Gatorade/Powerade prior to shooting

[Spencer]

Caffeine is not good for shooting...

I would agree for most of the events, but for ISSF Rapid Fire there might be a case for an elevated pulse rate and the related 'arousal level' (no crude jokes needed).
For those of us with an inherited low blood pressure and low pulse rate, cafeine in (then) legal levels enabled the competition conditions pulse to be 'raised' for RFP.
There were cases of Olympics doping with caffeine in the days before it was taken off the banned list, though none I can remember for shooting.

...unless you usually take caffeine, in which case stopping it is worse...

For somebody on one cup a day, stopping MIGHT not be a problem - for those of us who drink a lot of coffee it would not be an option (dizziness, headaches).

Spencer

[ColinC]

You blokes are all too trim to be real shooters. Fancy knowing the color of your urine first thing in the morning!!!
Most of us with belly overhang and pressure problems due to advancing age cannot pee far enough out in front to see what color it is!!

[RobStubbs]

I would agree for most of the events, but for ISSF Rapid Fire there might be a case for an elevated pulse rate and the related 'arousal level' (no crude jokes needed).
<snip>

Spencer

I'm not convinced that you'd be able to 'titrate' levels of a stimulant such as caffeine to increase your arousal to the required levels, in RFP, or any other shooting discipline - at the right time - it's also a dangerous game to play. You're more likely to hit the other affect of caffeine and end up dehydrated and wanting a pee !

Rob.

[Nick_Burman]

seriously, does taking in caffeine really have such a negative impact on shooting?

for me, its the opposite. i feel better drinking coffee. it makes me more alert, and more calm.

Caffeine is not good for shooting, unless you usually take caffeine, in which case stopping it is worse.

If you can wean yourself off caffeine in everyday life then it will benefit your shooting.

I say this as someone who smoked and drank strong coffee all through his international shooting career. (Stopped the weed now but still on the bean)

I'm a "normal" coffee drinker - I do like my large expresso (with milk, please) but I don't gulp mug after mug of coffee (especially black coffee), will this affect my shooting?

Cheers NB

[Steve Swartz]

Isn't there some research indicating that caffeine ahs a negative effect on muscular endurance and fine motor control?

At the extreme end (3+ cups) don't most people get "shakes?"

I would think these effects (which are both short term and long term) would be somewaht important . . .

But as with many things, if you are shooting below 94% or so in pistol disciplines you should probably have higher priorities.

[Richard H]

Like everything else it going to be dependent on the individual. One thing I do know is that if you do drink coffee don't stop just before a match thinking it will help, it won't.

Adopting a more healthy lifestyle, won't hurt your shooting.