Winners are grinners...

Latest News - August 2005
The season is underway with the first big triathlon event taking place at Yeppoon on August 14. It's easy to have big dreams and set high goals before the season starts.

The true test of commitment to better performance is not in the talking but in the doing. Racing to your potential means you need to be ready to make your training a passion that becomes a focus within your life.

If you listen to those age group athletes that are the top of thier category or are progessing steadily each ongoing season you will find a common theme - a big part of thier life revolves around the sport. Of course there must be limits to the passion. Family, work and balance certainly has to also be part of the mix. Finding the right balance is the key. We can all find that pathway if we are willing to plan and structure the program around lifestyle and have a passion for what we are doing.

Train Smart
Nick

Thought of the month
"If I trained the same way two years running, the results were never the same. Something always changes."
Miguel Indurain - 5 time winner Tour de France

Latest News
Snap Australian Half Ironman Triathlon Series
Seaspray-Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman Triathlon
August 14, 2005
Yeppoon’s unseasonably chilly weather leading into the Seaspray-Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman Triathlon belied the warm conditions and hot racing that the event day produced.

At the 8am race start the wind was up, making conditions choppy and difficult for the athletes. For the Multi Sport Consultants crew, solid efforts produced some outstanding results. For most this was the first race of the season. Some were using it as a training race form other upcoming events like the World Duathlon or World Triathlon Championships. For a few it was a first step into half Ironman racing. For everyone at days end, as usually is the case - some important lessons were learnt and another great experience was taken in.

A record number of athletes travelled north to Yeppoon for Round 2 of the Snap Australian Half Ironman Series to escape the cold and begin their triathlon season. But the day belonged to a rookie and a veteran, as Leon Griffin and Angela Milne led a 500-strong field home in the Seaspray Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman Triathlon.

Results:
Professional Male
Leon Griffin – 4:14:22
Cameron Watt – 4:14:36
Mat Tippett – 4:15:58

Professional Female
Angela Milne – 4:31:35
Melissa Ashton – 4:35:55
Sarah Fien – 4:37:21

MSC squad results below
Justin Hunter - 4.27 PB at Yeppoon by 8 min / 2nd in 30-34
Marty Leahy - 4.43 - Flew on the bike
Allan Moustoukas - 4.46 - 2nd 45-49 - Bring on Kona
Jason Cheshire - 4.48 - Solid race
Mike Dunstan - 5.00 - Great training for the TWC
Peter Brown - 5.15 - 4th in 50-54 - Likewise for DWC
Jeff Barker - 5.17 - Loves a hard race
Daniel Darcy - 5.21 - Tough day for Dan
Steve Buth - 5.45 - PB at Yeppoon by 6min
Carl Schmidt - 5.48 - First Half
Greg Meharg - 6.10 - First Yeppoon and second half

Conditions were tough and scanning the results and comparing to previous years saw the elite men go 15min slower. Most time it seemed depending on any number of factors were 5-10min slower than last year or the year before.

TriWolf Member Deals
Introducing... the TriWolf Wheel Rental Deal to our members.

Here's how it works.
1. Become a member if you are not already.
2. Make your selection from our available wheels sets.
3. Give us a call at P 07 3216 6233. We'll take down all the necessary details to get you moving.
4. Accept the terms and Pay the rental amount (plus shipping) and use the wheel for 7 days. We also have longer periods although bookings are essential. Afterwards, just send the wheels back to us and once they arrive back to us you have no further obligation. (Important to get them back within the 7 day rental.)

General Terms:- You thought you were clear, not yet here's the fine print

Wheels must be returned in undamaged condition. Wheels not returned within the 7 day period (or returned damaged) will be charged the full retail price if we hear nothing and not have received either the wheel set or no communication to indicate otherwise (we can refund any amounts once its all sorted). Although we understand things happen and if you are having some trouble getting them back then communication is paramount and we need to know.
Wheels are all Clincher therefore we supply the wheel set and the quick release only.
In the event of damage then you have the choice then to keep the wheels or return them and we can have them fixed at your cost.
If you fall in love with the wheels you've rented simply give us another call and we'll discuss how we can let you keep the wheels for a fair price.
Insurance can be taken out to avoid the unknown.
We are here to make your race an enjoyable one.
Indemnify applicable and accepted prior to rental.
Valid Credit card purchase only.

Cosmic Elite

Cosmic Carbone SL

Zipp 404 Clincher

Triwolf also will be introducing a rental service using the worlds triathlon fastest wetsuit - Xterra. Details can be obtained directly through www.triwolf.com.au or contacting the triwolf guys on 07 3216 6233

Caffeine

By Graeme Marsh

NOTE: The author would like to highlight from the onset that this review considers caffeine in an ergogenic role within the body. It is not intended to be used as a reference for caffeine prescription or to reflect the role of caffeine as a dietary substance in the general public, as there are many areas where the effects differ. The author hopes this article will help to further understand the considerations and role of caffeine in sport.

Caffeine is so prevalent in modern society that its role as an ergogenic (performance enhancing) substance is sometimes overlooked. This article will look at how effective caffeine is as a sports supplement, how it affects the body and the ethical issues surrounding it’s continued use within the sports community. It has recently been removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of banned substances and is only considered a controlled substance by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Cycling Union (ICU). However, WADA is considering revising it’s decision after George Gregan, Australian Rugby Union Captain, admitted using caffeine before games and gaining a reported 7% performance increase. As we’ll see later, many factors mean that the limit for caffeine ingestion may not prevent athletes using it or gaining significant benefits from it in competition and training.

Caffeine can be found all around us, in products ranging from beverages to over-the-counter medications. It may well be the most widely used stimulant in the world today. So what exactly is it? The U.S National Library of Medicine lists it as a Central Nervous System stimulant that is also used in analgesics and respiratory system stimulants. It is part of a group called methylxanthines, drugs often used for respiratory illness due to their vasodilating effects.

However, caffeine is neither a typical nutrient nor is it essential for health; we can all survive without it! It is in fact a socially acceptable, legal drug consumed by all groups in society. So if it is non-essential for life, not produced naturally in the body and used globally for it’s stimulant properties, why is it still treated so liberally by sporting bodies?

The answer to this may still be unclear at the end of this article, but hopefully it will shed some light on what exactly caffeine does and why and whether or not it works. It is important at this point that we remember we are considering caffeine in it’s role as a performance enhancing supplement rather than it’s role in cold medications or the everyday diet, although you could argue it functions as an ergogenic aid for many there as well.



How does it actually work?
The exact reason why caffeine is such a powerful ergogenic is difficult to pinpoint and is more likely due to several different interactions on the neural and metabolic pathways in the body. Costill et al originally attributed performance increases to a “glycogen sparing” effect, largely due to the increase in fatty acid metabolism that was observed with a general dose of caffeine (330mg). Later studies have investigated caffeine supplementation on a body weight basis, typically using between 3mg and 9mg per kg of body weight. Interestingly, a 70kg person would have to ingest around 9mg per kg of body weight to be over the IOC legal limit. Many studies have shown clear effects on performance at levels beneath this.

For this reason, caffeine was originally thought of as an ergogenic aid specific to endurance-based events, though recent studies have highlighted that it is not exclusive to this sort of event and can benefit shorter duration activities by reducing perceived exertion, lowering the pain response and increasing mean power output. These effects were seen in studies where the short duration of activity ruled out glycogen sparing as the method of performance increase. It is likely that the role of caffeine in adenosine receptor antagonism may be key in it’s role as an ergogenic aid. You are probably already familiar with Adenosine as a component of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). Without the phosphate, Adenosine itself functions as a neurotransmitter and has been revealed as a key messenger related to sleep; it plays an important part in regulating blood flow and inhibits the release of excitatory neurotransmitters such as Dopamine. Caffeine works directly on the receptors for Adenosine, blocking their action on the body. This is certainly likely to play a key part in caffeine’s ergogenic function, and it is now clear that glycogen sparing is not the sole (and may not be at all) mechanism by which caffeine can increase performance.

Isn’t it a diuretic?
A lot of the discussion surrounding caffeine is about the potentially deleterious effects on the body’s hydration levels. Caffeine and methlyxanthines are listed as having a diuretic effect, and caffeine itself is a potent diuretic. However, whether or not this also applies during exercise is unclear, with studies by Graham et al and Grandjean et al contradicting this. There does not appear to be any basis for the common concern that caffeine will dehydrate your athletes. These findings agree with studies by Falk and Wemple, neither of whom reported increased diuresis as a result of caffeine intake.

We should also remember that this is talking about caffeine - not coffee! When the two have been compared, it was found that the ergogenic effect of caffeine was largely lost when taken in as coffee. Therefore, we cannot extrapolate the ergogenic effects of caffeine to coffee as it would appear that the many thousands of compounds within coffee serve to negate this effect.

Perhaps one of the most insightful things to take from the study by Grandjean et al was the overall levels of dehydration across all subjects. Subjects in the study consumed an average of 1745mL, but 78% of them suffered a loss in body weight through dehydration. Taking this finding in the context of the relationship between fluid and disease* in the body, we might be well advised to promote more fluid intake in general for our athletes and our clients!

Of course, there are other side effects besides the purported diuretic effects. Caffeine can produce restlessness, headaches, insomnia, irritability, muscle twitching and arrythmias. These effects vary tremendously among individuals and are important to consider in a sports context where they might well contribute to an increase in anxiety prior to or during competition.

* Michaud and colleagues conducted a prospective study over 10 years and with 47,909 participants to examine the relationship between fluid intake and disease. They determined that participants consuming over 2391mL per day had a 49% lower incidence of bladder cancer than those consuming under 1398mL.

Ethical Concerns
Depending on your point of view, this is where things are a little less clear. It is well documented that benefits, often significant, can be gained from taking a caffeine supplement. It is also clear that these benefits are very evident at levels below doping regulations. However, the widespread use of caffeine in society makes the classification of it complex. Most of us would agree that taking a pure substance with no purpose other than to gain an advantage over competitors would be unethical. There may also be a deeper issue here, that acceptance of one performance-enhancing substance may lead to further abuse of banned substances. Does advocating caffeine use serve to facilitate the path to more dangerous substances? By not making caffeine a banned substance in competition, is the practice of “doping” in sport being condoned? Gregan’s comment’s sparked a debate into this, with several prominent figures showing their concern about the message that advocating substance use in sport can convey. Should a sports star who is a hero to many junior athletes promote using substances to increase performance? Or should he be commended for his honesty in highlighting its use? The effect of this is yet to be known and is surely difficult to determine, but surveys tell us that the desire to win in an athlete is powerful. Weinberg and Gould cite studies where 98% of athletes asked said they would take a performance-enhancing substance if they would win and not get caught. In another survey, the Canadian Centre for Drug Free Sport found that 27% of youths between 11-18 years old had used a caffeine-containing substance for the specific intent of enhancing performance. Are these youngsters therefore at higher risk of being exposed to more dangerous and damaging substances as a result of sports lenience on caffeine?

Conclusion
So the evidence for caffeine is clear: It is a proven and potent ergogenic substance, yet the exact reasons for this still remain somewhat equivocal. It would seem that caffeine exerts its effects through several different mediums, both peripherally and centrally on nerves and metabolism.

Though initially regarded as an aid to performance in endurance, recent studies have demonstrated an effect across a variety of performance protocols, including short burst activities. This in part appears due to a reduced perception of pain. This review only considered studies where full texts were available to try to provide a clear and accurate reflection of research.

Though it appears on several controlled substance lists, caffeine has been shown repeatedly to have powerful effects at levels well below the legal limit. And in 2002, Conway et al highlighted that urinary doping tests may not accurately reflect the dose or plasma levels of caffeine, as much can be dependant on individual sensitivity and the time and type of caffeine dose.

Concerns over dehydration during exercise may be unfounded as it seems that the effects of caffeine on a person at rest are not reflected during exercise. Blood pressure, for example, will be elevated at rest after caffeine, but this trend is not reflected during exercise.

So as an ergogenic aid, the research shows caffeine to be effective. It is relatively safe to use at levels that improve performance. It’s cheap, readily available and tolerated by most sport governing bodies. However, it is not without drawbacks, such as the long-term effects of supplementation, ethical issues and the need for increasing dosage as subjects become more tolerant. These issues, combined with individual sensitivity and side effects such as palpitations, nausea, dizziness, insomnia and tremors, continue to keep the debate controversial over caffeine’s role as an ergogenic aid.

References:
1. Spriet L L, Graham T E (1999) Current comment on Caffeine and Exercise Performance. American College of Sports Medicine Current Comments www.acsm.org
2. http://www.nlm.nih.gov US National Library of Medicine Website
3. Graham T E, Hibbert E, Sathasivam P (1998) Metabolic and exercise endurance effects of coffee and caffeine ingestion. Journal of Applied Physiology 85 (3): 883-889
4. Grandjean A C, Reimers K J, Bannick K E, Haven M C (2000) The effect of caffeinated and non-caffeinated, caloric and non-caloric beverages on hydration. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 19 (5): 591- 600
5. McArdle W D, Katch F I, Katch V L (2001) Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Performance. Baltimore MA, 5th Edition.
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7. Costill D L, Dalsky G P, Fink W J (1978) Effects of caffeine ingestion on metabolism and exercise performance. Med Science Sports 10: 155
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9. Conway K J, Orr R, Stannard S R (2002) Effect of a divided dose on endurance cycling performance, postexercise urinary caffeine concentration and plasma paraxanthine. Journal of Applied Physiology 94: 1557 – 1562
10. Cox G R, Desbrow B, Montgomery P G, Anderson M E, Bruce C R, Macrides T A, Martin D T, Moquin A, Roberts A, Hawley J A, Burke L M (2002) Effect of different protocols of caffeine intake on exercise endurance and performance. Journal of Applied Physiology 93: 990 – 999
11. Jackman M, Wendling P, Friars D, Graham T E (1996) Metabolic, catecholamine and endurance responses to caffeine during intense exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology 81 (4): 1658 – 1663
12. Kalmar J M, Cafarelli E (1999) Effects of caffeine on neuromuscular function. Journal of Applied Physiology 87 (2): 801 – 808
13. Plaskett C J, Cafarelli E (2001) Caffeine increases endurance and attenuates force sensation during sub-maximal isometric contractions. Journal of Applied Physiology 91: 1535 – 1544
14. O’Conner P J, Motl R W, Broglio S P, Ely M R (2004) Dose-dependant effect of caffeine on reducing leg muscle pain during cycling exercise is unrelated to systolic blood pressure. Journal of Pain (109): 291- 298
15. Davis M J, Zhao Z, Stock H S, Mehl K A, Buggy J, Hand G (2002) American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 284: 399 – 404
16. Falk B , Burnstein R, Rosenblum J, Shapiro Y, Zylberkatz E, Bashan N (1990) Effects of caffeine ingestion on body fluid balance and thermoregulation during exercise. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 68: 889 – 892
17. Wemple R D, Lamb D R, McKeever K H (1997) Caffeine vs caffeine free sports drinks: effects on urine production at rest and during prolonged exercise. International Journal of Sports Medicine 18: 40 -46