Newest research shows why you have to Caffeine is a popular and effective aid for endurance exercise and energy, but whether or not regular caffeine consumption impacts how well caffeine works was unclear, until now. A recent study, now under review, sought to test how longterm regular caffeine use influenced exercise performance. The study (the longest one to date) collected data on caffeine’s energy and performance effects. The results concluded that, “Individuals with low-habitual intakes should refrain from chronic caffeine supplementation to maximize performance benefits from acute caffeine ingestion.” In other words: longterm caffeine use loses its effectiveness over time. Caffeine is the world’s most popular stimulant. You can hardly travel a city block without running into one coffee shop or another, and might be hard pressed to name a coworker that can function without starting his or her day with a caffeine fix. America is addicted to this stuff. As such, the effects of regular caffeine consumption is a critical area of research. How is this addiction affecting our health? . . The Price of Getting Hooked Caffeine works primarily by binding to adenosine receptors in the brain and various other organs, acting as a competitive inhibitor to adenosine. Since adenosine blocks your ability to feel drowsy, it results in a feeling of alertness. However, there’s a steep price to pay for this. Caffeine causes calcium to be excreted in the urine and feces. For every 150 mg of caffeine ingested, about the amount in one cup of coffee, 5 mg of calcium is lost. Caffeine also inhibits the amount of calcium that gets absorbed through the intestinal tract and depletes the amount retained in bones. Studies have shown that women with high caffeine intake suffer more hip fractures than those who avoid caffeine or drink in moderation (1 to 2 cups per day). Caffeine inhibits vitamin D receptors, which limit the amount that will be absorbed. Because vitamin D is important in the absorption and use of calcium in building bone, this could also decrease bone mineral density, resulting in an increased risk for osteoporosis. . . Caffeine interferes with iron absorption, which is necessary for red blood cell production. Drinking caffeine at the same time as an iron source can reduce absorption by up to 80%, according to the Nutrition Desk Reference. Caffeine also has a mild diuretic effect, which increases urination. Water soluble vitamins, such as the B-vitamins, can be depleted as a result of the fluid loss. In addition, it interferes with the metabolism of some B-vitamins, such as thiamine (vitamin B1). . .. Cycling on and off Caffeine The aforementioned study shows that regular consumption lowers its effects on endurance performance in recreational athletes. Daily supplementation with about 175 mg of caffeine over 28 days resulted in a resistance to feeling or getting an energy boost. What does this study really tell us? Regular caffeine consumption reduces its ergogenic benefits. You keep on having to take more and more to get the same perceived benefits. However, there are two ways around that. . . . Way #1: If you take caffeine in the form of coffee, energy drinks or pills, it is important to cycle off after 4 weeks and take an energy supplement that doesn’t have caffeine anhydrous in it. This performs a gradual reset on your system. You should go 2 weeks on a different energy source instead of anhydrous caffeine like PCT Flush. Way #2: Ditch the synthetic caffeine for food caffeine nutrients that fuel you with real energy all the time, permanently. You can still dramatically boost your energy with the right combination of high potency whole food vitamin B’s including niacin for the flush, specially cultivated green tea for serious energy boost, and other natural forms of energy that don’t wear you down from the inside out. . The Safe Energy Boost Synthetic caffeine offers no real long term health benefit, yet there are days we could really use a pick-me-up for immediate performance, be it from a rough night of poor sleep, a stressful day, or just a need to get in the zone for a workout. Instead of making things worse with synthetic caffeine, you can perk yourself up and preserve your health with PCT Flush. . . PCT Flush is an amazing product that provides instant energy (and an awesome niacin flush), along with restoring dopamine production. It is designed to nutritionally improve both our mental and physical energy levels as it helps the adrenal glands, brain (anti-anxiety and dopamine) and water retention systems of the body be fortified and reset. . Additional gains: -Pre-digested nutrients guaranteeing maximum potency -Whole food niacin flush that helps with blood flow and circulation -Extreme energy boost alternative to synthetic caffeine -Natural diuretic -Dopamine balancing -Adrenal Support https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27762662