Someone mentioned that they found a drink mix powder that contained caffiene- at first I thought this sounded like a great thing (being quite a coffee addict myself)  but then I started to wonder about the diuretic effect of caffienated drinks especially if this was going into the main hydration source in the extreme heat - would it actually wind up doing more harm than good in terms of desert hydration needs?  *I don't know* ...I'm asking ... does anyone know what the medical pros who take care of these guys think about the issue?

 

 

'Tis true, but...many of the "energy" drinks get their energy from caffeine.  And they all seem to like coffee.  I have thought about it, and I guess there is really nothing else that is going to give them the boost they need to stay alert for 12, 14, 16 hours a day.  Usually I would recommend protein for energy instead, but...it's probably not quite up to the task.  And sugar just takes you up and drops you down.  What else is there?

Per Weight Watchers, if they consume adequate water along with the caffeine, they should be okay.  Frequent stops along the way might slow up their missions a bit, though...

How about those NoDoz tablets the college students use a lot to stay up late to study?  I've seen them at Target but am not sure if I should buy them.  I've seen a few people ask for them.

Paula

Not sure, but I always thought they were caffeine.

No Doz is caffeine. I don't know about the diuretic issue other than they must get guidelines on how to compensate. My Marine friend doesn't drink coffee unless he has to be up 24 hrs. or more. I figure they are big boys and can figure out how to handle it.

My husband just told me that they were given coffee in their MRE'S during Desert Storm. I guess if the military says it's okay for them it must be safe (yeah, right!). Seriously, compared to some of the amphetamine pills they are given by the military, caffeine should be all right. I'm also hoping that caffeinated drinks are not their main hydration source, but only an occasional switch from the monotony of plain, pure water

Vetwife

similar to what was posted-- caffeine is not a danger as a diuretic unless taken in very high volumes. Almost anything you drink and smoetimes eat have caffeine. There was another thread on the no doz.. those may cause jitters and the military may frown upon it?? not sure..

The energy drinks/mt dew/ with caffeine are safe.. like stated above.. they drink water too.. also, per another thread, things with gaurana are safe too.. I tested it myself (though from experience i knew it was safe as well as with dr permission) and I have hypothryoidism so I would be considered "risky" and my dr said it is fine..

hope that helps?

Maybe I didn't make my question clear.  I thought that all the drink mix powders were to encourage the soldiers to drink more water to counteract the normal desert heat dehydration... so if we were to load their water supply with caffine - then there would not be "other water" to counterbalance the effects of the caffinated drink- we'd be canceling out the benefit of the additive. (I don't know that's true - I'm still asking) 

I found an interesting article on the subject at:

 http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/article-caffeine-bodybuilding.asp

In part, it says: 

Caffeine and Fluid Balance
Optimal fluid intake is the most important aspect of sports performance. Caffeine is a diuretic but there is a threshold level below which it has zero effect on fluid balance. Infact it takes as much as 250mg caffeine in a single dose (Maughan & Griffin 2001) to have any diuretic effect and even 2 cups of tea or coffee in one go will have zero effect on dehydration. The diuretic effect of caffeine is also greatly affected by habitual intake and a high degree of tolerance can be developed. Furthermore, experiments have looked at this aspect with supplemental doses of caffeine, whereas in life we consume it in drinks where the accompanying fluid will offset any dehydrating effect (Thomas 2003).

FWIW, Pat

To be on the safe side, I always send caffeine free flavors