Caffeine

We just mentioned caffeine here, in relation to the mood-enhancing effects of fast thinking.

So along comes a little more information about the connections.

Probing Question: Is caffeine harmful to your health?

The basic answer seems to be "no", when the stuff is used in moderation. Just as interesting are the details of how it works:

How does caffeine achieve its most sought-after effect of counteracting fatigue? To understand that, we first have to understand the chemistry of fatigue itself. Like all cells in the body, brain cells access fuel through an energy-storage nucleotide called ATP. ATP -- adenosine triphosphate -- loses one of its three phosphate molecules with each burst of energy it releases, eventually becoming a single adenosine molecule. The longer a person is awake, the more adenosine will accumulate on special adenosine receptors in the brain, signaling it to slow its activity.

Enter caffeine. Acting as a wolf in sheeps clothing, caffeine is molecularly similar enough to adenosine to fit into its receptors, blocking adenosine from getting through -- yet it is distinct enough not to be "read" by the brain as instructions to take a nap.

Without adenosines calming effect, the brains neurons fire more rapidly and the body reads this increased activity as an emergency requiring the release of the "flight or fight" chemical: adrenalin [AKA: epinephrine]. The result? You feel excited, alert, mentally quick, ready for anything.

Of course, if there actually is a lot of adenosine in the brain, thats a sign it may be running on a nearly empty tank. Probably not a good idea to continue this too long without replenishing the fuel supply.

Another thing to watch out for: If you take caffeine while pulling an all-nighter to finish that important assignment, you may not be able to come back and have a good nap after the work is turned in:

Negative Effects Of Caffeine Are Stronger On Daytime Sleep Than On Nocturnal Sleep

A new study at the Université de Montréal has concluded that people drinking coffee to get through a night shift or a night of studying will strongly hurt their recovery sleep the next day.

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The Best Time to Eat Carbs and Proteins to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle

Many people chose to go on a low carbs diet in order to lose weight and gain some muscle. But if you follow such a diet you still need to consume some carbohydrates, and the questions is when it is a good time to do so? We all heard that is not a good idea to eat carbs at night or after 6 pm.

In order to lose weight and gain some muscle you
need to eat between 4 to 6 meals a day. If there are days when you train really hard, you should have a snack before and after your workout. This snack
should be composed of 60% protein, 20% carbs and 20% fats. Usually a whey protein shake with milk, cheese and some natural fat (like peanut butter) will do the trick. It is also a good idea to have a small meal before going to bed so that your metabolism does not slows down.

When to eat carbs?

The best time to eat carbs is 30 minutes prior to your training session and 30 after the training.

Remember to also add some high quality protein and fat.

The reason you eat carbs before a workout is to get that boost of energy you need in order to complete your training. It is recommended to consume carbohydrates after a workout because you need to replenish the source of energy lost during your training, so that you can rebuild the muscles.

When to eat Proteins?

We all know that we should consume a protein shake right after a workout in order to rebuild muscles. But studies showed that eating proteins before your training session also has benefits. You get a higher response from your body when you eat proteins before and this can have a huge positive impact on your workout.

Therefore you should consume both, proteins and carbs before and after an workout. It is also important to mention that proteins should be taken within 30 minute of completing your training session in order to get the most benefits. Research shows that people who consumed proteins 2h after their workout did not show an increase in muscle size as the ones that took proteins immediately after the workout.

The need to take supplements before and after a workout for maximum benefits was also proven by a study made by Cribb and Hayes. Young men that performed weight lifting and resisting training had more strength and muscle gains if they had a protein/carbs supplement before and after their workout then the ones that consumed the same supplement in the morning and evening.

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