Energy Boost before CFA?

[USSEnterpr1se]

Something that just came to my mind.. Are you allowed to drink pre workout, energy boost drinks, coffee, etc right before the CFA in order to increase the energy you have to do it without being completely winded? Are there are rules against it?

 

[justdoit19]

Idk if against rules or not, but those are NOT healthy. Especially for your heart.

I wouldn’t recommend. At the very least, it may have the opposite effect, ie: making you nauseous 🤢. I doubt there is enough of a difference in your overall performance, to risk a negative effect.

 

[USSEnterpr1se]

Idk if against rules or not, but those are NOT healthy. Especially for your heart.

I wouldn’t recommend. At the very least, it may have the opposite effect, ie: making you nauseous 🤢. I doubt there is enough of a difference in your overall performance, to risk a negative effect.

Got it, thanks!

 

[Dr. Strange Love]

.
… the tortoise always wins
.

 

[Iwutke]

You SHOULD be completely winded when you finish, or you didn’t try hard enough. Maybe even hugging a garbage can.

 

[IronmanDaremo]

It will do nothing for you except make you jittery. You will see minimal to no increase in performance.

 

[MidCakePa]

Back when I was doing half-marathons and sprint triathlons — with rather mediocre results, mind you — a couple coaches told me: Don’t eat or drink anything on race day that you haven’t already tried in prior workouts. Otherwise, you risk an adverse and unexpected reaction.

I ignored that advice for one event. It resulted in — ahem — digestive issues. 😬 YMMV.

 

[IronmanDaremo]

NNORD - Nothing new on race day!

I had a ritual pre-race for anything longer than a 5k. I didn't eat anything if the race started before 10-ish, but then took a Gu at 45 minutes before the race, and another at 15 before. This way, I would not need anything for the first hour or so other than fluids. (Of course, I was sponsored by them, so I had buckets available!).

 

[OldRetSWO]

Do you REALLY need an energy drink for an event that takes twenty or so minutes that you hopefully prepared for?

The idea really confuses me but then again I went through a plebe summer without canteens/water bottles or other portable hydration
let alone energy drinks while we did outdoor training for hours at a time..

Talk to any grad from at least the late 70's or earlier and ask how they survived Maryland summers without constant hydration.

 

[ParachutePanda]

Don't forget about adrenaline! That'll definitely keep you going. If you do end up deciding to do pre-workout, please test before you use.

 

[robinolds'mustache]

Something that just came to my mind.. Are you allowed to drink pre workout, energy boost drinks, coffee, etc right before the CFA in order to increase the energy you have to do it without being completely winded? Are there are rules against it?

You CAN take a pre-workout before the test. Studies have shown that it does help aerobic and strength output, especially during high-intensity training, which is the CFA. Most pre-workouts contain Citrulline, which increases the oxygen flow to cells in your body. It helps for any medium to long-distance workouts, and most contain Beta-Alanine which, to break it down, increases your body's ability to remove lactic acid. Combined with moderate caffeine, these ingredients can help your body perform. Make sure it's moderate caffeine. For somebody that does not regularly consume caffeine, 100-120mg of caffeine is usually sufficient for a workout. But, if you've developed a caffeine intolerance, be sure to increase your intake accordingly to reach the same effect. However, it is always best to take a break from caffeine to reset your tolerance rather than to increase your intake. Lastly, make sure your pre-workout is from a credible brand that has third-party testing. Some good pre-workouts are the ones from Optimal Nutrition and if you need more caffeine, Total War.
So, pre-workout does help. But, only take it if you use it regularly. The last thing you need during an intense test like the CFA is your new pre-workout causing a higher bpm than required for your activity, causing your body to burn more energy, and harming you in the long run.

 

[IronmanDaremo]

Link to studies, please. And NIH, or PubMed based.

 

[SnootyHen]

Taken in Ricketts Hall this past spring. Not that it applies to the CFA but I thought it was great advice and as someone who works with young athletes, I snapped this picture to show my swimmers that even the big dogs need to ask their trainer first before putting something in their body that might not be good for them. Keep in mind that you might be able to take it before the CFA without anyone caring, but you won't be able to sustain those products for the long haul. So if you need it to pass the CFA now, consider working yourself off it so that you aren't relying on those products to meet a minimum level of athleticism in the future.

 

[robinolds'mustache]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073798/ - from a research study I did for the AP Capstone program. Working on finding my research citations for beta-alanine too. It's been a second.
The main limitation of this study is Citrulline's effects in the long term (>6 months). This is when breaking your use of pre-workouts into periods comes in handy. Taking at least a two-week break every 4-6 weeks of use.

 

[momofusna1]

Keep in mind when you workout over plebe summer, you're doing it completely clean! No caffeine or supplements over summer

 

[robinolds'mustache]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4501114/ - NIH Article which shows the effects of Beta-Alanine. It pretty much says it's good in moderate doses, like the ones found in pre-workout. It causes some tingling in higher doses (a few people may prefer the placebo effect of the "tingling" sensation).
Direct Quote from the summary: "Beta-alanine attenuates neuromuscular fatigue, particularly in older subjects, and preliminary evidence indicates that beta-alanine may improve tactical performance." Limitations are the effects of beta-alanine post 25 minutes of sustained workout. I imagine its nothing negative, especially when kept in moderate doses.

 

[IronmanDaremo]

Thank you for the links. I will definitely check them out.

You can always teach an old coach new tricks!

 

[IronmanDaremo]

One of the reasons for those sorts of signs in an NCAA program is that you can potentially get popped on a blood test for performance enhancing "drugs" with many of these un-regulated substances. Not only bad for the sport and school, but seriously bad for military cadets/midshipmen.

 

[robinolds'mustache]

Yeah, definitely don't take any of it if you're an NCAA Athlete. I remember a few years ago when athletes were "caught" drinking the Celcius Energy drink and were banned from NCAA competitions.

 

[Heatherg21]

All academy athletes in D1 sports are considered NCAA athletes correct?

And in a combat or deployed scenario may not have consistent access to these supplements/boosters?

My thought is that either you are physically capable of passing the CFA and PRT without anything other than smart nutrition and hydration. Or you aren’t.

No military member when deployed down range is going to be able to have the types of researched or studied enhancing products available.

You have to be fit on your own merits. IMHO.

And caffeine has too often played a role in young, healthy, cardiac deaths.