A study was released today that showed that caffeine, in addition to all its many many benefits, now might help people with Dry Eye Syndrome.   Which got us to thinking…. syndrome is a pretty scary word that when associated with the word “China”, can’t help but make us think of movies about nuclear meltdown.  It also got us to thinking that caffeine really is a magical substance.  We’ll write more on this later (when it isn’t 3 am), but here’s a quick list of a few of the awesome things caffeine is proven to do:

• Keep you awake (ok, not rocket science there but… in conjunction with the next one…)
• Make you smarter
• Help you run/cycle faster
• Help you run/cycle longer
• Prevent Parkinson’s disease
• Prevent skin cancer (how do people even think to test this stuff?)
• Prevent dry-eye….syndrome
• Make headache pills (like Aspirin) work better
• Improve your DNA – really!
• Helps control ADHD
• Curbs Depression….

We’re should make a caffeine superhero…..ok, we will!  We’ll post him tomorrow!

Greetings! We’re airborne paratroopers from the legendary 82nd All American Division. We love jolt gum. We work hard all day everyday, whether its training with mortars or exiting aircraft. We owe our motivation level to gum. We’re gettin ready to head out to take on the taliban for our 3rd tour. We love ya!

The awesome guys in the 82nd airborne and their Jolt Gum

A university study in Australia proves what we already knew from dozens of testimonial emails from our awesomely energetic Jolt Gum chewers… Jolt Gum improves athletic performance.  Quick synopsis… Jolt Gum improved cycling performance 5.4% vs. placebo.

Here’s the study……

‘Bridging the Gap’ – Chewing gum improves cycling performance

Peter Reaburn is an Associate Professor in sport science at CQUniversity, races B-grade with Rockhampton Cycling Club and has been a committee member for four years. He recently completed his second Grafton-Inverell (228 km) race. Peter has presented workshops for Cycling Australia and Cycling Queensland for masters athletes and coaches and has written the definitive book titled The Masters Athl

Go faster with Jolt Gum

Chewing gum improves cycling performance

Introduction

Caffeine is the World’s most commonly used drug. It is often used by cyclists as an ergogenic aid during both training and competition. In our sport, research has shown that caffeine improves performance in a single 1 km time trial and 40km steady-state time trial performance. But what effect might it have on typical road races, point score races on the track, or ‘crits’ where there are repeated sprints during longer endurance events.  A recent New Zealand study investigated the effects of caffeinated chewing gum on fatigue during repeated high-intensity sprints in cyclists.

The Research

Nine well-trained young male cyclists (24 ± 7 years, VO2max = 62.5 ± 5.4 ml/kg/min) who trained on average 10.5 hours per week were tested. None of them were high caffeine users. They completed four lab sessions each consisting of four by five-minute sets of 30-second sprints with five sprints in each set and 30-seconds easy spin between each sprint. An easy five minute spin was done between sets one and three and a 10-minute easy spin between sets two and three.  During the 10-minute spin, the chewing gum was given as six pieces of commercially-available, spearmint-flavoured caffeinated chewing-gum (Jolt®) or as a placebo of similar-looking and tasting, commercially available non-caffeinated chewing-gum (Spearmint Extra®). Cyclists chewed the gum for five minutes and then spat it out before doing sets three and four of the sprints.

The Results

The average power output (watts) in the first 10 sprints (sets 1 and 2) relative to the last 10 sprints (sets 3 and 4) declined by 5.8 ± 4.0% in the placebo trials but only 0.4 ± 7.7% in the caffeine trials. The reduced fatigue in the caffeine trials equated to a 5.4% improvement in overall cycling performance in favor of caffeine. The researchers also measured two hormones in saliva and found that the delayed fatigue in the caffeine trials was associated with elevated testosterone (an anabolic – muscle repairing and building hormone) and decreased cortisol (a stress hormone) concentrations in the caffeine trials. Both these hormone responses are good for athletes in terms of recovery from training and racing. No gut upsets were observed in the cyclists despite the caffeine dose being equivalent to about 2.5 No Doz or three cups of coffee in one hit.

The So What?

This is a really applied study that strongly suggests that taking caffeine by chewing gum may be the way to go for track or road cyclists requiring a kick in performance during the closing stages of an event like a points race, criterium or road race where fatigue becomes a factor. Importantly, it also suggests it may enhance recovery by positively affecting hormones important for recovery. I say ‘suck it and see’.

References

Paton, C., Lowe, T, and Irvine, A. (2010). Caffeinated chewing gum increases repeated sprint performance and augments increases in testosterone in competitive cyclists.  European Journal of Applied Physiology. 110(6): 1243-50.

Facts about Peter Reaburn

1. Author of “The Masters Athlete”
2. Webmaster www.mastersathlete.com.au
3. Associate Professor (Exercise and Sport Science) specialising in masters athletes
4. Regular contributor Sports Coach and Sports Official
5. Australian Ironman Triathlon Champion (50-54 years) 2005
6. Grafton-Inverell Bike Classic 2007 (training for 2010)
7. Secretary, Rockhampton Cycling Club
8. B-grade Club Road Champion Champion 2007, 2008

Originally published at http://www.cycling.org.au/?ID=39868

Are you as GOOD as a 1st Grader?

How cool and cute and AMAZING is this? 6 year old Benjamin Hinkle of WV is raising money to buy Jolt Gum to send to troops overseas for xmas presents. Needless to say, we’re seeding and then matching his donations. Forget the part where it’s Jolt Gum – just imagine if our country had more kids (or people!) like Benjamin.

In remembrance of all U.S. veterans who have fought and sacrificed for us, we wanted to share this post from the Military Times Broadside Blog:

It was a day of peace.

November 11, 1918 was the day the guns were silenced. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marked an armistice between the Allied powers and Germany, marking the de facto end to World War I.

A year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”.

Twenty Years later, on November 11, 1938, Congress added that the day should be, “…dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.”

But the war to end all wars, the war Congress proclaimed to be, “…the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals”, never lived up to its billing. Many, many more men and women would lose their lives in wars to come.

In 1954, the day was renamed Veterans Day, to honor all of those who have served their country in uniform. While celebration of enduring world peace was a noble goal, it was more appropriate and proper that we honor those who have striven for peace with their service and blood.

Veterans Day

Today it is a day of honor, sadness, and dignity. There will be parades. There will be flags. And there will be memories. A ton of memories.

Those who lost their lives will be honored, but so will those who lived. They all raised their hands and swore to protect and defend the Constitution and the country whose course it directs. To them, that country has a face. It is the face of a mother who wakes up each morning with a prayer to keep her son or daughter safe. It is the face of a child who misses her parent, whose last words to her were, “I’ll be home soon.” It is the face of a friend, brother, wife. It is a small town who waits for its children to return home to a hero’s salute.

It is America.

Veterans are ordinary people who willingly confronted extraordinary events, because someone had to. They are still out there, on the frontier. To them, and to those who have served throughout the history of this nation, there is only one appropriate and proper thing we can say.

We can say thanks.

The uploaded, you voted, they won! Check out the results of our photo contest on Facebook! Congratulations to Runners Up Paula and Brady and Grand-Prize Winner Bryan!

Want to win a load of free gum? Head to our Facebook fan page and enter into our Photo Contest. It’s super easy! Just upload a photo of yourself chewing more and doing more, tell your friends to vote, and you could win!

Most of you may not have heard, but we’ve gotten a few emails about Jolt Cola’s Chapter 11 filing.  Never fear, this will have ZERO effect on Jolt Gum and mints.   Nor should it have any kind of long-term effect on Jolt Soda or Energy Drinks.  According to Reuters, it was all just a money thing.  OK, that’s obvious but read on and get the details:

A break from the usual programming to introduce ya’ll to Corporal Angel Cadena. Jolt Energy Gum is proud to announce that we are sponsoring him for the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, an endurance race from the Florida Keys all the way to (no joke) Alaska, the proceeds of which go to plenty of deserving groups.

Corporal  Cadena enlisted in the Marine Corps in June  2006. Active duty and a Veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Angel is looking forward to the next phase in his life in which he plans on majoring in Political Science at Southern Connecticut State University and spending time with his newborn daughter. Here’s what he has to say.

The Challenge which will take place on June 20, 2010, is an endurance race from the Florida Keys to the Peninsula of Alaska.  The Hoka Hey Motorcycle challenge supports many military and civilian charities some of which include the Vietnam Veterans of America, Disabled Veterans of America, American Indian College fund and many others. The prize for being the first (hopefully me) to complete the challenge is $500,000 worth of gold.

I am looking for secure several sponsors to help secure entrance fee for other Veterans and myself.  Riding accessories to help on the long journey and just plain words of encouragement.  If you would like to sponsor me or one of the other veterans involved in the challenge  please contact beth.durham@hokaheychallenge.com with details of how you would like to support your troops. Thank you Jolt Gum for your sponsorship… Till We Speak Again — Angel Cadena.

A recent study found that caffeine can ease muscle pain! So next time you’ve worn yourself out, just chew more, then you can do more!

From Inquirer.net:

According to the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, the caffeine in coffee may lessen muscle pain by blocking the activity of a chemical called adenosine. This is released as part of the anti-inflammatory response to muscle injury which then activates pain receptors in body cells.

Researches had several men pedal on a stationary bike for a high-intensity workout. They were given 2-3 cups of coffee an hour before the workout.

Less thigh muscle pain was experienced by the men who had coffee than the group who were given placebo. Coffee may not be an urgent need before every workout, but if you are trying a new sport or exercise routine, a cup or two might just do the trick to prevent or ease muscle pain.

Image courtest of OnSugar.com