Summary

The article discusses how the author was inspired by Tom Brady's caffeine-free lifestyle to overcome their own dependence on caffeine for exercise motivation and energy.

Abstract

The author, a proponent of quitting caffeine, shares their struggle with exercising without the stimulant, which they believed was essential for motivation and performance. Inspired by NFL star Tom Brady, who follows a strict anti-inflammatory diet and abstains from caffeine, the author decided to quit caffeine despite initial challenges. The article details the author's experience with caffeine withdrawal, the recalibration of their body to function without it, and the eventual realization that they could maintain an exercise routine without relying on caffeine. The author encourages readers to consider the possibility of quitting caffeine, suggesting that if someone as physically active as Tom Brady can do it, others can too.

Opinions

The author strongly advocates for the benefits of quitting caffeine and believes it to be a significant achievement.
There is a societal over-reliance on caffeine, which is evident from the shock surrounding Tom Brady's lack of caffeine intake.
Caffeine is portrayed as a crutch that convinces users they need it for energy and happiness, trapping them in a cycle of dependence.
The author expresses that the initial withdrawal from caffeine is challenging but ultimately surmountable and rewarding.
The author suggests that readers can draw inspiration from Tom Brady's discipline and apply it to their own lives to overcome caffeine dependence.
The article implies that the body can adapt to function without caffeine, leading to a healthier lifestyle.
The author is empathetic towards readers' struggles with caffeine, offering support and sharing their own experiences to encourage others.

How football star Tom Brady taught me I didn’t actually need caffeine

If you’ve been reading my work for any amount of time, you’ll know I’m a big booster of the benefits of quitting caffeine.

But one of the biggest drawbacks of quitting for me was that it made getting motivated to start exercising — and to push myself during those exercise sessions — a difficult ask.

Let’s just admit it up front: a big boost of caffeine makes a workout SO much easier.

In fact, for the longest time, the last thing stopping me from quitting — or drawing me back into that daily addiction — was the belief that I COULDN’T stay on a consistent exercise schedule without it.

Then I read about Tom Brady.

I used to believe it was impossible to work out without caffeine. (Licensed by the author under the Unsplash+ License)

The Brady Way

Tom Brady is well known for adhering to a pretty strict diet.

The football star is known to avoid any foods that are thought to cause inflammation in the body.

Although the research is fuzzy on some of this stuff, Brady’s anti-inflammatory diet restricts him from ingesting a wide range of food and drink, including:

White sugar
dairy products
white flour
iodized salt
alcohol

In researching a recent article about Tom’s dietary habits, I also came across the interesting factoid that Brady doesn’t take any caffeine either.

Caffeine, my exercise stimulant

This was shocking to me given how dependent I was on caffeine to work out before.

And I’m just a schlub writing on the internet, not one of history’s greatest professional athletes.

The amount of extremely taxing physical activity required to play pro sports is almost unfathomable to Regular Joes, so it seemed obvious to me that guys like Brady would be on a non-stop caffeine diet during the day just to surving the gruelling exercise regimes.

And although I’m sure many pro athletes do take that approach, the GOAT apparently avoids caffeine altogether.

Back in 2016, he told the Boston radio station WEEI that he’d never even tried a cup of coffee in his life.

In fact, I came across a bunch of articles from around that time with sensational headlines about how Brady isn’t into coffee or any other type of caffeine-packed stimulant.

We’re hypnotized by the beans. (Image licensed by the author under the Unsplash+ License)

Caffeine’s little trick

The fact that so many people were shocked by this revelation, the fact that it was actually newsworthy, really speaks to our society’s heavy dependence on this drug.

The fact we can barely fathom someone famous not drinking coffee shows just how powerful it is.

Eventually, it convinces you that you need it to feel energized, to feel happy, to work, to exercise, and you get caught on a caffeine hamster wheel.

But the way I see it — if Tom Brady can work out without drinking half a pot of coffee, so can I.

The end of caffeine exercise dependence

I can tell you from personal experience that, if you do decide to quit caffeine and then try to exercise, it will feel very, very hard — AT FIRST.

For me, caffeine withdrawals were absolutely brutal.

The headaches and fatigue were overwhelmingly painful.

But eventually, after about five or so very tough withdrawal days — which I discussed in the video below — my body recalibrated and began to feel normal again.

Within a couple of weeks, I didn’t even think about caffeine, let alone miss it.

So the moral of the story is, if Brady could get through two-a-days preparing for an NFL season without dipping into the caffeine well, surely I can get through a 30-minute run and some light yoga without it too.

And maybe you can too.

Thanks so much for reading to the end! If you enjoyed this piece or were inspired by it, please give it a clap or two so others can find it! Have a quit caffeine story of your own? Please share in the comments!

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Still looking for something to read? I really enjoyed this Sean Kernan piece on his own quit caffeine journey and why he’s never going back.