Base Weight Vs. Consumables Discussion

In terms of actual increase in exercise performance, this is worth a read: Note that coffee is not considered beneficial, but straight caffeine is. An caffeine weighs less…

"The position of The Society regarding caffeine supplementation and sport performance is summarized by the following seven points: 1.) Caffeine is effective for enhancing sport performance in trained athletes when consumed in low-to-moderate dosages (~3-6 mg/kg) and overall does not result in further enhancement in performance when consumed in higher dosages (>/= 9 mg/kg). 2.) Caffeine exerts a greater ergogenic effect when consumed in an anhydrous state as compared to coffee. 3.) It has been shown that caffeine can enhance vigilance during bouts of extended exhaustive exercise, as well as periods of sustained sleep deprivation. 4.) Caffeine is ergogenic for sustained maximal endurance exercise, and has been shown to be highly effective for time-trial performance. 5.) Caffeine supplementation is beneficial for high-intensity exercise, including team sports such as soccer and rugby, both of which are categorized by intermittent activity within a period of prolonged duration. 6.) The literature is equivocal when considering the effects of caffeine supplementation on strength-power performance, and additional research in this area is warranted. 7.) The scientific literature does not support caffeine-induced diuresis during exercise, or any harmful change in fluid balance that would negatively affect performance."

and this:

"The effects of caffeine on exercise performance have been well documented, with most reviews focusing on the metabolic, hormonal, and/or central nervous system effects. However, caffeine's effects on ventilation and pulmonary function are often overlooked. Studies have shown that caffeine is a strong ventilatory stimulant, increasing the sensitivity of the peripheral chemoreceptors in untrained subjects and increasing exercise ventilation at all workloads in highly trained endurance athletes. The consequences of increased exercise ventilation could hold either positive or negative effects for exercise performance. Anti-inflammatory and bronchoprotective effects of caffeine are great enough to consider its efficacy as a possible prophylactic antiasthma treatment. Although an upper urinary concentration limit exists for caffeine with international sports doping control agencies, caffeine's universal accessibility in the marketplace has resulted in its daily use being increasingly more socially acceptable as an ergogenic substance for sport and exercise."

"currently i crush multivitamins and sprinkle them onto my dried meals. would taking a multivitamin give you enough potassium and all those other minerals you all are talking about?"

Very unlikely. It would have no sodium bicarbonate, and minimal if any potassium. Read the label and keep in mind you ideally would get 5-4 times more potassium in your diet than sodium, or equal amounts at the very least.

"This assumes you run a decent surplus of body fat. I have ~10 lbs of fat on my 145 lb frame, which means I can afford to lose maybe 3 lbs before I start depleting required fat and put myself at serious risk."

Maybe bulk up a bit before a longer trip. Your only other good choices are to carry more food or limit your trip duration.

I highly recommend Yerba Maté for caffeine because it does not suppress nutrient absorption like other forms of caffeine. It also "works" really well and has a nice, robust, earthy flavor.

Caffeine but not coffee????

I'll entertain debate on guns, religion, health care, animal rights, or any other nonsense you're in to…but on this one you've all gone and lost your minds.

+1 to the above… blasphemy!

"Read the label and keep in mind you ideally would get 5-4 times more potassium in your diet than sodium, or equal amounts at the very least."

A technique I have used for years when hiking at altitude or on hot dry approaches is to add 1/4 tsp(1.4 grams) of Morton's Lite Salt to a 24 oz bottle of water 3-4 times/day.
Each 1/4 tsp supplies 290 mg of sodium and 350 mg of potassium. If you want to take in even more potassium, use Morton's Salt Substitute. 1/4 tsp(1.2 grams) supplies 610 mg of potassium and no sodium. I carry a small ziploc bag with an ounce or so of Lite Salt, depending on the trip, along with a tiny 1/4 tsp aluminum spoon, stashed in a hipbelt pocket for convenience.

"I'll entertain debate on guns, religion, health care, animal rights, or any other nonsense you're in to…but on this one you've all gone and lost your minds."

LOL

Metabolic and exercise endurance effects of coffee and caffeine ingestion.

Caffeine ingestion increases plasma epinephrine (Epi) and exercise endurance; these results are frequently transferred to coffee consumption. We examined the impact of ingestion of the same dose of Caffeine in coffee or in water. Nine healthy, fit, young adults performed five trials after ingesting (double blind) either a capsule (caffeine or placebo) with water or coffee (decaffeinefeinated coffee, decaffeinefeinated with caffeine added, or regular coffee). In all three caffeine trials, the caffeine dose was 4.45 mg/kg body wt and the volume of liquid was 7.15 ml/kg. After 1 h of rest, the subject ran at 85% of maximal O2 consumption until voluntary exhaustion (approximately 32 min in the placebo and decaffeinefeinated coffee tests). In the three caffeine trials, the plasma caffeine and paraxanthine concentrations were very similar. After 1 h of rest, the plasma Epi was increased by caffeine ingestion, but the increase was greater with caffeine capsules than with coffee. During the exercise there were no differences in Epi among the three caffeine trials, and the Epi values were all greater than in the other tests. Endurance was only increased in the caffeine capsule trial; there were no differences among the other four tests. One cannot extrapolate the effects of caffeine to coffee; there must be a component(s) of coffee that moderates the actions of caffeine.

For the record, coffee DOES appear to reduce PERCEIVED exertion, but not real world actual exercise performance to any great degree. It is mentally stimulating but not so much physically.

+2 on blasphemy.

+3 on blasphemy. :8^)

If you really want to kick-start your morning (and you're a guy not a gal), then the combo of caffeine (NOT coffee) and nicotine (preferably not from cigarettes) is a real great combo, according to pretty good research. Shame it doesn't work so well in chicks :(

How about a Jolt cola and some nicorette gum then?

I'm a one whole pot in the morning kind of guy during the week, so I backpack with caffeine pills on the weekend. What can I say, my body needs its fix. I try to start the morning with one real cup but after that I don't want to cut into my trail time!

Craig,

Don't forget sex and politics!