeine can create poor sleeping habits, especially among college students, but athletes should be extra wary of caffeine consumption because it can be more harmful to their bodies.

The sleep patterns of students at the University of Richmond are definitely affected by caffeine, said Tracy Cassalia, health educator for the recreation and wellness department at UR.

On average students probably study until midnight and go to bed around 1 a.m., Cassalia said. They use coffee and energy drinks as pick-me-ups because they don't get enough sleep, she said.

"It's a constant cycle," she said. "They go to bed late and get up without enough sleep and it builds up. They think they can just sleep in on Saturday and Sunday, but it doesn't work that way. €¦ You can't bank up your sleep.

"It's like flying across country. Your body is constantly feeling jetlagged."

Caffeine is a stimulant of your central nervous system, and is able to "pass the blood-brain barrier," causing increased alertness and decreased drowsiness, according to "Exercise Physiology" written by Scott K. Powers and Edward T. Howley.

In past years, some athletes consumed caffeine before competition with the hope that it was an ergogenic – that it would improve their endurance or strength, Powers and Howley write. In fact, in 1962, the International Olympic Committee banned the use of caffeine before competition. The ban was lifted in 1972, but partially reinstated in 1984, to prohibit high levels of consumption before competition, according to Powers and Howley.

Many studies have been carried out, but scientists have not made any firm conclusions about caffeine's affect on endurance or strength, according to Gene A. Spiller's book "Caffeine." Researchers have found that athletes have varying sensitivity to caffeine, depending on their muscle type, according to Spiller.

"The reality of caffeine's affect contrasts with many athletes' perceptions," Spiller writes. "There is a complex relationship between caffeine and strength and endurance performance."

Not only are there conflicting information and experiment conclusions about the impact of caffeine on an athlete's ability to perform, but there are many proven side affects that can harm an athlete's body, Powers and Howley write. These side effects include diuresis, insomnia, diarrhea, anxiety and tremulousness.

Many coaches, sports trainers and athletes are aware of the negative affects of caffeine. Richmond athletic trainer Melissa Adams said her biggest concern about caffeine was the increased possibility of dehydration.

Especially in preseason, Adams warns athletes to stay away from caffeine, specifically sodas. Soda contains caffeine and sodium, all of which can contribute to dehydration, she said.

"It's so dang hot already, there's risk for overheating and heat stroke," she said. "Basically, the body runs off of blood. When it gets dehydrated, the blood is not thin enough to get where it needs to go. €¦ It's not circulating fast enough to your organs, muscles or your brain, so it starts shutting down."

To protect the body's organs, it's most crucial components, the body's muscle tissue slows and eventually shuts down first, Adams said.  When caffeine is consumed by athletes to compensate for bad sleeping habits, performance suffers, she said.  If athletes aren't getting enough sleep, they're going to crash on the field."

Richmond's men's and women's assistant soccer coaches agreed with Adams. The men's coach, Matthew O'Toole, said his biggest concern with caffeine was dehydration.

"We need them to be at their peak possible performance," O'Toole said. "We play twice a week so they're constantly putting nutrients back into their body. There's no reason to put something in if it's not going to help."

The women's assistant, Jennifer Woodie, said she notices a difference in her players' performance when they've not been sleeping well. It might be a lack of energy, or maybe the athletes just aren't playing with their "a- game," she said.

Gina Lucido, Richmond's head field hockey coach, said she thought players could get away with drinking caffeine every once in a while. As 18- to 22-year-olds, athletes' bodies are pretty resilient, she said. But, if athletes are abusing caffeine and practicing poor sleeping habits, she said she could tell.

"Caffeine is an easy way to cheat on what your body really needs," Lucido said. "Over time it takes away from the body being healthy. Sleep is a big part of your body being at its 100 percent."

Lucido said part of the problem with caffeine was that when an athlete chose a soda, not only were they consuming the sugar, caffeine, sodium and carbonation, but they weren't drinking the water that they needed.

Athletes on the men's soccer team are encouraged not to drink soda when they are away from the team, O'Toole said. After competitions and during team meals the players drink water or juice, he said.

Senior Brian Alas on the Richmond baseball team connected caffeine to school work. "I think you will see guys drink a Red Bull sometimes before games," he said. "I think a lot of the older guys probably turn to caffeine more often because we do more [physical] work.

"But we are athletes. We are naturally more inclined to have a Gatorade, Powerade, or water to help our bodies recover from a lift or a conditioning session."

Other athletes such as sophomore Becky White and junior Becca Weaver are more cautious of their caffeine consumption and plan around practices or competitions, or avoid it all together. "Normally I drink it in the morning because of practices," White said. "However, on game days I don’t consume any caffeine and if I would it would be after I played."

The women's soccer team provides players with Excel Gels during practices, Woodie said. Having a more beneficial option available may discourage players from consuming caffeine, especially energy drinks, she said.

Nevertheless, even these sports gels many not be caffeine free. Athletes, whether they want it or not, often consume caffeine in power bars, energy gels and sports drinks, Cassalia said.

"You have to really read the labels if you're concerned about your caffeine intake," she said. "Even weird flavors have caffeine. I had an orange flavor the other day and it still had caffeine."

Now, stores even sell caffeine gum and caffeine supplements. Smoothie King, a popular new shop that sells fruit smoothies and health supplements, has its mission posted on its website as "influencing and helping more and more people achieve a healthier lifestyle." Smoothie King sells, among other things, caffeine as a supplement for their drinks.

Referring to energy drinks, supplements and today's society, Lucido said: "I don't love it. We live in a culture that everything needs to be instant. We think we can do it all.

"It's like here you go, take this bottle, drink it, now you don't need to eat for 12 hours, and go. It's not healthy. It's not doing things the right way.

"There's really no trade off to taking care of your body as an athlete. That's one of the challenges of being a Division 1 athlete."