# Caffeine and Muscle Tension



## Bownut61 (Dec 15, 2007)

Has anyone ever noticed any effects from the consumption of any products having caffiene in them prior to shooting? I keep a shooting log and noticed my scores are down slightly when I've had caffiene. My poison of choice is Mt. Dew since I'm not a coffee drinker. 

What I've noticed also is while trying to execute the shot I tend to " lock up ". The sight is sitting there nicely but I can't get my back tension release to go off. I become a ball of muscle tension. This tires a person out quicker than anything. Before you know it holding steady is a real piece of work.

Ironically I mentioned this to my son who ran track his senior year. His coach kept them off of any caffiene products before a track meet. My son had experienced chest pains with caffiene in his system before competing. He told me caffiene causes muscles to tense up.

So, before shooting I stay away from all caffiene. I eat well and try to get rested. At the very least it has helped my confidense since I don't feel I have something working against me.


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## XP35 (Oct 11, 2005)

I've noticed the same things. If I take a power nap, no caffeine and a snack before shooting I shoot my best scores. Believe it or not, I believe a relaxing hot bath and stretching before shooting has as big of an impact as well.


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

The other side of this coin is the old adage about "you play the way you practice". If you drink coffee (or soft drinks or tea) all the time, even during practice, then quit on tournament day, you system is going to rebel.

I had a friend who was on the Army's Pistol Team (shot at Camp Perry) who told me their coach said if they drank coffee and smoked every morning before practice, he wanted them to do the same thing before a big competition. Don't throw your body chemistry out of wack at the worst possible time.

YMMV,
Dave


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## ramboarhunter (Jun 5, 2006)

If you don't have a couple cups of strong black coffee before you go to shoot and you pull up and are steady as a rock how are you going to hit that LITTLE x in the middle. You have to be able to shake the arrow into the x ring.


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## Bownut61 (Dec 15, 2007)

ramboarhunter said:


> If you don't have a couple cups of strong black coffee before you go to shoot and you pull up and are steady as a rock how are you going to hit that LITTLE x in the middle. You have to be able to shake the arrow into the x ring.



LOL!!! I think shaking comes natural for some. Maybe the coffee would calm them down.


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## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

Went to a local tourny yesterday and read this post yesterday morning..I'm not a coffee drinker but my caffine fix comes from diet coke...Layed off the diet coke all morning and only dropped 2 spots the first 8 targets of a 450 round...then came the break...didnt drink anything but water....first four targets after the break shot a 29,28.28,27...should a had a coke or something...shot the last three targets 30,30,30 with the last 2 being all the little x's...So moral of story...Still dont have it figured out

Paul


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## Bownut61 (Dec 15, 2007)

Paul Payne said:


> Went to a local tourny yesterday and read this post yesterday morning..I'm not a coffee drinker but my caffine fix comes from diet coke...Layed off the diet coke all morning and only dropped 2 spots the first 8 targets of a 450 round...then came the break...didnt drink anything but water....first four targets after the break shot a 29,28.28,27...should a had a coke or something...shot the last three targets 30,30,30 with the last 2 being all the little x's...So moral of story...Still dont have it figured out
> 
> Paul


Sorry about that. Almost sounded at first like staying away from the stuff helped. Maybe you're like what someone said in another reply? Give your body what it's use to? 

I try to limit myself to only 12oz. of Mt.Dew per day almost never going over 24oz. So maybe my addiction isn't bad enough to where I'm a mess without it. But instead it helps me stay calmer and with less muscle tension when I stay away from it before a shoot.

I also know this. If I have caffiene too late in the day I can feel my heart beat harder and thump from time to time as I try to fall asleep. The heart is a muscle as we've always heard. I'm sure in my mind caffiene has it's effects.


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

Paul Payne said:


> So moral of story...


"You play the way you practice.", has been an axiom of sports (and other fields) for so long and so universally, I think you have to give it some credence.

Dave


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## kiwi3d (Oct 26, 2003)

*caffeine*



> "You play the way you practice.", has been an axiom of sports (and other fields) for so long and so universally, I think you have to give it some credence.
> 
> Dave
> 
> ...


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

I wasn't implying caffeine was good or helpful. My only point was that if you are a coffee or Coke drinker, stopping the day of a shoot may hurt your performance more than it will help. That's all!

Dave


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