Does Anybody here train?
- Thread starter Jay
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In Hawaiian history, they speak of some of the uses of 'Awa (Kava). There is no doubt that they used it after a hard days work to help relieve the person from the hard days work.
When I was teaching about 'Awa at Aha Punana Leo the Hawaiian immersion school, there was a scientist from UH that was looking into that aspect of 'Awa and he was trying to show how 'Awa might actually help the body to remove lactic acid.
It would stand to reason from some of the stuff we read about in Hawaiian history and the parts they have to tell about the use of 'Awa.
we do know that it helps the body and the muscles after a hard days work so it must do the same after a work out, they would use the 'Awa at the end of the day, they would drink and then eat and then drink some more, in most cases they would drink till they are ready to go to bed, or in other words they would drink enough 'Awa so that it would help put them to sleep. Aloha.
Chris
When I was teaching about 'Awa at Aha Punana Leo the Hawaiian immersion school, there was a scientist from UH that was looking into that aspect of 'Awa and he was trying to show how 'Awa might actually help the body to remove lactic acid.
It would stand to reason from some of the stuff we read about in Hawaiian history and the parts they have to tell about the use of 'Awa.
we do know that it helps the body and the muscles after a hard days work so it must do the same after a work out, they would use the 'Awa at the end of the day, they would drink and then eat and then drink some more, in most cases they would drink till they are ready to go to bed, or in other words they would drink enough 'Awa so that it would help put them to sleep. Aloha.
Chris
I realize this is an old thread, but it ranks high on searches.
Usually, I do not touch Kava on workout days until after my workouts. Occasionally, I will drink a cup very early in the day--many, many hours before my workout. On two occasions, I have had many cups before my workout, and the hours I left between drinking and lifting weights were not enough. On both occasions, I was very concerned about lethargy, form, weakness, and nausea. On both occasions, I was pleasantly surprised.
I did feel lethargic both times. That said, my form was fine, and I felt much more in command of the weight. I did not feel the normal level of challenge, and when I do not feel challenged at my target weight and rep range, I sometimes extend the last set to see how much I can do before it becomes challenging. Today, all of my lifts felt much less challenging, but I only attempted to extend the bench press as the others are more complex and more likely to injure me. On my last set, I increased my reps by 60% without a breakdown in form and without going to failure. Rep 8 out of 5 was challenging enough that I knew it would be foolish to attempt a 9th, so I stopped there.
There were two downsides. I definitely was lethargic, though this did not impact my lifts. The other was some forgetfulness. I would focus so heavily on the lift that I would sometimes forget which rep I was on. For example, on the 2nd to last set of bench presses, I lost count on my 5th rep. To be sure, I did another rep, and my spotter informed me that it had been an extra. So, in total, that was an extra 4 reps at my target weight, or a total increased volume of 27% without adding another set.
I would never recommend doing this intentionally; however, I think it is a fascinating anecdote. I will continue aiming to enjoy my Kava after my workouts.
Usually, I do not touch Kava on workout days until after my workouts. Occasionally, I will drink a cup very early in the day--many, many hours before my workout. On two occasions, I have had many cups before my workout, and the hours I left between drinking and lifting weights were not enough. On both occasions, I was very concerned about lethargy, form, weakness, and nausea. On both occasions, I was pleasantly surprised.
I did feel lethargic both times. That said, my form was fine, and I felt much more in command of the weight. I did not feel the normal level of challenge, and when I do not feel challenged at my target weight and rep range, I sometimes extend the last set to see how much I can do before it becomes challenging. Today, all of my lifts felt much less challenging, but I only attempted to extend the bench press as the others are more complex and more likely to injure me. On my last set, I increased my reps by 60% without a breakdown in form and without going to failure. Rep 8 out of 5 was challenging enough that I knew it would be foolish to attempt a 9th, so I stopped there.
There were two downsides. I definitely was lethargic, though this did not impact my lifts. The other was some forgetfulness. I would focus so heavily on the lift that I would sometimes forget which rep I was on. For example, on the 2nd to last set of bench presses, I lost count on my 5th rep. To be sure, I did another rep, and my spotter informed me that it had been an extra. So, in total, that was an extra 4 reps at my target weight, or a total increased volume of 27% without adding another set.
I would never recommend doing this intentionally; however, I think it is a fascinating anecdote. I will continue aiming to enjoy my Kava after my workouts.
I go to the gym every other day and ride my bike any day I have a chance to. Kava has had essentially no effect on this for me. I don't drink it preceding working out or cycling (cycling mainly because I've found that riding my bike on an empty stomach sucks, even when that stomach has been temporarily filled with Kava). I don't feel any sort of latent lethargy after it's "worn off".
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
Kava is an integral part of my very regular training and I love it, it really enhances it for me. I especially love to take a bottle of kava and ice and some candies out on my rowboat and row and sip and row and sip for a very long time. Sheer heaven. Also good for tennis and running, and maybe the best is just walking. Naw, I take that back, kava and rowing is the best.
B-Root
Kava Curious
I've used kava after training and competing since the early part of my career as a long distance runner. I started drinking kava at 15 and I've raced from middle-school up through University and continue to race and coach now in my mid 30's. I have never had to use anything other than kava to help reduce the pain and inflammation caused by rigorous workouts and ultra-distance racing. It works wonders in this way and I see it has huge potential in the professional arena, mainly for its ability to reduce inflammation and relax the body for a good night sleep, both of which help maintain a proper training schedule.
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