Caffeine

If you had a conversation with a jiu-jitsu practitioner who received his black belt in the 1990’s, chances are he’d tell you how much the game has changed in so many ways. The evolution of jiu-jitsu has transformed old school fundamentals into its own style, while modern jiu-jitsu has moved to the forefront. New innovative techniques and concepts that were once considered blasphemy are now widely accepted as options. In addition, many competitors today are full-time athletes. That being said, in this day and age athletes are constantly searching for any edge they can get over the competition, whether it be the material of a competitive uniform, specialized conditioning programs, items used to simulate intense training conditions (hyperbaric chambers, elevation masks, etc.), supplements, certain workout equipment, recovery enhancers (both chemical and non), laser eye surgery and a slew of other products, programs or enhancements on the market. The most controversial of all is still, and probably will forever be, PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs). While I don’t condone the abuse of PEDs, one in particular is inexpensive, has a ton of data behind it and is not illegal. It’s caffeine.