Caffeine in capsules is a dietary supplement that serves as a brain stimulant, great for improving performance during studies and work, as well as being widely used by athletes and physical activity practitioners, by activating metabolism and giving willingness.
In addition, caffeine in capsules stimulates weight loss because accelerated metabolism causes the body to expend more energy and increase fat burning.
This supplement can be purchased in pharmacies, food supplement stores or natural products, and its price ranges from about $ 30 to $ 150, as it depends on the dose of caffeine, the brand of the product and the store that sells.
What is it for
The use of caffeine in capsules has the following effects:
- It improves the performance of physical activity, and postpones the onset of fatigue;
- Increases strength and muscular endurance. See how drinking coffee before training improves performance;
- Improves mood, stimulating mood and well-being;
- Increases agility and speed of information processing;
- Improves breathing by stimulating the dilation of the airways;
- It facilitates the slimming, because it has thermogenic effect, that accelerates the metabolism and the fat burning, besides diminishing the appetite.
For caffeine to have better effects for weight loss, ideally it is associated with physical activity and a balanced diet, rich in vegetables and lean meat, low in fat, fried foods and sugars. Check out some juice detox recipes to boost metabolism and detoxify the body.
How to take
The recommended maximum safe intake is about 400mg of caffeine per day, or 6mg per pound of person's weight. Thus, up to 2 caffeine capsules of 200 mg or 1 of 400 mg per day may be used, for example.
Its use can be divided into 1 or 2 daily doses, preferably after breakfast and after lunch. It can also be used in the afternoon before physical activity, but should be avoided at night as it can disrupt rest and sleep.
It is also recommended to consume the caffeine capsule after some meal, to reduce the irritation in the stomach.
Possible side effects
The side effects of caffeine derive from brain stimulation, which causes irritability, agitation, insomnia, dizziness, tremors, and rapid heartbeat. It can also have an irritating effect on the stomach and intestine, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Caffeine causes tolerance, and therefore, increasing doses may be necessary to cause the same effect over time. In addition, it also causes physical dependence, since some people who consume daily can have withdrawal symptoms when their use is interrupted, such as headache, tiredness and irritability. These effects take from 2 days to 1 week to disappear, and can be avoided if the use of caffeine is not daily.
Who should not use
Caffeine in capsules is contraindicated for people with caffeine allergy, children, pregnant women, breastfeeding, and people with high blood pressure, arrhythmia, heart disease, or stomach ulcers.
The use of caffeine should be avoided by people suffering from insomnia, anxiety, migraine, tinnitus and labyrinthitis as it can worsen the symptoms.
In addition, people using IMAO-type antidepressants, such as phenelzine, pargyline, seleginine, iproniazide, isocarboxazid and tranylcypromine, for example, should avoid high doses of caffeine as there may be an association of effects that cause high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat.
How Caffeine Works
Caffeine is a methylxanthine, a substance that has direct action on the brain, and acts by blocking the adenosine receptors, which is a neuromodulator that accumulates in the brain throughout the day and causes fatigue and sleep. By blocking adenosine, caffeine increases the release of neurotransmitters, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin, which causes its stimulant effect.
Upon ingestion, caffeine is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and reaches a peak blood concentration in about 15 to 45 minutes, and has an action of about 3 to 8 hours in the body, which varies according to the presentation formula and other capsule components.
Purified caffeine is found in the form of anhydrous caffeine, or methylxanthine, which is more concentrated and can have more potent effects.
Other sources of caffeine
In addition to the capsules, caffeine can be found in various forms, such as in the cafe itself, in energy drinks or concentrated in the form of powder. So, to get the equivalent of 400mg of caffeine, you need about 4 cups of fresh, 225ml coffee.
In addition, other methylxanthines such as theophylline and theobromine, which have the same effect as caffeine, can also be found in teas, such as green tea and black tea, cocoa, energy drinks and cola. To know the amount of caffeine in each food, check out the caffeine-rich foods.
