A cup of joe could get you a lifetime ban. © The U.S. National Archives
by Kenton Berg
In what might be considered the biggest change ever for the sporting world, WADA and its cycling partner, the UCI, have pushed the ban of caffeine one step further in its long-term process. According to sources within WADA, the discussions have been going on for a long time about the effects of caffeine on athletes and in particular, how this “legal” drug plays a role in performance enhancement. Central to the discussions are the fact that in humans, caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant, temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. It’s these performance enhancing characteristics that have the sporting world’s drug dictatorship looking to take away what every cyclist has come to love … a good espresso before, during, or after a ride.
More to come as this controversial ban moves through its snails-pace process.
