coffee vs. caffeine supplements

[Special K]

Has anyone else here noticed a significant difference between the stimulant effects of coffee and caffeine pills? If I drink an average-sized mug of coffee (~70mg of caffeine according to google), I definitely feel the effects of the caffeine within about 20 minutes or so.

On the other hand, I have a bottle of 200mg caffeine pills that I bought from one of the giant online supplement stores. Every time I take one of these pills, I never feel anything. Is this normal? The only possible explanations I can think of are:

1. The pills are fake and contain either no caffeine or a far smaller amount than the label indicates.

2. Caffeine from supplements is somehow less potent than caffeine from coffee.

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

I usually feel the pills faster but I usually sip coffee for the taste and it lasts me longer (since I'm sipping).

That said I've been getting like no sleep lately so I've been taking a 200mg pill and then drinking a cup of coffee like 20 mins later. That's not too bad though since it's still less than a 3 scoop serving of jack3d.

 

[iluvdeal]

Try a different brand of caffeine pills or up the dosage, you should definitely feel something from taking them.

Personally, I always recommend taking the real thing over taking pills any day. There's some health benefits with drinking coffee as well.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Try a different brand of caffeine pills or up the dosage, you should definitely feel something from taking them.

Personally, I always recommend taking the real thing over taking pills any day. There's some health benefits with drinking coffee as well.

Normally, I try to drink coffee for the caffeine for my EC stack but I usually have to take a pill for the last/afternoon dose since I'm usually on the move. So I'm with you: drink the coffee when possible, save the pill for when necessary.

 

[DAGTA]

Pills are likely garbage. I don't like the taste of coffee and soda is unhealthy so I drink Zipfizz for caffeine and some vitamins. It has 100mg per tube and I feel the caffeine.

 

[bhanson]

(Not medical advice)

Try taking half a pill (100mg) sublingually. Let it dissolve under your tongue and it should accelerate the absorption process.

I can feel the effects of sublingual administration nearly immediately. Usually I'll let some of it dissolve and then swallow the rest for my GI system to take care of.

 

[Mixolydian]

Amphetamines. /thread.

 

[alkemyst]

Holy moly here.

In reality to get your 200mg caffeine dose 3x a day you will be drinking a ton of most coffees. If you regularly take the time to make a double expresso YMMV. I don't drink coffee though.

Also not all supplements are equal, OP you should just tell us WTF you bought. Back in high school I used to drink over 6 liters of Coke a day. I took a No Doze once and got loopy.