Activator

ACTIVATOR During Competition

Intake recommendations of ACTIVATOR 200 for various physical activities

The popular ACTIVATOR 200 caffeine Shot with 200mg of caffeine increases endurance and improves concentration and attention during crucial phases of a competition. Sprint and endurance athletes in particular regularly use it; whether before the starting signal or during the race. In order to prevent the «shot» from backfiring, it is worth following the recommendations for consumption below:

Sprint and interval performances
These physical activities benefit from increased concentration, alertness and adrenaline activity. It is recommended to take ACTIVATOR sufficiently prior to, about 30-60 minutes, to cover the optimal period of efficacy.

Endurance competitions of 1-3 h duration
With endurance activities of several hours duration, an increased endurance performance can be expected by caffeine's effect on improved fatty acid oxidation for energy supply.
As the highest caffeine concentration in the blood occurs around 45-60 minutes after ingestion and then flattens out over the following 2-3 hours, it is important to plan your intake according to your individual situation. Like this the maximum effect can be achieved right from the start, or, for example, specifically for the second half or the final phase of a competition.

12- to 24-hour races
One possible application would be to take an ACTIVATOR with its 200 mg caffeine per flask every 3 hours, depending on body weight it may also be a little more or less. If you already have experience with caffeine and tolerate it well, you can begin right from the start. Otherwise, it is recommended to wait a little longer and to use the ampoules in a 5-6 hours rhythm, for example. Or only selectively and purposefully about 30 minutes before performance-critical phases (night, or in good time before expected performance slumps).

Ultra events lasting several days
The same recommendations as for one-day events apply. However, it is important to consider a sufficient time distance (at least 4 hours) between the last caffeine intake before sleep breaks.

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Author: Remo Jutzeler
Head R&D SPONSER SPORT FOOD
Ing. Applied Food Sciences UAS
MAS Nutrition & Health ETHZ

Caffeine in Endurance Sports

Science confirms – again – efficacy in endurance sports

Many studies have already proven the ergogenic effect of caffeine in competition. The focus was usually on a performance duration of about one hour. However, caffeine can also noticeably improve longer endurance performances, as the scientists Talanian/Spriet have demonstrated.

Their study investigated whether late caffeine intake during exercise would also lead to a significant improvement in performance. 15 athletes underwent four times a 2-hour cycling test, followed by a time trial that lasted 30 minutes. After 80 minutes (i.e. 40 minutes before the time trial), the athletes took either 200 mg, 100 mg or a placebo product with 0 mg caffeine without knowing what dose they were given. The results speak for themselves: The athletes with the highest caffeine intake performed best in the time trial (26:36 ± 0:22), followed by the athletes with the low dose (27:36 ± 0:32) and the placebo intake (28:41 ± 0:38).

The graph prepared by Asker Jeukendrup illustrates the outcome very well: » Timing of caffeine intake in long races

Conclusion for endurance athletes
• Taking caffeine during exercise, about 40-60 minutes before the desired effect, improves performance during longer endurance activities.
• 200 mg caffeine proves to be more effective than 100 mg caffeine.
• It seems beneficial to take additional caffeine during competition if performance peaks are targeted later in the race.
• Here too, taking 200 mg of caffeine around 40-60 minutes before the «peak» is optimal.

Good to know
Despite all the positive effects, it must be emphasized that caffeine supplementation only has the desired effect, if the athlete can tolerate the caffeine intake well. The previously propagated «caffeine wash-out», i.e. the renunciation of all caffeine sources during 24 hours before the competition, has been partially refuted, but seems to depend on the individual as well.

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on » performance optimisation
on » race nutrition
on » race preparation
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Literature
Talanian/Spriet (2016): Low and moderate doses of caffeine late in exercise improve performance in trained cyclists. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Aug;41(8):850-5.

Author: Remo Jutzeler
Head R&D SPONSER SPORT FOOD
Ing. Applied Food Sciences UAS
MAS Nutrition & Health ETHZ

Caffeine Content in Coffee Capsules

Considerable fluctuations of caffeine content in coffee capsules

An Australian research team has examined Nespresso® capsules regarding their caffeine content. Although the caffeine content of coffee is generally known, there was a gap in knowledge about Nespresso® capsules. The results make people sit up and take notice: the caffeine content depends on the capsule size as well as on the type of coffee. For example, the caffeine content of Nespresso® products varied from 19-147 mg per serving. For the «Livanto» and «Roma» varieties, one portion of ristretto provided 51 mg and 66 mg of caffeine respectively.

Caffeine in sports
A targeted caffeine intake through natural foods is practically impossible due to the fluctuating contents and missing or inaccurate manufacturer's specifications. Those who use caffeine to improve performance - caffeine is listed by the Swiss Society for Sports Nutrition (SSNS) as A Performance Supplement - should rely on high-quality and precisely dosed supplements such as ACTIVATOR from SPONSER. The caffeine shot delivers 200 mg of caffeine per flask in a standardized way and thus allows exact dosage for performance enhancement.

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Literature
Desbrow B et al. (2019): Caffeine content of Nespresso® pod coffee. Nutr Health. 2019 Mar;25(1):3-7.
Swiss Sports Nutrition Society (2017): Koffein. A-Supplemente: Performance Supplement. Version 2017.

Author: Yvonne Forster
dipl. eng. food sciences UAS
dipl. dietitian HS

Effects of Caffeine

Caffeine in sports: position stand of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN)

The times when caffeine was on the doping list are long gone. But that does not mean that caffeine has no influence on athletic performance. Quite the opposite. The position stand of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) is very clear and summarizes the most important caffeine findings:

• Taking a sufficient dose of caffeine about 1060 minutes before exercise can increase concentration, alertness, and both anaerobic and aerobic endurance.

• Caffeine increases athletic performance at a dosage of 36 mg/kg body weight. A further improvement is not expected at higher doses. Conversely, however, too high doses (> 9 mg/kg) can produce adverse effects such as nervousness.

• Caffeine is more effective in free form compared to bound caffeine, as found in coffee, guarana or tea. One cup of coffee contains about 60100 mg of caffeine in bound form.

• Caffeine can increase alertness under prolonged stress, but also during periods of little sleep. This is not only important for participants in ultraendurance events, but also in mountain sports and on expeditions, as well as for students and during activities such as long car journeys.

• Caffeine is performanceenhancing during longlasting endurance activities and highly effective during timetrial performances (e.g. time trials).

• Caffeine is also beneficial for highintensity exercise, including team and ball sports such as soccer and tennis, which are characterized by intermittent exercise over a long period of time.

• The scientific evidence shows no caffeinerelated fluid loss or other adverse changes in fluid balance that could affect performance.

• There is evidence that taking lowenergy caffeine drinks/shots during targeted training for endurance or weight loss also promotes a small additional fat reduction, compared to exercise alone. However, it is necessary to use only lowenergy products for this purpose.

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on » caffeine

Literature
Goldstein ER et al. (2010): International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Jan 27;7(1):5.

Author: Remo Jutzeler
Head R&D SPONSER SPORT FOOD
Ing. Applied Food Sciences UAS
MAS Nutrition & Health ETHZ

Caffeine in Sports

Dosage recommendations for caffeine

Caffeine can significantly contribute to improving endurance performance. Many studies that have proven the positive effect of caffeine in competition have assumed a performance duration of about one hour. There are no studies on events lasting more than 24 hours.

Ideally, the intake of caffeine should be timed to suit specific phases in competition (performance decline, final phase, night-time, etc.). It is therefore advantageous to plan the intake times in order to coincide with the (mentally and physically) demanding performance phases.

Basically, the recommended dosage for caffeine in sports is around 3-4 mg/kg body weight. A person weighing 70 kg would consume 210-280 mg of caffeine, for example. The effectiveness curve of caffeine runs from about 30-40 minutes after ingestion to 3-4 hours afterwards. Afterwards, caffeine must be replenished. Negative effects due to overdose can only occur from 5-6 mg/kg body weight within this time period. However, this would primarily affect cognitive and not physical performance factors.

Related articles
on » caffeine
on » race nutrition

Author: Remo Jutzeler
Head R&D SPONSER SPORT FOOD
Ing. Applied Food Sciences UAS
MAS Nutrition & Health ETH

Interview Tadesse Abraham

Marathon runner Tadesse Abraham on his way to the World Athletics Championships in Doha

You hardly have to present Tadesse Abraham to marathon runners anymore. Since the European Marathon Championships in Berlin 2018, where he won the silver medal, he is well known all over Europe. In March 2016, the athlete from LC Uster set up a new Swiss marathon record (2:06:40). And only a few months later, Tadesse Abraham became European Champion in the half marathon in Amsterdam with a time of 1:02:03. No wonder that the athlete has set himself ambitious goals for the 2019 World Championships in Athletics in Doha.

Tadesse, what are your personal plans for the World Championships in the Qatari capital?

I'm already really looking forward to my start in the marathon, and the preparations are going very well. My goal at the World Championship in Doha is to run as fast as I do in training. Then one of the three medals should be within reach.

What role do you think the warm, relatively humid climate of Doha will play on competition day?

The weather is an important factor. I will take certain precautions against the heat and be strategic in the competition so that I can play to my advantage. In any case, the marathon will not be a fast marathon because of the heat.

How do you plan your meals during the marathon in Doha? Again with the 21 small, accurately labelled SPONSER bottles as we know them from you?

Yes, of course. As always, I will have many small bottles provided for me. That way I'll get enough fluid during the race. Furthermore, my nutrition strategy in Doha is no different from the one I use in other marathons: In the three or four days before the start I use the CARBO LOADER.

Do you also take gels during the marathon or do you consume only liquids?

During the race I only drink. One hour before the start of the marathon I take an ACTIVATOR to feel awake and ready. Shortly before the start I take a LIQUID ENERGY GEL.