"Meanwhile, somewhere a civet is rubbing its scraped perineal glands and thinking: Ah, sweet revenge. "
rofl ... rofl ... rofl ... rofl
rofl ... rofl ... rofl ... rofl
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Coffee and Freediving - the reality
- Thread starterADR
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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Hahahaha! What can i say, my grandrents and sister drink that stuff like water, i don't even like the smell! I'm not sure how people get hooked on it in the first place, but i think i'd rather be addicted to crack cocaine than coffee! I hate the stuff.
I cant sleep without my Caffine.
Is this a sign of addiction?
DeepThought is right, the body adjusts. My heartrate is fine.
Is this a sign of addiction?
DeepThought is right, the body adjusts. My heartrate is fine.
"I can't sleep without my Caffine"....
I hear ya, i can drink a 12 pack of Mt. Dew and go out in a blink. My heartrate is also fine, but i really do need to cut the caffeine out of my diet... my dad is clinically addicted to caffeine, i think it's hilarious.
I hear ya, i can drink a 12 pack of Mt. Dew and go out in a blink. My heartrate is also fine, but i really do need to cut the caffeine out of my diet... my dad is clinically addicted to caffeine, i think it's hilarious.
We're overlooking the key point.
"Coffee" is a word that covers a lot of territory, from little tiny thimbles of Arabian hi-test to frothy, obese buckets of Starbucks swill.
Coffee turns out to be very complex stuff. Apparently, there are thousands of complex organic compounds in it, not just the infamous caffeine.
Mix in that refined vegetable matter ( sugar ? is that what they call it ?) and that strange bovine mucous-like secretion and - well, if lighting struck it I've no doubt that new life would be created.
I come and go on the Coffee Question. Right now, I'm allowing myself unrestricted access to my dark mistress. In my fridge, in airtight glass containets, are considerable quantities of 4 of the world's rarest and most costly beans, air-expressed by special order.
All are superb. It is clear, though, that the psychopharmacology of each is distinctive and unique. I don't think I'd be able to sleep after drinking any of them, not for at least 12 hours, but the stimulation varies from crack-head-crazy ( a certain African bean) to Zen-modulated warp drive.
Dive reflex is not ruined, but at the margins of capability I have no doubt it is better to be caffeine-free - but only after several months, at least, of abstinence. The transition can be .... disturbing.
"Coffee" is a word that covers a lot of territory, from little tiny thimbles of Arabian hi-test to frothy, obese buckets of Starbucks swill.
Coffee turns out to be very complex stuff. Apparently, there are thousands of complex organic compounds in it, not just the infamous caffeine.
Mix in that refined vegetable matter ( sugar ? is that what they call it ?) and that strange bovine mucous-like secretion and - well, if lighting struck it I've no doubt that new life would be created.
I come and go on the Coffee Question. Right now, I'm allowing myself unrestricted access to my dark mistress. In my fridge, in airtight glass containets, are considerable quantities of 4 of the world's rarest and most costly beans, air-expressed by special order.
All are superb. It is clear, though, that the psychopharmacology of each is distinctive and unique. I don't think I'd be able to sleep after drinking any of them, not for at least 12 hours, but the stimulation varies from crack-head-crazy ( a certain African bean) to Zen-modulated warp drive.
Dive reflex is not ruined, but at the margins of capability I have no doubt it is better to be caffeine-free - but only after several months, at least, of abstinence. The transition can be .... disturbing.
Ahh yes - The Dark Mistress... 
Mine is in the ethereal form of Komodo Blend from Starbucks, ground up fresh each morning and brewed for my Pacific NW Addictive consumption - Where Coffee runs in our veins in this part of the country - along with a dash of Vanilla-Cinnamon Creamer...
It pays to have my son work for the almighty Seattle Coffee Mega Corp...
Mine is in the ethereal form of Komodo Blend from Starbucks, ground up fresh each morning and brewed for my Pacific NW Addictive consumption - Where Coffee runs in our veins in this part of the country - along with a dash of Vanilla-Cinnamon Creamer...
It pays to have my son work for the almighty Seattle Coffee Mega Corp...
Zen-modulated warp drive? hehe mind if I borrow that Paul?
Clinically addicted? I dont think its possible Skarz.... to prove it ill stop using caffine...for a whole.... 3 minutes.....(BRB)
ok ok.... 2 and a half......but see.... I can stop whenever I want.
Clinically addicted? I dont think its possible Skarz.... to prove it ill stop using caffine...for a whole.... 3 minutes.....(BRB)
ok ok.... 2 and a half......but see.... I can stop whenever I want.
In Canada there are some really stupid laws. For example, in Canada, it is illegal to put caffeine in any drink which is not a cola style soft drink. So, Coke and Pepsi and Jolt can have caffeine, but Red Bull is banned, and Mountain Dew (in Canada) has no caffeine, etc...! Coffee has caffeine to start off with, so there is no added caffeine (and no legal problems).
However, there is a loophole, currently you are allowed to add guarana to any drink, which itself contains caffeine.
Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
However, there is a loophole, currently you are allowed to add guarana to any drink, which itself contains caffeine.
Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
I thought I already mentioned the story about Red Bull in Switzerland at the world cup; they were a major sponsor, and a woman was giving free red bull to athletes. She told them in french not to drink it before competing. Some of the danish divers didn't understand french and one of them liked the taste of red bull and was drinking lots of it before static. He announced 4'30" and came up at 2'45" with a strong samba. Ironically, had he been selected for the random IOC drug tests, he probably would have been disqualified for the amount of caffeine in his blood (had he not already been DQ'd for the samba).
Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
Eric's post in another recent thread triggered my curiosity because he claims that the effect of caffeine can be manipulated by an expert to an advantage at freediving. I do not know what exactly Eric means, so before asking, I am looking through old threads and found this one.
Personally I believe coffee really messes with freediving for the reasons already mentioned above: dehydration due to the diuretic effect, and higher heart rate. That's already bad enough, but additionally caffeine strongly reduces vasopressin secretion. Vasopressin is a human hormone regulating vasoconstriction, hence when being suppressed by caffeine, it may have a quite negative and important impact on the vasoconstriction normally kicked in by the Diving Reflex.
So summing up all those effects together makes caffeine a real evil for a serious freediver, though the effects drop off quickly, so being abstinent for a day or more before diving may be sufficient and possibly even partially positive (except of the probable blood pressure drop). This is, though, just my speculation, please do not take it as a fact. Myself I do not really believe it, and am trying to avoid coffee several days before any important freediving event.
The only positive effect of caffeine that I can see is the pressure increase that may help to supply the brain with more blood during apnea. On the other hand, the blood pressure raises considerably during apnea already without any drugs, so combining it together with caffeine may be already quit risky for persons with naturally high pressure, or susceptible to brain strokes.
although I dont drink coffee every day, I may have one cup every couple days mid week when I am feeling like waking up is difficult.
I spearfish where I live in Saipan, but dont mix coffee and fishing ever. in fact I usually expect not to have had any coffee 48 hours prior to spearfishing or apnea diving. (we all know it's a heart rate, and expanded blood vessel thing) Just my personal feeling, but If I expected to compete, coffee is gone from my life for the duration. CO2 carbonated beverages as well. even anything Alcoholic. Sheesh I am glad I don't compete and that I can have a nice glass of wine, or beer with my fresh Sashimi. One thing I did avoid since freediving and spearfishing is Cigars. I used to indulge once a month, now I skip 6 months easily, and might have one, might not. I dont inhale, just in case you might be wondering, just flavor, but the whole heart rate thing, and the alteration of your body/blood chemistry for more than 12 hours is enough for me to stay away.
I spearfish where I live in Saipan, but dont mix coffee and fishing ever. in fact I usually expect not to have had any coffee 48 hours prior to spearfishing or apnea diving. (we all know it's a heart rate, and expanded blood vessel thing) Just my personal feeling, but If I expected to compete, coffee is gone from my life for the duration. CO2 carbonated beverages as well. even anything Alcoholic. Sheesh I am glad I don't compete and that I can have a nice glass of wine, or beer with my fresh Sashimi. One thing I did avoid since freediving and spearfishing is Cigars. I used to indulge once a month, now I skip 6 months easily, and might have one, might not. I dont inhale, just in case you might be wondering, just flavor, but the whole heart rate thing, and the alteration of your body/blood chemistry for more than 12 hours is enough for me to stay away.
Caffeine is no good for freediving. Real addicts ( the many,many cups a day crowd) tell me that when they stop drinking coffee, it takes a week or more of wierdness before they feel more or less normal. The few freediving hardcore addicts I know tell me they must quit coffee weeks before any competition or target diving.
On the other hand, good coffee is GREAT stuff. I get mine from Richard's Fruitstand in Hilo, HI, on Big Island. Richard grows his own, and has it roasted by a neighbor. I order medium roast - more caffeine than his dark roast, but more of the nuance of this magnificent Kona is preserved.
It's still enough, though, to keep my trigger finger twitchy, as that rat in my pool discovered to his eternal chagrin.
On the other hand, good coffee is GREAT stuff. I get mine from Richard's Fruitstand in Hilo, HI, on Big Island. Richard grows his own, and has it roasted by a neighbor. I order medium roast - more caffeine than his dark roast, but more of the nuance of this magnificent Kona is preserved.
It's still enough, though, to keep my trigger finger twitchy, as that rat in my pool discovered to his eternal chagrin.
I used to drink coffee every morning first thing but I quit. It was hard because I learned to love the taste and living in Hawaii, man there's some great coffee here like organic locally grown stuff on Maui and from the Big Island (famous Kona coffee).
I've found that I love the fact that I don't feel like a slave to the Java god each morning and I am longer so jumpy and nervous. Instead of being on the roller coaster, I'm gliding along pretty steady all day.
Also, I used to drink coffee when I felt tired or "down" and have since realized that if I'm tired, you know what, I should sleep! That'll actually solve the problem and not give me a fake boost.
I just don't like being addicted to anything as I'm borderline obsessive/compulsive and I'm easily addicted to things I "enjoy." Also, I know quitting coffee hasn't HURT my freediving abilities...
I've found that I love the fact that I don't feel like a slave to the Java god each morning and I am longer so jumpy and nervous. Instead of being on the roller coaster, I'm gliding along pretty steady all day.
Also, I used to drink coffee when I felt tired or "down" and have since realized that if I'm tired, you know what, I should sleep!
That'll actually solve the problem and not give me a fake boost. I just don't like being addicted to anything as I'm borderline obsessive/compulsive and I'm easily addicted to things I "enjoy." Also, I know quitting coffee hasn't HURT my freediving abilities...
I used to drink coffee every morning first thing but I quit. It was hard because I learned to love the taste and living in Hawaii, man there's some great coffee here like organic locally grown stuff on Maui and from the Big Island (famous Kona coffee).
I've found that I love the fact that I don't feel like a slave to the Java god each morning and I am longer so jumpy and nervous. Instead of being on the roller coaster, I'm gliding along pretty steady all day.
Also, I used to drink coffee when I felt tired or "down" and have since realized that if I'm tired, you know what, I should sleep!
I just don't like being addicted to anything as I'm borderline obsessive/compulsive and I'm easily addicted to things I "enjoy." Also, I know quitting coffee hasn't HURT my freediving abilities...
Oh, man, I wish you hadn't reminded me of the Ono Farms organic from Hana. Now I'm going to have to order some from Maui Coffee Roasters, and it's probably $100 /lb by now !