How Much Caffeine Do You Take Daily?

[The Solution]

How do you guys keep energy up throughout the day with such little caffeine? I don't know how I'd make a day through work. Well the weather is heating up so I'll be starting a shift towards iced coffee now. That means less caffeine as it is diluted by the ice.

The mind is a powerful tool.
Remember caffeine is a supplement. If your diet is not in check that is probably why your energy levels tank. Focus on making sure your supplying the body with proper calories and you will be good to go.

 

[DUbz86]

The mind is a powerful tool.
Remember caffeine is a supplement. If your diet is not in check that is probably why your energy levels tank. Focus on making sure your supplying the body with proper calories and you will be good to go.

Exactly since I lift before work I don't have time for a meal but gummy bears (the expensive haribo ones with dextrose) and peanut butter makes a great pwo meal without getting me too full. And managing food intake though the day

 

[210LBS]

The mind is a powerful tool.
Remember caffeine is a supplement. If your diet is not in check that is probably why your energy levels tank. Focus on making sure your supplying the body with proper calories and you will be good to go.

You make it sound easy. I usually get the calories in that my body requires, but it just doesn't equate to enough energy. I need that boost to get my body jumping and get my head in the game. On a weekend I could probably cut my caffeine intake in half and be fine but not during a work day.

 

[The Solution]

You make it sound easy. I usually get the calories in that my body requires, but it just doesn't equate to enough energy. I need that boost to get my body jumping and get my head in the game. .

If you think this is the case then you are wrong. If you are tired there is a big reason why because your not giving yourself enough calories and/or carbs to sustain energy and performance in and out of the gym.
A powder/pill/drink (Caffeine or coffee) is not required to get you through the day, or motivate you to workout. That comes from within your head and with a proper diet. Again supplements were made to help "Supplement" a proper diet. If you were eating enough you would have much better energy.

 

[DUbz86]

If you think this is the case then you are wrong. If you are tired there is a big reason why because your not giving yourself enough calories and/or carbs to sustain energy and performance in and out of the gym.
A powder/pill/drink (Caffeine or coffee) is not required to get you through the day, or motivate you to workout. That comes from within your head and with a proper diet. Again supplements were made to help "Supplement" a proper diet. If you were eating enough you would have much better energy.

Gummy bears solves everything for quick energy. Stacked with a good diet of complex carbs for long lasting energy.

Most people eat too much at once and go into a food coma I would rather eat every 2-3 hours smaller portions

 

[210LBS]

If you think this is the case then you are wrong. If you are tired there is a big reason why because your not giving yourself enough calories and/or carbs to sustain energy and performance in and out of the gym.
A powder/pill/drink (Caffeine or coffee) is not required to get you through the day, or motivate you to workout. That comes from within your head and with a proper diet. Again supplements were made to help "Supplement" a proper diet. If you were eating enough you would have much better energy.

OK... maybe I can get through a day without it. But there is a difference between surviving through day and excelling through a day. I just feel like coffee helps me excel.

 

[DUbz86]

OK... maybe I can get through a day without it. But there is a difference between surviving through day and excelling through a day. I just feel like coffee helps me excel.

Coffee helps me poop but I try to only drink coffee on my off days. But with a Keurig at the office it's hard

 

[Bunshichi]

If you think this is the case then you are wrong. If you are tired there is a big reason why because your not giving yourself enough calories and/or carbs to sustain energy and performance in and out of the gym.
A powder/pill/drink (Caffeine or coffee) is not required to get you through the day, or motivate you to workout. That comes from within your head and with a proper diet. Again supplements were made to help "Supplement" a proper diet. If you were eating enough you would have much better energy.

Thats not true as he is used to stimulants.
After he had a stim break of longer than 20 days you might be right. But then again what you are stating is overly simplyfied.

 

[The Solution]

OK... maybe I can get through a day without it. But there is a difference between surviving through day and excelling through a day. I just feel like coffee helps me excel.

Sure it helps... caffeine is a supplement used to help give you some energy.
Give your body more food, more carbs, and more calories and your body will do that as well.
When you properly feed a body it will run on all cylinders. Your just relying on an external factor to try and get you through the day.

 

[rtmilburn]

If you think this is the case then you are wrong. If you are tired there is a big reason why because your not giving yourself enough calories and/or carbs to sustain energy and performance in and out of the gym.
A powder/pill/drink (Caffeine or coffee) is not required to get you through the day, or motivate you to workout. That comes from within your head and with a proper diet. Again supplements were made to help "Supplement" a proper diet. If you were eating enough you would have much better energy.

He COULD be fine on macros but missing micros or sleep

 

[MARK_]

Around 300-400 grams of caffeine on training days

 

[The Solution]

He COULD be fine on macros but missing micros or sleep

i have worked construction and landscaping where you are moving 8-10 hours a day. Walking 5-10 miles depending on the occupation.
What did I change when my activity went through the roof? My nutrition. This way I made sure I had the proper energy, fuel, and capability to perform my duty and not get run down.

Simple math here, calories in vs calories out. Give your body enough calories and you will function properly and have enough fuel.
Try and run a car on empty and expect it to get to point B and it won't. Just like in the work environment or getting through the day. You need to give your body what it thrives off. Glucose and energy. Pretty straight forward here.. Just speaking from experience and from working long hours and through jobs that required brutal amounts of energy and expenditure.

 

[DUbz86]

i have worked construction and landscaping where you are moving 8-10 hours a day. Walking 5-10 miles depending on the occupation.
What did I change when my activity went through the roof? My nutrition. This way I made sure I had the proper energy, fuel, and capability to perform my duty and not get run down.

Simple math here, calories in vs calories out. Give your body enough calories and you will function properly and have enough fuel.
Try and run a car on empty and expect it to get to point B and it won't. Just like in the work environment or getting through the day. You need to give your body what it thrives off. Glucose and energy. Pretty straight forward here.. Just speaking from experience and from working long hours and through jobs that required brutal amounts of energy and expenditure.

Yeah man when I worked in a factory build transmissions for gm or acs for goodman 12 hour shifts since I was lead on the line I had to eat non stop. Besides the moving and manual labor it's hot as hell and constantly sweating. I had to eat way over my diet now with desk job.

I was hooked on monster energy drinks every 2 he break working 3 Rd shift till I started eating a **** ton then used a mixture of homemade energy bars ( oatmeal pb honey whey protein ) and definitely felt better once I kicked the energy drinks and 5 hrs energy shots yes I still had some coffee but didn't depend on it

 

[rtmilburn]

i have worked construction and landscaping where you are moving 8-10 hours a day. Walking 5-10 miles depending on the occupation.
What did I change when my activity went through the roof? My nutrition. This way I made sure I had the proper energy, fuel, and capability to perform my duty and not get run down.

Simple math here, calories in vs calories out. Give your body enough calories and you will function properly and have enough fuel.
Try and run a car on empty and expect it to get to point B and it won't. Just like in the work environment or getting through the day. You need to give your body what it thrives off. Glucose and energy. Pretty straight forward here.. Just speaking from experience and from working long hours and through jobs that required brutal amounts of energy and expenditure.

Totally agree but if the calories you are getting aren't providing the micronutrients you need you still will feel drained or not getting enough sleep. I do agree that he need to look in his diet more for sure and I also agree he probably isn't getting enough calories but there are other possibilities

 

[The Solution]

Totally agree but if the calories you are getting aren't providing the micronutrients you need you still will feel drained or not getting enough sleep. I do agree that he need to look in his diet more for sure and I also agree he probably isn't getting enough calories but there are other possibilities

The more food you eat gives you more calories, more food choices, and a greater variety to consume foods to meet those micronutrients. If you are not, then your food selection simply sucks, or you are not trying to have a proper diet while focusing on mostly whole foods and supplementing with whey or other things to reach those needs. If that was the case then get OT+Greens, or get a greens product if you cant consume enough veggies/fruits to help reach those vitamins/minerals in your daily diet.

 

[MidwestBeast]

200-500mg/day

I usually get around 300mg in for my pre-workout (and then a 25mg ephedrine tab or some 1,3 dmaa -- though I try to do the latter only once/week). I try my best to use only that, but I'll often have a second dose of something (either an energy drink or something like Focus-XT or a powdered fat burner -- enjoyed Radiate the other day; looking forward to getting some samples of BloodShred to try). On the weekends, I'll try to only use one dose and I try to get by with nothing when I can on an off day from training.

This morning I got up at 4:45 AM and had 2 scoops of Prolific and a Bronkaid (25mg). Depending on how I feel around Noon will dictate whether I try to make it through the day or have a Monster Ultra Zero between then and 1 PM or so to wrap up work.

 

[MidwestBeast]

Also -- regarding the question about needing energy and doing it without or with less caffeine (I just read the rest of the posts after the first handful to get caught up), I think sleep/rest and training are key, but it's mostly just about what works best for you as an individual.

I used to always lift in the evenings after work. It's just what I'd always done. My body likes to naturally wake up around 9 AM and could stay awake til about 1 AM -- a good 8 hours of sleep, but that particular schedule isn't very conducive to work/most things in life. So, obviously I had to wake earlier than that for work and try to get to sleep earlier than that. It never really mattered how much sleep I got, my body just kind of wanted to operate on that schedule.

Anyway, I've since started training first thing in the morning before work, which means waking up before 5 AM most days. And trust me when I say, my body does not want to get up then -- but I do it. And when I do, I feel SO much better and more productive the rest of the day. To be honest, I could do it without caffeine, too; I just don't want to. But training in the morning gives me a much better endorphin release and much more focus throughout the day. I'm just far more productive at work. And when it comes to just getting through the day vs. excelling, you're absolutely right that there's a difference.

I would evalutate diet, sleep, training, and micro-nutrients/multi-vitamin usage. Beyond that, it may be worth looking at nootropics, too. That's not a must, nor should that alone be the solution, but it certainly can be another tool to keep tucked away.

Additionally, I'll say that working manual labor was leagues easier than working a desk job or one that's mentally taxing. I worked 12's doing construction for 60 hour weeks back between years 1 and 2 of grad school and I was dead tired when I got home from physical exhaustion, but it was easy. Just the same as I can go out and push mow 2 acres and haul timber to burn and clean up my woodline and it's a cake walk vs. sitting in a stupid office and doing paperwork. So yeah, it's all about what you're used to and how it affects you, but for me personally, I need more caffeine to get my brain through the day vs. my body.

 

[210LBS]

i have worked construction and landscaping where you are moving 8-10 hours a day. Walking 5-10 miles depending on the occupation.
What did I change when my activity went through the roof? My nutrition. This way I made sure I had the proper energy, fuel, and capability to perform my duty and not get run down.

Simple math here, calories in vs calories out. Give your body enough calories and you will function properly and have enough fuel.
Try and run a car on empty and expect it to get to point B and it won't. Just like in the work environment or getting through the day. You need to give your body what it thrives off. Glucose and energy. Pretty straight forward here.. Just speaking from experience and from working long hours and through jobs that required brutal amounts of energy and expenditure.

I don't work anything nearly as physically grueling as that. I work on wall street, which is a hell of a lot more taxing on the mind than the body. Maybe I don't rely on the coffee to keep my body going as much as I depend on it to keep my mind sharp and alert.

 

[AntM1564]

How do you guys keep energy up throughout the day with such little caffeine? I don't know how I'd make a day through work. Well the weather is heating up so I'll be starting a shift towards iced coffee now. That means less caffeine as it is diluted by the ice.

I would say it is a mindset and it depends on what your work is/what you're doing for the day. I am a teacher and during my prep period, when I do not teach, that is when I feel like me energy is low. Same thing when I am not active when not working. We started April vacation today and although I have ran a lot of errands, I feel like I need a pick me up. Because of that, I may use a stim heavy pre workout today.

On the other hand, when I am teaching a class, my energy is usually up a heck of a lot more. Same thing when I am physically active and engaged.

How do you find DMAA and AMP as stims vs caffeine, i find they do not even compare and strength and endurance from DMAA, and AMP are much more intense than just caffeine, even after a prolonged break i only find caffeine good for mood, and reduced perception of intensity and pain which helps for things like HIIT and high rep training.

I personally love AMP. AMP I find is better for endurance than straight caffeine. Same thing with DMAA. For me, caffeine is good for a little pick me up, but if I need something more than a little jump start, DMAA, AMP, and even J. Regla are superior, IMO.

 

[AntM1564]

How do you guys keep energy up throughout the day with such little caffeine? I don't know how I'd make a day through work. Well the weather is heating up so I'll be starting a shift towards iced coffee now. That means less caffeine as it is diluted by the ice.

The more food you eat gives you more calories, more food choices, and a greater variety to consume foods to meet those micronutrients. If you are not, then your food selection simply sucks, or you are not trying to have a proper diet while focusing on mostly whole foods and supplementing with whey or other things to reach those needs. If that was the case then get OT+Greens, or get a greens product if you cant consume enough veggies/fruits to help reach those vitamins/minerals in your daily diet.

Just to add to that bold point, I know many of us are probably on some type of budget. Even if you do eat enough greens and reds, if you only limit yourself to a few in each category, you may still want to use a greens product to get the micros those foods may not contain. I am guilty of this for the most part. I usually only consume strawberries for fruit and veggies, broccoli, asparagus, green beans and brussel sprouts. I try to have to different of those veggies each day (200 grams each), but depending on the season and the price, that can be tough. Due to that, I have been thinking of a greens supplement.

 

[AntM1564]

Additionally, I'll say that working manual labor was leagues easier than working a desk job or one that's mentally taxing. I worked 12's doing construction for 60 hour weeks back between years 1 and 2 of grad school and I was dead tired when I got home from physical exhaustion, but it was easy. Just the same as I can go out and push mow 2 acres and haul timber to burn and clean up my woodline and it's a cake walk vs. sitting in a stupid office and doing paperwork. So yeah, it's all about what you're used to and how it affects you, but for me personally, I need more caffeine to get my brain through the day vs. my body.

I agree 1,000%

Even something as simple as standing to work when having a desk job can help. Sitting there is so mentally boring and I find I need a pick me up more for mental fatigue than physical.

 

[rodefeeh]

I normally train first thing in the morning with 300 mg in my pwo. Then I have a late afternoon cup of coffee so I have a little pep in my step for my kids when I get home from work. So normally 400 mg a day. When I worked from home, I was lifting a lunch and could just get by with my pwo.

 

[Jiigzz]

How do you guys keep energy up throughout the day with such little caffeine? I don't know how I'd make a day through work. Well the weather is heating up so I'll be starting a shift towards iced coffee now. That means less caffeine as it is diluted by the ice.

It's all psychological man. You've created a crutch that you believe you depend on

 

[Ray Donovan]

Between 500mg and about a gram. 1.2 grams is probably the highest I've gone.

I've started trying to cut back, though....its not bad as I imagined it would be, the goal is to eventually take a stim break!

 

[jackedandtan1]

for past 2 days i did alphamine 2 scoops am and 2 scoops pm with around 500mg caffeine from extra peculated coffee yesterday morning and on saturday i combined the pm dose of alphamine with 2 scoops of PES prolific, i have been having more anxiety from x2 x2 alphamine and will drop it down today to the recommended 3 scoops per day max, also this is the EU original fat burning version without the yohimbine.

That's a hefty dose to glad I'm not the only one. The first week I had freezing hands and cold sweats now it's fine tho. I was thinking about dropping the ignit3 and doing ECA in the morning I think it helps suppress my hunger better. Since I'm on a cut and using intermittent fasting.

 

[pbandy1]

How do you guys keep energy up throughout the day with such little caffeine? I don't know how I'd make a day through work. Well the weather is heating up so I'll be starting a shift towards iced coffee now. That means less caffeine as it is diluted by the ice.

Well for me, with more caffeine comes reduced sleep quality (and of course tolerance). We shouldn't ever really need to rely on caffeine to get through the day. Obviously people have jobs, school, various priorities but we should get our energy from sleeping well, eating well, modulating stress, exercising enough, and recovering from daily activities.

Obviously easier said than done...

 

[NoAddedHmones]

i have worked construction and landscaping where you are moving 8-10 hours a day. Walking 5-10 miles depending on the occupation.
What did I change when my activity went through the roof? My nutrition. This way I made sure I had the proper energy, fuel, and capability to perform my duty and not get run down.

Simple math here, calories in vs calories out. Give your body enough calories and you will function properly and have enough fuel.
Try and run a car on empty and expect it to get to point B and it won't. Just like in the work environment or getting through the day. You need to give your body what it thrives off. Glucose and energy. Pretty straight forward here.. Just speaking from experience and from working long hours and through jobs that required brutal amounts of energy and expenditure.

Luckily the human body isn't a car... No matter how perfect you consider your nutrition is, it will never replace what caffeine provides.

 

[The Solution]

Luckily the human body isn't a car... No matter how perfect you consider your nutrition is, it will never replace what caffeine provides.

The point I have been trying to say the entire time....

It's all psychological man. You've created a crutch that you believe you depend on

^^^^

Can you still train, function, study, and perform well at a job without caffeine? Absolutely.

Sleep, Nutrition, getting in proper micronutrients >>> Taking caffeine, drinking coffee, drinking pre-workouts, or relying on energy drinks to get through your day.

 

[kbayne]

Some of the caffeine intakes I am reading are just nuts to me.

Running on 1800kcal a day during an intense cut, waking at 3:30 in the morning, walking 20,000 steps at work, and I was no where near that amount of caffeine or stims.

 

[Jiigzz]

Luckily the human body isn't a car... No matter how perfect you consider your nutrition is, it will never replace what caffeine provides.

Definitely. Energy vs. Stimulation. Not truly interchangable.

 

[210LBS]

I'm not just going to stop drinking coffee. I don't feel like going through the headache withdrawals. Maybe I can start weaning down by reducing from large coffees to medium... and then... maybe... One day... possibly... small.

 

[ECWHY]

I definitely plan to reduce my caffeine once I am off EC to around 200-300mg a day max for a bit

I can vouch the withdraw effects are not fun

 

[Robert5891]

Some of the caffeine intakes I am reading are just nuts to me.

Running on 1800kcal a day during an intense cut, waking at 3:30 in the morning, walking 20,000 steps at work, and I was no where near that amount of caffeine or stims.

Agrees...people have become addicted and use stims as a crutch...thus the "I need my coffee to function " excuse that's so prevalent....

 

[MidwestBeast]

When I did stim breaks in the past, the first 10-14 days were rough with headaches. After that it was gone.

If you're looking to try it, the best time is on vacation when you're hopefully resting up anyway.

 

[Toff]

NO IDEA

I take it until i feel grouchy/sleepy

YEP, it makes me fall asleep


Unless its a PWO and then its either the other ingrediants or the fact it doesnt come int he shape of a warm cosey drink



All seriousness though, 3-5 cups of espresso (long shots) plus PWO on workout days

 

[Bunshichi]

Honestly most guys here are pretty moderate with the caffeine here.

Actually I only take 300 to 600mg daily but there are months I take around 1,2 to 2g daily. I always follow that times up with a stim break of at least 20 days.

 

[liftin4fun]

I usually take a 250mg in the morning, 250 lunch time, about 300 pwo on workout days. So about 800mg a day. Every few months I do try and take a few weeks off.

 

[actionhero]

600 MG from pills and about a 2 liter of Pepsi Max which I think is at least another 400.

 

[AntM1564]

I posted my "routine" on the previous page. I will attach it here as well. I was thinking of adding 45 mg of caffeine 3 days per week and was wondering if you believe an extended stim break would be needed. I know this is going to be user dependent, but wanted to bounce around some ideas.

Here is my default "pre workout routine" for the past 7 or 8 months.

The amount of caffeine and stims I use depends on how heavy I am lifting for the week. For example, I follow a 6 day PPL/PHAT routine. I only use stims on the heavy days which is mostly dictated by my main lift which is a 5x5, 6x4, etc.

Week 1 - 5x5 - 0mg
Week 2 - 6x4 - 50mg - 120mg 3 days/week
Week 3 - 7x3 - 125mg 3 days/week
Week 4 - 8x2 - 150-200mg 3 days/week
Week 5 - 9x1 - 200+mg 3 days/week
Week 6 - 5x5 - 0mg
Week 7 - 6x4 - 50mg - 120mg 3 days/week
Week 8 - 7x3 - 125mg 3 days/week
Week 9 - 8x2 - 150-200mg 3 days/week
Week 10 - 9x1 - 200+mg 3 days/week
Week 11 - 3x5 - 0mg
Week 12 - Max Attemepts - 200mg+ 3 days/week
Week 13 - Repeat

Caffeine/pre workout is only used 3 days during the weeks I do have a pre workout.

As you can see I have a stim break every 5th week and then 4 weeks in a 13 week period. I do NOT drink anything with caffeine or other stims any day of the week.

I recently got these little pieces of chocolate that have about 45 mg of caffeine per piece. I was thinking of having one each of my hypertrophy days, which would add 45 mg of caffeine to 3 days per week, except for weeks 1, 5, and 11 when I do not have any stims.

Following the routine above, I have been able to feel the effects of lower dosed pre workouts. I would like to have one of the candies, not for the energy, but for the acute benefits of caffeine during training. I don't even know if that little amount would make a difference.

I know this is highly dependent per person, but in your mind, do you think those one week stim breaks would still be effective if I add one of those candies to each hypertrophy day? Here is what the new routine would look like.

Week 1 - 5x5 - 0mg
Week 2 - 6x4 - 50mg - 120mg 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 3 - 7x3 - 125mg 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 4 - 8x2 - 150-200mg 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 5 - 9x1 - 200+mg 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 6 - 5x5 - 0mg
Week 7 - 6x4 - 50mg - 120mg 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 8 - 7x3 - 125mg 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 9 - 8x2 - 150-200mg 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 10 - 9x1 - 200+mg 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 11 - 3x5 - 0mg
Week 12 - Max Attemepts - 200mg+ 3 days/week and 45mg 3 days per week
Week 13 - Repeat

 

[John Smeton]

200-400 , maybe as high as 500 , and usually the former

 

[Admin]

600-800mg per day. Too much

 

[Piledahlaren]

wow.. you guys are taking crazy amounts of caffeine! how do you think this till effect your cortisol levels?
Im around 125-200mg daily in short periods I do around 400mg

 

[BRUstrong]

I vary these days between 300-1000mg. I was a habitual 1000mg-user but have been trying to cut back, thus the large variation. Some days I just need the extra push at work (mentally taxing job). I just ordered some Teacrine in hopes it will boost/prolong the effects of my early morning coffee, so I don't need as much in the afternoon.

 

[MidwestBeast]

I vary these days between 300-1000mg. I was a habitual 1000mg-user but have been trying to cut back, thus the large variation. Some days I just need the extra push at work (mentally taxing job). I just ordered some Teacrine in hopes it will boost/prolong the effects of my early morning coffee, so I don't need as much in the afternoon.

Let us know when you start using it what you notice. I'd be interested in doing the same thing.

 

[BRUstrong]

Let us know when you start using it what you notice. I'd be interested in doing the same thing.

Will do. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I'll be starting on Wednesday.