How to Quit Caffeine & Why You Should (Spoiler: it kills your dick)

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Vice
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Tue May 18, 2021 7:01 pm

I've been on and off caffeine for YEARS, and am currently in the process of quitting using the method described below. Although caffeine helped me get through military flight training, it also ended up hurting me during the training as well. This post has been sourced by personal experience as well as a book by Stephen Cherniske, a nutritional biochemist. This is a quick and dirty writeup, so you can expect more updates in the future.

Firing From the Hip: Quick Caffeine Negatives

Caffeine does NOT give you more energy; it stimulates your adrenal glands and creates tension that's often confused with more energy. Frequent caffeine use will overtax your adrenals over time. The mental rush you get from caffeine is akin to playing a song at a faster RPM. The sugar that's often bundled with caffeine is what gives you the rush.

Caffeine inhibits iron absorption.

Caffeine suppresses melatonin production, making it difficult to fall asleep, as well as suppressing melatonin's anti-anxiety properties.

Caffeine disrupts the normal metabolism of GABA, a stress-reducing/calming hormone.

Caffeine produces a constant background stress/tension in life.

Studies have shown that caffeine diminished processing of verbal information.

Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, and therefore reduces cerebral blood flow by up to 30%. It also reduces the oxygen level of brain tissues.

Stress and caffeine disrupt DHEA processes; DHEA helps with youthful energy, vitality, sex drive, mood, learning, and memory. DHEA is also a precursor to testosterone. Caffeine also increases levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Caffeine disrupts your sleep.

Caffeine disrupts DNA replication.

You may experience muscle spasms due to a deficiency in magnesium, calcium, sodium, and chloride from your body processing caffeine, as well as dehydration.

Heart palpitations and high blood pressure are can be triggered by caffeine.

How To Quit

There are two main methods: cold turkey and weaning.

Cold Turkey: You quit and never have any caffeine. This is a very quick way to quit, but you will experience headaches from both withdrawal and increased blood flow to your brain, which it's not used to. You'll also sleep more as your body and adrenals recover.

Weaning: The preferred method. You need to track your daily intake of caffeine, and slowly reduce the amount of caffeine every 3-4 days. The Slight Edge method in full effect. This can be achieved in a variety of ways; if you're a coffee drinker, simply measure out different ratios of decaf to replace the caffeinated stuff. If you drink energy drinks like I do, simply find the caffeine content of different energy drinks and gradually reduce the content.

Caffeine pills are also a great way to wean, and there are products out there that have a 30-day plan where you just take the series of tablets that have a gradually decreasing number of caffeine content in them.

Avoid diet soda, because although it has caffeine, the extra chemicals in it will make you crave junk food and binging. Find a better replacement, such as tea. However, since the majority of guys on here want to lose weight, make sure you don't buy iced tea that has sugar/high fructose corn syrup since they're empty calories.

Additional resources:

www.reddit.com/r/decaf
Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug by Stephen Cherniske
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Lostcause
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Tue May 18, 2021 8:09 pm

Aren't you overdramatizing the effects of the caffeine a little? Yeah, it has negative sides to it, but there's also plenty of positives, energy boosts most notably. It's a tool, that can improve your life quality when used right.
Vice wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 7:01 pm
Caffeine does NOT give you more energy; it stimulates your adrenal glands and creates tension that's often confused with more energy. Frequent caffeine use will overtax your adrenals over time. The mental rush you get from caffeine is akin to playing a song at a faster RPM. The sugar that's often bundled with caffeine is what gives you the rush.
It definetely does give you more energy lol. Yeah, the effect is diminishing as you grow your tolerance to the caffeine, but it's still there, especially if you use caffeine rationally.

Anyway, I am 2 weeks clean of caffeine right now, 2 weeks to go. If you wanna quit caffeine guys, then definetely reduce the dose gradually, going cold turkey can be brutal.
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Vice
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Tue May 18, 2021 8:33 pm

Lostcause wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 8:09 pm
Aren't you overdramatizing the effects of the caffeine a little? Yeah, it has negative sides to it, but there's also plenty of positives, energy boosts most notably. It's a tool, that can improve your life quality when used right.
Vice wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 7:01 pm
Caffeine does NOT give you more energy; it stimulates your adrenal glands and creates tension that's often confused with more energy. Frequent caffeine use will overtax your adrenals over time. The mental rush you get from caffeine is akin to playing a song at a faster RPM. The sugar that's often bundled with caffeine is what gives you the rush.
It definetely does give you more energy lol. Yeah, the effect is diminishing as you grow your tolerance to the caffeine, but it's still there, especially if you use caffeine rationally.

Anyway, I am 2 weeks clean of caffeine right now, 2 weeks to go. If you wanna quit caffeine guys, then definetely reduce the dose gradually, going cold turkey can be brutal.
It's a very common misconception that caffeine gives you energy. The science has shown that caffeine does NOT provide you with energy; it stimulates the release of energy you already have inside of you via your adrenal glands. Caffeine is related to methamphetamine, which we all know also does not give you actual energy. Caffeine also disrupts your brain's ability to determine if it's tired or not due to blocking adenosine receptors in your system. You're essentially putting your body on "flight mode" in the "fight or flight" response.

There is an energy boost if there is sugar in whatever caffeinated beverage you may have.

The effects of caffeine are not dramatic; they are what they are. The choice is up to the individual after they're informed and aware of what this substance does. Caffeine is considered a nootropic, and can be a useful tool, however, there is certainly a point of diminishing returns. There's also a tipping point where you can become dependent on the substance to function normally, as well as require higher doses to achieve the same effect.

I've quit about 7-8 times in my life now, the stuff is highly addictive.
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Lostcause
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Tue May 18, 2021 8:47 pm

Vice wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 8:33 pm
It's a very common misconception that caffeine gives you energy. The science has shown that caffeine does NOT provide you with energy; it stimulates the release of energy you already have inside of you via your adrenal glands. Caffeine is related to methamphetamine, which we all know also does not give you actual energy. Caffeine also disrupts your brain's ability to determine if it's tired or not due to blocking adenosine receptors in your system. You're essentially putting your body on "flight mode" in the "fight or flight" response.
Sounds like a long way of saying "it boosts your energy" man. What even is a boost in energy, if not a feeling of being energized?
If boosting energy was about actual energy, nobody would drink any form of caffeine, but rather eat a donut instead.
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GettinItAll
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Tue May 18, 2021 9:05 pm

Vice wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 7:01 pm
I've been on and off caffeine for YEARS, and am currently in the process of quitting using the method described below. Although caffeine helped me get through military flight training, it also ended up hurting me during the training as well. This post has been sourced by personal experience as well as a book by Stephen Cherniske, a nutritional biochemist. This is a quick and dirty writeup, so you can expect more updates in the future.

Firing From the Hip: Quick Caffeine Negatives

Caffeine does NOT give you more energy; it stimulates your adrenal glands and creates tension that's often confused with more energy. Frequent caffeine use will overtax your adrenals over time. The mental rush you get from caffeine is akin to playing a song at a faster RPM. The sugar that's often bundled with caffeine is what gives you the rush.

Caffeine inhibits iron absorption.

Caffeine suppresses melatonin production, making it difficult to fall asleep, as well as suppressing melatonin's anti-anxiety properties.

Caffeine disrupts the normal metabolism of GABA, a stress-reducing/calming hormone.

Caffeine produces a constant background stress/tension in life.

Studies have shown that caffeine diminished processing of verbal information.

Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, and therefore reduces cerebral blood flow by up to 30%. It also reduces the oxygen level of brain tissues.

Stress and caffeine disrupt DHEA processes; DHEA helps with youthful energy, vitality, sex drive, mood, learning, and memory. DHEA is also a precursor to testosterone. Caffeine also increases levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Caffeine disrupts your sleep.

Caffeine disrupts DNA replication.

You may experience muscle spasms due to a deficiency in magnesium, calcium, sodium, and chloride from your body processing caffeine, as well as dehydration.

Heart palpitations and high blood pressure are can be triggered by caffeine.

How To Quit

There are two main methods: cold turkey and weaning.

Cold Turkey: You quit and never have any caffeine. This is a very quick way to quit, but you will experience headaches from both withdrawal and increased blood flow to your brain, which it's not used to. You'll also sleep more as your body and adrenals recover.

Weaning: The preferred method. You need to track your daily intake of caffeine, and slowly reduce the amount of caffeine every 3-4 days. The Slight Edge method in full effect. This can be achieved in a variety of ways; if you're a coffee drinker, simply measure out different ratios of decaf to replace the caffeinated stuff. If you drink energy drinks like I do, simply find the caffeine content of different energy drinks and gradually reduce the content.

Caffeine pills are also a great way to wean, and there are products out there that have a 30-day plan where you just take the series of tablets that have a gradually decreasing number of caffeine content in them.

Avoid diet soda, because although it has caffeine, the extra chemicals in it will make you crave junk food and binging. Find a better replacement, such as tea. However, since the majority of guys on here want to lose weight, make sure you don't buy iced tea that has sugar/high fructose corn syrup since they're empty calories.

Additional resources:

www.reddit.com/r/decaf
Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug by Stephen Cherniske
I quit caffiene about three years ago. It fucks with your sleep a ton and eventually you start needing to function at baseline. Nowadays I only use it as needed (say I got four hours of sleep and need to be productive) and a little goes a looooong way with that. Definitely something that does not contribute much to your life and something you don't need.
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Vice
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Tue May 18, 2021 9:07 pm

Lostcause wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 8:47 pm
Vice wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 8:33 pm
It's a very common misconception that caffeine gives you energy. The science has shown that caffeine does NOT provide you with energy; it stimulates the release of energy you already have inside of you via your adrenal glands. Caffeine is related to methamphetamine, which we all know also does not give you actual energy. Caffeine also disrupts your brain's ability to determine if it's tired or not due to blocking adenosine receptors in your system. You're essentially putting your body on "flight mode" in the "fight or flight" response.
Sounds like a long way of saying "it boosts your energy" man. What even is a boost in energy, if not a feeling of being energized?
If boosting energy was about actual energy, nobody would drink any form of caffeine, but rather eat a donut instead.
Caffeine is not a metabolic source of energy. The stimulatory effects give you the perception of more energy, through the release of epinephrine from the adrenal glands.
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Lostcause
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Tue May 18, 2021 9:10 pm

Vice wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 9:07 pm
Lostcause wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 8:47 pm

Sounds like a long way of saying "it boosts your energy" man. What even is a boost in energy, if not a feeling of being energized?
If boosting energy was about actual energy, nobody would drink any form of caffeine, but rather eat a donut instead.
Caffeine is not a metabolic source of energy. The stimulatory effects give you the perception of more energy, through the release of epinephrine from the adrenal glands.
Ah man. You know what also gives you a perception of energy? Sleep. It does not give you any actual metabolic energy. But I do not hear anyone saying sleep does not boost your energy.
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Vice
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Tue May 18, 2021 9:21 pm

Lostcause wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 9:10 pm
Vice wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 9:07 pm


Caffeine is not a metabolic source of energy. The stimulatory effects give you the perception of more energy, through the release of epinephrine from the adrenal glands.
Ah man. You know what also gives you a perception of energy? Sleep. It does not give you any actual metabolic energy. But I do not hear anyone saying sleep does not boost your energy.
I'm not interested in discussing this subject with you any further. Good luck with your caffeine wean.
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Radical
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Tue May 18, 2021 10:00 pm

This isnt the forum for random debates like this guys that really just serves as a way to waste time

Quitting caffeine is a perfectly reasonable goal

More power to @Vice and other guys trying
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Tue May 18, 2021 10:28 pm

I quit caffeine in December 2019. Quitting had a remarkable, nearly life-changing impact on the quality of my sleep and my energy throughout the day. I wasn't collecting data on my sleep quality in 2019, but I wish I was, so I could see just how stark of a difference it made.

Lack of data aside, from a holistic perspective, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I would strongly recommend everyone at least try a 3-6 month period without caffeine to see how it affects you. It won't work for everyone, but it will at least work for some people, and that alone makes it worth doing the experiment on yourself.
Last edited by nipple-flip on Tue May 18, 2021 10:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
29M

regular processes
- track sleep, calories, and protein
- lift weights
- solve medium/hard leetcode problems
- journal

less-regular processes
- complete two "grokking" courses
- read and take notes on DDIA

outcomes
- qualify for USAPL open nationals at 75kg (current bodyweight 151, S/B/D: 353/203/462)
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Tue May 18, 2021 10:32 pm

I've gone the Lent period (40 days, but ended up being more like 45 days) without caffeine after being fairly addicted. Headaches were terrible, muscle aches too at times. Sleep for 12 hours, etc. Now I'm gradually back on it again but every few months I'm just going to quit.

Just know that withdrawals can be brutal, which is proof of your addiction (I was in denial for a very long time.)
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Vice
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Tue May 18, 2021 10:43 pm

Holden wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 10:32 pm
I've gone the Lent period (40 days, but ended up being more like 45 days) without caffeine after being fairly addicted. Headaches were terrible, muscle aches too at times. Sleep for 12 hours, etc. Now I'm gradually back on it again but every few months I'm just going to quit.

Just know that withdrawals can be brutal, which is proof of your addiction (I was in denial for a very long time.)
12 hours is incredible; sounds like a variety of sleep debt and adrenal recovery. Were you training at the time?
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Tue May 18, 2021 11:33 pm

Image

I wonder how I was doing multiple videos a week, training 5 days a week, starving on very low amounts of food and still working my 50+ hour work week job. Oh wait, grams of caffeine, fat burners and stimulants :twisted:

But yea, caffeine sucks but it keeps me going and coffee + energy drinks + pre-workout taste good.
27 years young.

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Vice
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Wed May 19, 2021 12:40 am

dashedhopes wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 11:33 pm
Image

I wonder how I was doing multiple videos a week, training 5 days a week, starving on very low amounts of food and still working my 50+ hour work week job. Oh wait, grams of caffeine, fat burners and stimulants :twisted:

But yea, caffeine sucks but it keeps me going and coffee + energy drinks + pre-workout taste good.
LMAO

I absolutely love energy drinks (Monster Energy Ultra Paradise is a fave) and iced coffees were my shit.

There is something to be said about how caffeine can benefit you, but I and many other have reached a point of dependency and diminishing returns from constant use of caffeine. There were days that I was taking up to a gram just to feel normal.
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Hopeless
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Thu Jul 08, 2021 9:06 pm

I will try it and report back if there is any benefit.
No advice on girls from me until Iam getting laid reguarly.
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