spring i 9 g S
WELL NOW
Are you the type of person who wakes up
to at least a couple strong cups of coffee,
grabs a pop with your lunch, or drinks a cup of tea
to relax in the evenings? If so, you are probably
attracted to the caffeine content in these drinks.
Think you're the only one who can't function
without coffee or some sort of daily high dosage of
caffeine? Think again!
You'd be surprised how many people are "wired"
on caffeine.
Many people ask whether their obsession for caf
feine is harmful to their health or inhibits their per
formance level. This article provides answers
to some of the questions we insane caffiene
drinkers commonly ask. Stop by the Peer
Health Education office to obtain further
analysis of your caffeine intake, and how it may
be affecting you. It's part of a free computer
■ analysis of your diet available to all students.
f What is caffeine?
Caffeine is the world's most widely used drug.
It is one of a group of stimulants called mathylxan
thine, or xanthine, that occurs naturally in plants.
There is no one way to determine the "optimal
level of caffeine," since people differ greatly in
their sensitivity levels.
What are the effects of caffeine ?
Many caffeine drinkers show common
effects to caffeine intake. Because it stimu
lates the central nervous system, it has
shown to help people feel less drowsy,
less fatigued, more capable of rapid and
clear thought, and better able to per
torm some manual tasks, (i.e. typing)
However, studies have also
shown that caffeine can decrease
reaction time to visual and audi
tory tasks such as driving, and
can decrease muscular coor
dination and accurate timing.
To make it clear, caffeine
may help you stay awake, but
it doesn't necessarily improve
your intellectual skills.
for us college students working late into the
night on papers, or rising at the crack of dawn for an
8a.m. lecture, caffeine's ability to merely keep us
awake may be good enough.
How does caffeine affect athletic performance?
By stimulating the central nervous system, caf
feine can temporarily prolong the amount of time a
person can perform physically exhausting work
When the work is constant rather than increasing
(such as in long-distance running, cross country ski
ing, and cycling), this effect is more pronounced.
Is there a harmful level of caffeine intake?
Research suggests that moderate intake of caf
feine is relatively harmless for most people.
"Moderate" means about 600mg a day. You can
obtain this from 5-6 cups of coffee a day.
This may seem like a lot of coffee, but realize
that caffeine is found in many other things you may
have in your daily diet.
For instance, an FDA panel reviewed caffeine
containing over-the-counter stimulants and found
that doses of l00-200mg were okay every 3-4
hours. (That would be the equivalent of I -2
NoDoz, or I Vivarian). Check on the tables to see
how much caffeine you get on average.
Caffeine does not accumulate in the bloodstream
or body and is normally excreted within several
hours following consumption. The widespread belief
that foods and beverages with caffeine in them will
help you "sober-up" is not true.
How much caffeine am I really getting?
The charts below are from the National Food
and Drug Administration:
COFFEE(5 tv cup)
Drip method
Percolated
Instant
Decaffeinated
Instant Decaffeinated
TEA
I minute brew
3 minute brew
5 minute brew
Instant tea
Iced Tea (12 oz cup)
SOFT DRINK
Jolt
Mountain Dew
Coca-Cola
Diet Coke
Mr PIBB
Dr. Pepper
Pepsi-Cola
Diet Pepsi
caffeine content (mg)
110-150
64-124
40-108
2-5
2
9-33
20-46
20-50
12-28
22-36
72.0
54.0
45.6
45.6
40.8
39.6
38.4
36.0
-—Susan Gi Ibaugh
relax one
Wnen you think of a stereotypical college student, you may think of
someone who drinks every Friday night, or every night. You may see a
person in your mind who is not that concerned with their education.They may
not care if they get A's or C's.You may be thinking to yourself, “I wish I could
be so laid back.”Believe me, I know how that feels.We constitute a group
called the High Achievers.
You know you are a part of this group if:You start studying for the midterm a
day after the first class meeting. You write any papers due the day you get the
assignment. You are concerned with two grade mediums, A or F, meaning that
nothing but an A is going to satisfy your drive.You are anxious about every test,
— ;inH ta<;t hut not Ipast vnu arp ctrPQCPrll ^trpcc ic
I ana last dux not least, you are sxressea! stress is
one of the most prevalent aspects of a high
achiever's life. It is hard to balance all those A's
and a social life at the same time. As a matter of
fact, it's practically impossible, without the want
l to change it.
L Since I began to notice my stress, I have
I begun to look into ways to deal with it and
ft have decided to share those ways with you. I
B went to a drop-in appointment at the
Counseling Center located in the Health
■ Center and talked to a counselor there
, about some issues of high achievement and
i stress. Jared Horibata, Counseling Center
& intern, was very helpful in bringing every
ft thing into perspective, and he also told
_ ■ me some ways that will help allevi
ate short-term stress.These include "deep
breathing, mus
cle-relaxation,
and taking care
of your body".
Jared also
suggested
"scheduling fun activities",
not related to academics, in order to ease some
overly placed stress.
One suggestion I have used is to make a long-term calendar of my academic
career, and find a way to take my required classes over a longer period of time.
This will decrease my credit load, which will allow me to continue to high achieve
without the extra stress.These suggestions are important and should be looked at
with careful consideration. Jared maintains that if stress is not alleviated in
some way, other complications could come about like depression and
anxiety. If these complications arise and the person does not have a strong sup
port system, like friends or family, these complications could become very serious.
Along with being a high achiever comes an excess amount of stress, stress
that although good sometimes, in the long run, will be detrimental to our health.
As a high achiever I understand that being overly stressed is not helping my acad
emic situation or my health, and may in the long-term, decrease my achieving abili
ties.
If you have any concerns about this issue, don't be afraid to go see someone
in the Counseling Center at 346-3227, or make an appointment with a peer
health educator at the Health Center (346-4456), if you just want more informa
tion on the subject. Call if you have any further questions, and good luck! Just
remember, that you are not alone in your stressful struggles!
—Sara Terheeeen
FABULOUS
FACTOIDS
© Barbie’s eyes looked down and to
the right until 1971.
© Barbie is based on German doll
called “Lilli" which is sold as a sex
toy for men.
© In 1992 the average American girl
owned 7 Barbies.
© 96% of women tell their doctor
they want to lose weight to look
good.
© A woman can get pregnant while
menstruating.
© I in 12 college men admit to acts
that meet legal definitions of rape.
© I in 5 men say they know little or
nothing about contraception.
Vital Statistics magazine May/June 1997
© 11,700,000 people used illegal
drugs in the last month.
Vital Statistics magazine Mayljune 1997
© 154 minutes per day is the
amount an average person spends
watching T.V.
Vital Statistics magazine May/June 1997
© 15 minutes is the average time
spent exercising.
vital Statistics magazine May/June 1997
© One in six 25-29 year olds still
live at home.
Vital Statistics magazine May/June 1997
© Regular exercise leads to psycho
logical changes such as lessening anx
iety, tension and fatigue; relieving
depression; and increasing vigor and
self-esteem.
© Breakfast boosts blood-glucose
levels, which run low after a night’s
sleep.That’s good because the brain
needs glucose; people do better on
memory and attention tests after
eating a good breakfast. Sweet foods
such as fruit or juice work best.
July/August I996 Health
© America’s favorite snacks:
Microwave popcorn, nuts, party mix,
Kitzels, and tortilla chipsl.
/August 1996 Health
© Resting heart rate (60 seconds)
for...
(Beats Per Minute=bpm)
Trained athlete (runners): 40 bpm
Active (physically fit): 55 - 60 bpm
Normal: 70 bpm
Inactive: 80 - 90 bpm
© The highest percentage of regular
exercisers are in Oregon, New
Mexico, Wyoming,Vermont and
Conneticut, and the lowest number
were in West Virginia, Mississippi,
Kentucky, Maine, and West Virginia.
© 95% of alcoholic beverages are
consumed by 1/3 of the nation.
© Going to an indoor tanning bed
before going on a vacation some
where sunny does not give you any
more of a base tan and does not
prevent you from burning.