12/31/08
Everyone and their mother knows about the terrific benefits of caffeine. Heck, there’s a pretty good chance that your own mother knew about the benefits of caffeine (in coffee or tea) when you were still in diapers. Bodybuilders use caffeine for a variety of purposes. The primary use is energy. Many bodybuilders need caffeine before training. They enjoy the added oxidation in the bloodstream, the thermogenic effect, and the raised energy levels. Many bodybuilders simply won’t (or can’t!) train without it. Caffeine is used by 90% of the population on a daily basis, and it’s a safe bet that much higher than 90% of bodybuilders use it each day.
Then there is ephedrine. This compound is great for added energy and fat-burning, although it works in different absorption pathways than caffeine. Together, ephedrine and caffeine join up to create two-thirds of the trio known as ECA, or caffeine + aspirin + ephedrine. This “stack”, or combination of drugs, allows bodybuilders to burn a great deal of body fat. It also leads to decreased appetite, elevated energy levels, and a notable need for less sleep. Its negative side effects include an irregular heartbeat and a very jittery feeling. Also, users can become extremely irritable.
Recently, researchers have begun using a drug called Modafinil as an alternative to caffeine. On a wide basis, the drug is being used as a sleep aid, much the way Vivarin (200 mg caffeine pills) is sold. It is being marketed as a viable alternative to caffeine in that it doesn’t result in the same levels of jitteriness, and doesn’t lead to the same painful addiction, as caffeine unfortunately often does. Modafinil is available as Provigil in the United States, and sold as Alertec in Canada. You can find it at trucker rest stops, or on some supplement websites. When it doubt, visit any gas station neat the interstate, and you’ll likely find it sitting behind the counter next to the oft-banned ephedrine, which is still readily available.
Time will tell if Modafinil catches on in the same mainstream way that caffeine has. As a bodybuilder, you may want to look into it. Caffeine is highly addictive. After using it for several months, many bodybuilders notice they are unable to function in the gym (or even in real life!) without it. Modafinil may provide a brief respite for those addicted to caffeine. It’s unknown at the moment if some of the same processes which work in ECA will work with Modafinil. Is there some sort of EMA (Ephedrine, Modafinil and Aspirin) stack on the horizon which would provide many of the same benefits of ECA, without the dreaded jumpiness that is the result of an intensified caffeine effect? Time (and loads of practical and clinical) research will bring us those answers down the road. For the time being, it is likely just enough for bodybuilders to be aware that there is finally an alternative to caffeine named Modafinil, and it is available if you look hard enough!
