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Caffeine and competition on Sat.
- Thread starter krishna
- Start date
Krishna how are you taking in the caffine is it black coffee? tea? diet soda?
What are you doing with your sodium in take if anything? Are you using a directic? Need a little more info
What are you doing with your sodium in take if anything? Are you using a directic? Need a little more info
todoveritas
New member
Personally, I would keep taking it. At this point caffeine should be acting more as a direct stimulant (I presume you are taking it as part of an ECA regimen) and its diuretic effects are secondary. There are many other things that work far better at controlling water. Dandelion, hydrochlorothiazide, etc.
krishna
New member
superqt4u2nv said:Krishna how are you taking in the caffine is it black coffee? tea? diet soda?
What are you doing with your sodium in take if anything? Are you using a directic? Need a little more info
I got this dandelion shit today and took the minumum dose. Don't know jack about dieuretics so I don't know if I wanna keep taking it. I usually drink speed stacks which have 5 cals and are 45mg of sodium. What should I do lady?
Hmm I called for some back up as I am still wet behind the ears on final stages of prep.krishna said:
Aside from the sodium in the speed stack are you adding extra salt to your foods anything like that? Do you know how much sodium you are taking in? What is your water plan?
Sassy69
New member
Are you drinking coffee or using caffeine tabs? Guessing caffeine tabs. What is your water depletion strategy?
I guess I've always used a thermogenic -whether it be an OTC product or my own stack of E/C/A. In that capacity I would keep using it just as you are now.
As far as the dandelion root - I might suggest you use it w/ the same instructions as you would find on a bottle of Taraxatone. If I were giving you instructions for competition I would've told you to get a bottle of Cytodyne Taraxatone (OTC diuretic http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cyt/tara.html) and start it 10 days prior to your show date - its a 10 day program. OR some MHP Xpel (http://www.a1nutritionproducts.com/buy/mhp/xpel/80capsules?gclid=CKubhLemvIsCFQ93UAodEBAdvw) - that is essentially the same but is a 5 day treatment. If possible you might see if you can get a bottle of Xpel at a local GNC early tomorrow and just start using it per the instructions.
But if you choose to just use the dandelion root you could use it similar to the instructions on the Taraxatone bottle - the instructions are on that link above.
I would include a 99 mg (standard size) potassium tab w/ each dose of the dandelion root - this helps a little w/ the cramping that can happen w/ water dumping. Tho two products I mentioned both are potassium-sparing diuretics but they also supplement w/ potassium & cal / mag which both help w/ cramping from dehydration.
I guess I've always used a thermogenic -whether it be an OTC product or my own stack of E/C/A. In that capacity I would keep using it just as you are now.
As far as the dandelion root - I might suggest you use it w/ the same instructions as you would find on a bottle of Taraxatone. If I were giving you instructions for competition I would've told you to get a bottle of Cytodyne Taraxatone (OTC diuretic http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cyt/tara.html) and start it 10 days prior to your show date - its a 10 day program. OR some MHP Xpel (http://www.a1nutritionproducts.com/buy/mhp/xpel/80capsules?gclid=CKubhLemvIsCFQ93UAodEBAdvw) - that is essentially the same but is a 5 day treatment. If possible you might see if you can get a bottle of Xpel at a local GNC early tomorrow and just start using it per the instructions.
But if you choose to just use the dandelion root you could use it similar to the instructions on the Taraxatone bottle - the instructions are on that link above.
I would include a 99 mg (standard size) potassium tab w/ each dose of the dandelion root - this helps a little w/ the cramping that can happen w/ water dumping. Tho two products I mentioned both are potassium-sparing diuretics but they also supplement w/ potassium & cal / mag which both help w/ cramping from dehydration.
Sassy69
New member
Run the dandelion root thru your show date and then taper down for a few days. Also you're aware of the post show rebound stuff? Don't shitload after your show - give yourself a couple of cheats if you are looking forward to it after your show but stick to the uber clean diet and slowly incorporate regular foods back in. You've been eating a very clean, restricted variety diet for a long time so anything "new" you put back in will immediatly cause a rebound - this includes sodium, heavy carbs, heavy fats, etc. Also ease back into the water / liquids too if you are doing a water depletion.
Here's a description of what your body goes through post show:
http://www.mindandmuscle.net/mindandmuscle/magpage.php?issueID=40&artID=49
Not to scare you -- just saying to ease out of your competition diet and back into 'regular' eating slowly - say over a week - and this will help avoid the 20 lb water gain that will make your ankles feel like water balloons about ready to burst. Its really miserable if you let it all go...
Good luck w/ your show! What weight class are you doing?
Here's a description of what your body goes through post show:
http://www.mindandmuscle.net/mindandmuscle/magpage.php?issueID=40&artID=49
Not to scare you -- just saying to ease out of your competition diet and back into 'regular' eating slowly - say over a week - and this will help avoid the 20 lb water gain that will make your ankles feel like water balloons about ready to burst. Its really miserable if you let it all go...
Good luck w/ your show! What weight class are you doing?
krishna
New member
K I'll stick to the one or two speed stacks I have a day. I've been drinking a 1 - 1 1/2 gallons of water a day. Tomorrow I plan to drop it to a gallon, and then Friday, drop it to 1/2 - 3/4 of a gallon and stop drinking by 6 pm. I'm worried about losing water from my muscles?? I've been on 150 carbs for the past 2 1/2 weeks, but today I jumped it up to about 275 to start filling back in. How should I adjust my carbs as I taper the water off? Do you have a different opinion on what I should do? I'm basically just keeping my sodium at about 1500 mg or below (have been doing that for awhile). Hmmmmmm......
Sassy69
New member
krishna said:
I probably would've done a full carb depletion from last Saturday or Sunday until Wed -- i.e. no complex carbs at all, but it sounds ok. You are on schedule with the carb-up. I would continue w/ the water depletion as you are. Keep a bottle of water around just to sip on as needed from 6 pm on through the whole day on Saturday - remember to continue to stay on only sips as needed through the night show -- it can be easy to forget that and start sucking down water in the afternoon between the shows and then you are bloated for the night show. The morning show is the most important of the two shows, but you can screw yourself if you dont' look just as tight or even better at the night show. Ice chips are fantastic for tryign to get thru the 'sip only as needed' phase of the water deplete.
I'd probably drop the sodium altogether at this point. You want to suck out all the subcutaneous water to get as dry as possible for stage time. The idea is that you are slowly dropping your water intake, you are using diuretics to dump as much water as possible and then the complex carb load sucks up any water it can find out from the subQ areas and into the muscles to fill them out. So its sort of a 3-pronged attack to get rid of as much water as possible that can make you look soft. And it can be brutal under the lights if you are the least bit watery.
How much more carb are you planning to eat Thurs & Fri? It takes 36-48 hrs to fill out from a carb load so you want to make sure you are getting enough. When I deplete and then load, I go 2-3 days no carb and then load starting Thurs w/ like 300 g carb -- to control it I eat about 30 g of carb (potato) every 1-2 hrs based on how I feel & how I look. You may respond better than I do to the carb load - but see how you look tomorrow and make sure you are loading enough.
The potassium tabs will help you if you cramp up at all. The biggest issue with "enhancement drugs" is the really aggressive scheduled diurtetics like lasix because it can screw up your electrolyte balance - that's when you see people pass out on stage. Or cramping up from dehydration -- the potassium pills can help with that.
A little trick I learned on show day if you are getting ready to go on stage & you feel like you are starting to feel dizzy from dehydration / electrolyte imbalance, is to keep a small bag of potato chips around -- if you just chew on a couple the sodium will help you retain a little bit of water to balance your electrolytes and alleviate the cramping.
I'm trying to think of anything else... do you have any other questions?
krishna
New member
Well since I jumped my carbs up some today, should I back off a little tomorrow to avoid spilling over? Then on Friday, I can up em some more as I cut off the water to help dry me out? I may have started a little early with the carbs, but I wanted to see how I responded. I'll cut the sodium as low as I can and I've already started taking a couple potassium tabs today. Should I stay on the dandelion root? It's actually called DiurX (OTC diueretic). I appreciate all your help. Just need your advice on the carbs since I started upping today instead of tomorrow.
BigCracker
New member
I say keep the caffeine as usual. No point in freaking your body out by removing it from your normal daily regimen.
T
The Shadow
Guest
the Droot replaces potassium as it goes(there is a LOT of potassim inthe actual leaves)...its is K sparing.....so you should be fine on the cramping.
Remember that each gram of carbs will pull 4 grams of water.
Ideally - you should be carbing up on rice cakes....basically zero water content, so you can easily calculate the amount of water you should be taking in.
I LOT depends onyour weight etc,
Remember that each gram of carbs will pull 4 grams of water.
Ideally - you should be carbing up on rice cakes....basically zero water content, so you can easily calculate the amount of water you should be taking in.
I LOT depends onyour weight etc,
krishna
New member
194-195 lbs. light-heavies. I am below 5 1/2% which is not quite where I want to be, but I don't think my competition will be that dramatic. Natty pro Craig Toth will be in my weight class and he'll probably win, but I basically just want the experience as this is my first shabang.
A
Anthony Roberts
Guest
Regarding Caffeine...I did an article on stimulants with another dude...you might benefit from reading it (or not...):
http://www.t-nation.com/portal_includes/articles/2006/06-098-diet.html
http://www.t-nation.com/portal_includes/articles/2006/06-098-diet.html
ProtienFiend
New member
BUMPSassy69 said:
Can't waitkrishna said:
Good luck
krishna
New member
Just got home from prejudging. Goddamn! My class is pretty ferocious! I didn't expect to win. Looks like I'll place 4 or 5 out of 8. Definitely a learning experience, and I'd do it all over again, even though I wasn't quite where I needed to be. Everyone says I look great, even the guys I'm competing against, but my posing and stage presence is lacking from inexperience. Just not quite there yet, but definitely one step closer. I'll get some pics up as soon as I get them ladies.
Awesome job takes a whole lot of nerve just to get up there. From older pics I have seen of you I have no doubt you will do very well keep at it.krishna said:
solidspine
New member
I think sassy has you covered, you build a fast tolerance to caffiene.
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