Question

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Vinnie is a professional road cyclist participating in the 2020 Giro d’Italia, a three-week race nearly 3,600 km in distance with some stages exceeding altitudes of 2,700 m above sea level (i.e., Stelvio Pass, Italy). As the newly hired head of the high-performance team, it is your responsibility to manage his preparation for the event. You must demonstrate to your team a fundamental understanding of physiology, the chronic adaptations expected from his training, and methods that could be implemented to improve the likelihood of success.

QUESTION:

During a casual chat with a sport scientist from another team, they suggest preparing “finish bottles” for the longer legs of the race. Along with a dose of painkillers, a “finish bottle” typically contains an ergogenic dose of caffeine (i.e., approximately 3 to 5 mg·kg^-1 of bodyweight).

A. As a sympathetic nervous system stimulant, what acute physiological changes will likely occur following caffeine ingestion at these doses?

B. Additionally, caffeine has a mild effect at mobilising free fatty acids. Please describe what is meant by mobilisation, and how this may influence performance.

Answer 1

(A) With the given dose of caffeine , many chages has been observed in physiology of a athletes. As a stimulant, caffiene enhances both physiological and cognative performance. Physiologically it specifically improves aerobic performance.

As it act as a sympathethic nervous system stimulant , we have observed changes in autonomic modulation. It induces beta-1 receptors resulting into augmented heart rate and also heart conductivity. It increases vasodialtion post cycling activity, increases the heart rate. It also stimulate or enhances the muscle contraction due to its adenosine blockage (A1 and A2 receptors) role. It releases plasma chatachole which involves in peripheral muscle contraction.

Adverse effects on cardiovascular ssystem have also been reported, as this mentioned dose sometimes caffein , it stimulate Na-K ATPase pump which renders the membrane poential more negative put the subject at high risk of ventricular arrthythmias.

As autonomic nervous system is being stimulate via sympatheic nervous system physiology become change and regulated autonomically.