Coffee - Good for performance or not - My experience (Part 3)

Note:

If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)

By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)

Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)

Coffee - Does increase heart rate as well. 

This happened between the age of 14 and 18 years of age. I became fascinated when one day, a relief teacher came to our classroom, which was in secondary school, and taught the classroom on heart rate. I don't know her name but she has spoken on what is a normal heart rate etc. She told us to take our resting heart rate in the morning to find out about our health etc. I attribute my success to her for, over time, I was able to do research in heart - rate and running performance at the Loughborough University of Technology for my degree programme. I have to thank her for that. 

Anyway, coming back to the story, due to long-distance training in school, I told myself to bring my heart - rate down from 50 per minute to as low as possible. She told us that the elite long-distance runners have a resting heart rate of 30 to 40 beats per minute. It is after knowing this knowledge that my running improved tremendously. 

I was able to bring my resting heart rate to 45 beats per min from 50 beats per min. 

This is where I want to talk about coffee. Whenever I drink coffee, my heart-rate was going up. Hence, I liked taking Horlicks and milo, instead. I, in fact, took Horlicks as it did not have any content of caffeine as milo has. 

Usually, after taking coffee in the morning, I found that for several hours my heart rate was up and was not able to go down. I became fearful of drinking coffee etc. When I drank tea, my heart-rate does go up but it was not as high as coffee. At that time, I did not know that tea is much lower in caffeine than coffee. (This knowledge came to me when I was a teacher - trainee at the School of Physical Education when I was around 21 years of age). 

I kept away from drinking coffee at all cost and looked for drinks which have no content of coffee in it.

Note:

By Narayanan

Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’  by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).

He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.