So, what’s the story with caffeine?  “I hear a lot of different terms and uses, but I’m not sure what they all mean.” Let’s take a look at who it is, what it does, and what it is used for.  Keep in mind that this is a 30,000-foot view of both what the world’s most extensively misused substance does and what it is used for!

Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor as well as a vasodilator

So, some schooling.  Caffeine is a Vasoconstrictor as well as a Vasodilator.  That’s great, but what does it mean?  It works as a Vasoconstrictor (constricts the blood vessels) only on the muscles of the head and neck, which is why it is so effective for headaches. 

When you have a headache, it’s usually due to a surge of blood to your brain’s blood vessels, causing them to bulge and cause pressure against your skull; caffeine can help reduce this by decreasing the vessels back down.  And, as a migraine sufferer, it works!  The curious contradiction is that too much coffee might create “rebound” headaches, yet as long as your dosage is normal, you should be alright.

Is caffeine a vasoconstrictor?

Caffeine, a common neurostimulant, causes cerebral vasoconstriction through antagonizing adenosine receptors. Chronic caffeine usage alters the blood vessel adenosine receptor system, apparently to compensate for caffeine’s vasoconstrictive effects.

What exactly is a naturally vasodilator?

Natural substances: Your body naturally produces various compounds that can promote vasodilation. Carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, and hormone prostaglandin are examples of these molecules. Drinking wine causes blood vessels to dilate.

Caffeine is it a vasodilator or a vasoconstrictor?

 EndurElite’s chief endurance officer, Matt Mosman. Hello and welcome back to another installment of Cracking the Bullshit. Does caffeine, such as that found in coffee or pre-workout supplements like PerformElite, reduce blood flow & negatively impair endurance performance?

I’m not sure where this misconception originated, but the general consensus over the last few years has been that caffeine vasoconstricts or reduces blood flow. This reduction in blood flow reduces blood flow to working muscles, which might reduce endurance performance or impair those sick pump for all you gym bros, and it’s just.

It’s not a good idea to ingest coffee pre-workout if you’re running, weight lifting, biking, or anything.
Is really any truth in this? No, it’s not short and sweet. It’s a load of nonsense

Now, I’ll spare you the technical jargon since there’s a lot that happens physiologically when you ingest coffee. But we’re simply going to put it in short, simple, easy-to-understand terms today as to why caffeine doesn’t vasoconstricts or reduce blood flow and why you can still use it to improve endurance performance since we all know caffeine is amazing.

Is coffee beneficial to vasodilation?

Caffeine tightens the vessels, relieving pressure and eliminating pain. Caffeine acts as a vasodilation on the blood arteries throughout the body, causing them to enlarge and enable more blood flow, notably to the muscles and lungs.

Potential health advantages

Caffeine has a significant effect on blood arteries across the body, but it affects them differentially depending on where they are. Caffeine works as a vasoconstrictor in the blood arteries of the head or neck, causing them to narrow. This is why coffee can be beneficial for headaches. During a migraine, blood flows to the brain, forcing blood vessels in the neck and head to expand, generating the agony of a headache.

Caffeine tightens the vessels, relieving pressure and eliminating pain. Coffee acts as a vasodilator on the blood arteries throughout the body, causing them to enlarge and enable more blood flow, notably to the muscles and lungs. This improves your respiratory and muscle performance.

So, when should I take it, and what quantity should I take?

Ideally , take it only before your exercise session.  One of the reasons individuals require so much caffeine is that, like most stimulant medications, the more you consume, the more you require.  And the reason you require further stimulation is that your Adrenal Glands become immune to certain doses of caffeine, and the caffeine loses its effect. 

And, once again, the other issue is that your Adrenal Glands become overworked and exhausted, and they stop truly assisting your body in regulating energy levels, which is why persistent caffeine users feel as if they can’t work until they have had the coffee!  So limit yourself to between one and two cups each day at most.  If you do need a boost, try green tea instead. It has far too numerous advantages to list here, but it is a naturally occurring fat burner with far less caffeine.

Conclusion

Caffeine, a common neurostimulant, causes cerebral vasoconstriction through antagonising adenosine receptors. Chronic caffeine usage alters the vascular adenosine receptor system, presumably to compensate for caffeine’s vasoconstrictive effects.