FORUMS > Gaining Weight Forum Rules

So, I used to find that I had all the energy I needed to get through my entire day. I'd go to school for 4-7 hours, go get my lifting and cardio in, and go home/hang out with friends.

Unfortunately, I believe perhaps as time goes on it's become more and more difficult to keep that kind of lifestyle up (especially with my recent transfer to UCLA.) As such, I've started drinking coffee to help get me through my day. I always drink it black, often with a shot of espresso. I've been drinking it for maybe two months now, and I've noticed a significant amount of muscle loss (fat loss too.)

I know that stimulants can increase one's metabolic rate. I was just curious about how many calories the world at large thinks I should up my diet by to offset the shrinkage. :] (I currently ingest 2750. I'm trying to maintain a fairly lean yet defined figure.)

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Seems I remember reading somewhere that caffiene (and alcohol) can interfere with muscle recovery/rebuilding after workouts. It can screw up your blood sugars, making you crash & as part of a vicious cycle, you then want more caffiene to rebound from the drop---its very addictive.

As you mentioned, there might also be the added issue of metabolic increase from it too.

I've read articles about using caffeine in order to stimulate fat loss. But this should be no more than 400mg a day. However, one should start with only 200mg and after some time up it to 400mg given in two separate doses of 200mg.

You may be burning more calories since you upped your caffeine so you may want to increase your calories. Make sure you get enough protein and simply increase your calories by about 500. That's basically an extra small meal a day or an extra protein drink. I'm sure you can do the math and adjust it accordingly.

The best way I've read to increase calories while not getting fat is to increase them by roughly 400-500 a day. Give it a week and if you still feel you need more increase yet another 400-500 a day for a total of 800-1,000 a day to your existing caloric figure.

I think I will start taking caffeine again too. I simply take it in pill form as I can't stand the way coffee tastes.

Caffeine raises the heart and respiratory rate, so in turn, yes, your metabolic rate does increase.

If you don't want to eat more (2750 is a lot, although I don't know what your RMR is..) cut the cardio out. I actually picked up this book at the bookstore (duh!) titled "The New Rules of Lifting". The author goes on to say "When you combine serious strength training with serious endurance exercise, your body will choose endurance over muscle and strength." he goes on about why this is for the rest of the chapter, regardless, it was still an interesting read.

Are you also supplementing protein/carbs before and after your workouts? After an intense workout your body is in a catabolic state. If you don't supplement or eat right after your workout, your body will break down muscle for energy.

Also according to my trainer textbooks, the reason why muscles atrophy are because they are not being used.

My recommendation: cut the cardio, and focus more on the weights, try something like an intense circuit. I've found that with most my clients, It's a great way to lose bodyfat%, build/maintain muscle, and still get in a cardio workout because you're constantly jumping from exercise to exercise, with minimal to no rest at all. This will also cut your gym time in half as well, meaning more time for school and friends, and you don't have to quit your caffeine addiction :]

Hopes this helps

-Pat

Some benefit from drinking coffee after workout too though:

Senior author Professor John Hawley said the research found athletes who added caffeine to their post-exercise meal had 66% more glycogen in their muscles than those who ate only carbohydrates.

"If you have 66% more fuel for the next day's training or competition, there's no question you'll be able to go further and faster," said Hawley, head of RMIT's exercise metabolism group. "While it has been established that carbohydrates and caffeine improve a variety of athletic performances, this is the first study that has revealed combining caffeine with carbohydrates after you've exercised can actually help your muscles refuel more rapidly."

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20080711103949388

Thanks, Anto. Great post.

And to the OP. Ever try this? It's supposed to have 200mg of caffeine. That's only the equivalent to one cup of coffee. The other ingredients are supposed to help make it last for 5 hours. I have a buddy who swears by this stuff.

Yeah the medical community has so many different theories on everything, particularly as it relates to weight training, which they really don't study much. I had heard that caffeine was bad somehow in regards to protein, but then a doctor told me it can aid in protein usage. Who knows. Every study contradicts another one.

I think the secret is moderation. I read a nutrition article that said that more than 400mg of caffeine a day was too much. I think this a good guideline to follow.

Google on caffeine and sports performance. Caffeine has been used for ages (since the most early times) for sports performance. Like aspirin, it has an amazing array of effects, with almost all of them positive.

With regard to calories. Let's say you weigh 175 as you state in your profile and you're 8% fat (guessing from your images). Now, that means you have about 14 pounds of fat on you and about 161 pounds of meat and bones. Take that number times 15 and you get 2415, just to keep alive. Then add 600 calories for lifting, and another 600 calories for cardio / per hour (if you do it right), if you want to gain a bit more muscle, ANOTHER 600 calories, so you are at 4215 for your daily calorie requirements. The guy that told you 2750 seems long doesn't know what he's talking about; is clueless. He could not have possibly have done the science to give you sound advice. All you have to do is to do the math. If you are generally a fast person add another 300 calories to 600 calories. If you are generally a slow person subtract another 300 to 600 calories.

Likely, the reason you're feeling so run down is you're not eating enough. Throw some good fats in like peanut butter, almond butter, avocado, and add more complex carbs like rice, potatoes, pasta. Be sure to get simple sugars like juice, candy, fruit, before and AFTER, your workouts during the golden hour.

You may not be getting enough rest. Make sure you feel well rested, and don't train if you're feeling like shit. Listen to your body. If you have a craving, go for it. Discipline is one thing, and it's important, BUT, so is listening to your body.

If you're losing muscle, you're likely catabolic, running a caloric deficit. Do the math on it yourself, and be honest with yourself, and go from there.

If you're running a caloric deficit you'll feel like crap, and get small as your body eats away your muscle, and slows down to protect from the famine you've introduced.

Note that some folks say you need up to 20 calories per pound of lean muscle mass to maintain. Situations vary. Almost certainly, you're not feeding yourself.

When I workout three times a day, and get super-lean, I'll bring my calories to near 4000.

You have to stoke the furnace.

There's no reason to drop the cardio. You need it to maintain your cardiovascular health, and it'll help you in every aspect of your exercise program (to stop it is bad advice...; cut back maybe, but, mostly, EAT), but, you have to make SURE that you eat enough to sustain your activity level.

I've always been confused about caffeine and drinking soda prior to, during, or after a work out. Then I see trainers at the gym drinking soda or other beverages with caffeine (even first thing in the morning).

IF you don't drink caffeine regularly, you will feel its effect when you do have it.

So called energy drinks are often sugar and caffeine.

If you care, just google up "caffeine exercise performance".

In a nut shell, caffeine changes your perception of being tired, allowing you to train longer. It also mobilizes fatty acids. It also lowers your blood sugar. It also raises your heart rate, and bp. You can move bigger loads, longer, with less perceived exertion. There have been many studies done on it, and there is a WEALTH of information available in those studies.

Caffeine has been, for a VERY long time, the performance enhancing drug of choice.

We have double standards on performance enhancement, however. E.g. raising your RBC / EPO can be done a few different ways.

1. Train at high altitude - Legal.
2. Hyperbariac chamber - Legal.
3. Take AAS. Legal by prescription, but banned.
4. Take EPO. Legal by perscription, but banned.

Some folks have genetics defects / illnesses that allow them to perform at a higher level. E.g. Michael Phelps has a disease (I forget the name) that makes his limbs excessively long. That disease also changes the way he clears lactic acid (much faster than most folks). For now, that's not banned, but, the question gets more interesting in folks who have disorders affecting myostatin. That allows them to be extraordinarily muscular.

Back to caffeine, you lose muscle by not working out, having to few calories, or disease. That's about it. You can actually gain muscle, as you grow older, provides your hormones are in the right place.

Listen to Chucky, he knows his stuff.