Caffeine withdrawal

[Glover Fan]

I'm writing this after having a week off caffeine based products. Purely because I am cycling all night and wanted to reduce my tolerance to coffee.

Now, i've quit smoking before, i've managed to lose over 20kg of weight.

All of which has been easier and less mentally painful than the past week. Monday was absolutely awful, I felt like a zombie all day and performed poorly at work. I also got mahor headaches, which haven't really gone away. I've drinking loads of water, but I know that it is the withdrawal that is causing the headaches as I used to get them within 24 hours of not drinking coffee before this week. As the week has gone on it has got a little bit easier and I am waking up a lot better than I usually do.

The hardest part at first was not drinking coffee, but with the withdrawals went my brains ability to think and it was only on Wednesday I realised that you can buy decaf!!! doh! So that has reduced the cravings somewhat.

Basically i'm happy this week is over and can't wait to have a coffee a couple hours before my ride tonight.

I should probably add that I am not a massive caffeine consumer, probably 1-2 coffees a day? I don't drink Red Bull because of the sugar content.

 

[Red Light]

I've been off caffeine for four years now - and that includes tea, coffee, chocolate (which can contain a lot of caffeine) and caffeinated drinks. It took me two years before I didn't have a craving when I smelt good coffee but I feel much better for it so well worth it. Good luck with it.

 

[zacklaws]

So what do you rely on providing energy on long rides if you avoid sugar? The amount of sugar in a can of red bull is minimal, 27grms , you would proably burn of in an hour or two. At the most I use 65grms in a bottle and that is about the rate needed per hour of cycling

 

[Red Light]

So what do you rely on providing energy on long rides if you avoid sugar? The amount of sugar in a can of red bull you would proably burn of in an hour or two

Sugar is bad for energy when riding non-competitively. It stimulates an insulin response which quickly removes it from the blood stream so you only get a very short hit. Much better to use sports energy drinks built on complex sugars that provide a sustained boost on long rides or just ride slower so the body can mobilise the energy stored in body fat which can keep you going for days of low intensity exercise.

I go for the latter as I found energy drinks became "addictive" - I felt the slump in my performance if I rode without drinking them so rather than feel the need to drink them everytime I re-established my expectation baseline to one based on drinking water.

 

[Glover Fan]

So what do you rely on providing energy on long rides if you avoid sugar? The amount of sugar in a can of red bull is minimal, 27grms , you would proably burn of in an hour or two. At the most I use 65grms in a bottle and that is about the rate needed per hour of cycling

Sorry, by that I meant I avoid energy drinks when not exercising. I can appreciate a can of coca cola et al after 160km with another 40 hilly km to go!

 

[summerdays]

I suffer from caffeine withdrawal too ... it seems to affect me with headaches if I don't start the day with caffeine and after that it is less important whether I have 1 or 4 cups of coffee but just not Zero!!! I always have decaff in for friends but it just doesn't taste as nice.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I stopped drinking coffee and moved to tea. It was hard at first but I find the lower caffeine content in tea a much more pleasant experience. Not sure I could cut it out completely TBH.

 

[sean8997]

Everything in moderation for me, if I like something I'm not going to cut it out completely, as long as you dont go overboard you should be ok, even treat yourself every now and again!

 

[coffeejo]

I gave up smoking a few years ago, I rarely drink alcohol and I try to avoid eating too much junk food so coffee is one of the few "naughties" left to me and I have no intention of ever giving it up. I don't like strong coffee but I do drink a lot of it so I guess that cancels it out! Tea is my comfort drink when I'm feeling low. Good thing too, as I don't have sugar in coffee but have 2 in tea.

 

[doog]

Gave up alcohol 5 months ago after a 30 year drinking career . Alcohol blunts everything, including caffeine rushes and its only now that I am experiencing them....its great

 

[Orange]

I really can't tell the difference between de-caff and caffeinated coffee.

Probably have 5 or 6 coffees and a couple of teas a day (small cups at work); except for the annual holiday each year when I don't drink it at all for 2 weeks. I do miss it but don't suffer from it.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

I gave up caffiene approx 2 years ago(although occasionally I will have a few days of drinking normal tea(maybe an odd coffee at hebden bridge with Colin or tubby)). Like you, I was in agony from withdrawal symptoms. Some poor buggers cannot kick it as it is too painful according to some research papers on the net.

Herbal tea with honey helped the I must have a brew routine. I don't take honey anymore.

 

[Rebel Ian]

Sugar free Red Bull? That's what I drink.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Sugar free Red Bull? That's what I drink.

Sugar free but not caffiene or taurine free tho

 

[Glover Fan]

Also contains aspartame which I try and avoid if possible.