Guarana

[Peregrino]

I've been having amazing results since I've started taking guarana as a supplement-both tablets and powder-- this summer. I seem to have boundless energy for working out, cleaning my apartment, studying, etc. My girlfriend who used to live in Brazil had been plugging it to me for a long time, but I admit it wasn't until I saw Carlson Gracie wearing a "Guarana Power" patch on his gi that I decided to give it a try.

 

The amazing thing is that it doesn't agitate my motor functions and keep me awake at night the way coffee does. In fact, I've almost completely given up coffee and much prefer to take guarana with water, juice, or red tea at times when I normally would have taken coffee (esp. in the morning and after lunch).

 

Just wondering about other people's knowledge and experience of this stuff. Any suggestions for optimal use? (To clarify, I do lead a VERY active life right now, but I tend to take less on my "rest" days.) Any possible side effects I should be aware of?

 

Thanks in advance!

Peregrino

[sunshine]

Which "brand" do you use? I have tried guarana in the past but it didn't produce any satisfying results if any... but I am not a coffee-responder as well (except for nervosuness)...

 

I wonder if the guarana might -equally to coffee- just produce "false" energy in the end using up your supplies...

 

Harry

[sean]

You might as well just feed me meth. Guarana and me don't get along. I am really sensitive to stimulants. About the only thing I can hang with is green tea, and even too much of that I get too wired. I think I am already too high strung. I can handle large dosages of things that are supposed to calm people down and yet still I am worrying and wanting to have an intense conversation or make a to do list or do handstands ... while everyone else is drooling and passing out. Give me two sips of coffee and I am having a panic attack.

[TwoTrees]

Guarana. I like using it to spike when I'm supposed to be doing something specific and don't want to fall asleep before it gets done. I'm thinking that's it's one of the safest stimulants out there. I agree with Harry, though, that it may deplete what comes naturally a little, with continued use.

 

Side effects ? Besides getting jittery (that is, if it does actually effect you like it is supposed to, I have some family that it doesn't really do anything for)

You can look forward to some really bright yellow pee. (so don't fear a UTI, you can relax)

[Peregrino]

Yellow pee I've noticed, but that could also come from other supplements I take. (Could Omega 3 do that?)

 

I believe the powder I take is pure or well-nigh pure. My girlfriend's brother brought it over from his last trip to Brazil. The tablets I take are either Herbalife (don't know about the company rep overall, but they're the easiest guarana source in Spain) or a Fair Trade brand called "MunDos." I'm not sure about the MunDos breakdown since I don't have it in front of me, but the Herbalife stuff is made from about 80% guarana seed powder and then some binding agents which the labelling deems "natural."

 

I find the herbalife tablets (1025 mg) give me a somewhat stronger boost than the MunDos. The Herbalife label states that the mixture contains 4% naturally occurring caffeine, but I have to stay again that I don't have the usual caffeine problems of sleeplessness or jitters.

 

About the only side effect I've noticed so far is that on rare occasions, if I take more than eight tablets on a really busy day, I can get keyed up, but not shakey. That is, I think really fast, talk really fast, make plans to tackle several different tasks at once, etc., but even then I find it's relatively easy to center myself simply by stopping and being still, maybe doing a few minutes of mindful breathing. With coffee such counter measures still won't do the trick to keep me from getting over-stimulated.

 

Thanks for the input so far. I guess my main worry is about long-term effects. So, I guess no one's heard of any heavy-duty problems like kidney damage or other scary stuff? (Fingers crossed!)

 

Sometime I'll have to do an experiment involving a long term period of going cold turkey from ALL stimulants. I was a heavy coffee drinker before I used guarana, so I can't really say what my "natural" energy levels would be. At the very least, I think it's a great way for people to break free from coffee addiction!

Edited September 21, 2006 by Peregrino

[Peregrino]

It also occurs to me that other significant changes I've made since this summer are also boosting my energy levels. Besides eating more mindfully in general, I think a key practice has been incorporating regular calisthenics breaks during the day, following Pavel Tsatsouline's "greasing the groove" principle. I can thank an early Tao Bums thread on "Pistols" for introducing me to this practice. I remember Hagar mentioned that weightless squats have really increased his energy levels, and while I also incorporate push-ups and sit-ups* into my breaks (and will add pull-ups once I put the bar up), I feel especially "pumped" by doing the squats.

 

I have no doubts that the squats are giving me big boosts, both for daily activities and for athletic endeavors like sparring; however, I think the guarana still gives me a boost too. On days when I can't take so many exercise breaks (teaching several classes in a row), I can still pop a guarana or two and feel another lift.^

 

*And I do mean sit-ups, not crunches. On athother day I want to start a thread on training the much-neglected psoas muscles.

Oh man, I'm thinking in twelve directions at once today! Must have taken too much guarana!

Edited September 21, 2006 by Peregrino

[freeform]

On athother day I want to start a thread on training the much-neglected psoas muscles.

 

I'd be interested in that