Meet Wreckers

[Neversatisfied]

These often encountered situations can wreak havoc on your meet day performance.

[Neversatisfied]

TO BE AVOIDED: Buffets, salad bars (just ask Mr. Smith)

There's no way of knowing how long the food on self-service buffets has been out, what temperature it has been kept at, or who coughed into it! (This is also no time to be trying the fish tacos at the local Mexican restaurant even if the locals swear they are the best in the world!)

Your best bet, pre-meet, is to stick with food from chain restuarants and order from the menu. This way, you have reasonable assurance of what you are getting on your plate and when it was prepared. Save the experimentation at the area's local eateries until after the meet.

Also, stick with foods you are used to eating. The day before and meet day are no time to try new foods!

[Neversatisfied]

What follows is a bunch of scientific stuff that explains why diphenhydramine, aka Benadryl, can ruin your meet performance. To summarize, the stuff that keeps your nose from running is a potent Central Nervous System DEPRESSANT. OK, you say, I won't take Benadryl and squat 900.
But diphenhydramine is also an ingredient in many other over-the-counter drugs, like Tylenol PM and Dramamine! How many times have you popped a few of these when traveling and trying to sleep in a hotel?
Studies show that 50mg of diphenhydramine causes loss of reaction time greater than the effects of a blood alcohol content of .10 (well above legal limits). Consume 50mg now, and it peaks in your system in 2-3 hours. But because the drug has a long half-life (half-life is the amount in hours it takes your body to metabolize HALF the dose) is 8.5 hours, give or take 3.2 hours.
So, take 2 tablets of Tylenol PM, Benadryl or similar drug with this ingredient at midnight to help you sleep (or breath free) and know it coud still be with you on the platform the next day!

Synonyms: 2-(diphenylmethoxy)-N,N-dimethylethylamine hydrochloride; diphenhydramine hydrochloride; Benadryl®, Unisom® Sleepgels, Dytuss®, Dramamine®.

Source: Available in capsules, tablets, chewable tablets, syrups, elixirs, topical, and injectable forms in a variety of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Products contain diphenhydramine alone or in combination with other drugs such as pseudoephedrine and acetaminophen. Diphenhydramine is also an ingredient in several Tylenol® (i.e., acetaminophen) preparations. Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine®) is a combination of diphenhydramine and 8-chlorotheophylline in equal molecular proportions.

Drug Class: Antihistamine, antiemetic, sleep aid, sedative, CNS depressant.

Medical and Recreational Uses: Used as an antihistamine for the temporary relief of seasonal and perennial allergy symptoms. Diphenhydramine is also used as a sleep aid and a cough suppressant, and has been used as a centrally acting antitussive although the mechanism for this action is unclear. Dramamine is used as a prophylaxis against and for the treatment of motion sickness.

Potency, Purity and Dose: As an antihistamine, recommended doses for adults is 25-50 mg diphenhydramine every 6-8 hours, not to exceed 50-100 mg every 4-6 hours. For children, 12.5-25 mg three or four times daily is recommended. As a sleep aid the dose is 50 mg at bedtime.

Pharmacodynamics: Diphenhydramine is a first generation antihistamine and is a H 1 receptor antagonist. Antagonism is achieved through blocking the effect of histamine more than blocking its production or release. Diphenhydramine inhibits most responses of smooth muscle to histamine and the vasoconstrictor effects of histamine. The antagonism may also produce anticholinergic effects, antiemetic effects, and significant sedative side effects.

Pharmacokinetics: Following oral administration diphenhydramine is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, is widely distributed throughout the body, and is able to pass though the blood-brain barrier. The oral availability is 61%, and 78% is bound in plasma. Peak plasma concentrations are reached in 2-3 hours. The plasma half-life is 8.5±3.2 hours.

Interpretation of Blood Concentrations: Following a single oral dose of 50 mg, average peak plasma concentrations of 83 ng/mL diphenhydramine were detected at 3 hours, declining to 9 ng/mL by 24 hours. A single oral 100 mg dose resulted in average peak plasma concentrations of 112 ng/mL at 2 hours post dose. Effective antihistamine concentrations are greater than 25 ng/mL, drowsiness can be observed at 30-40 ng/mL, and mental impairment may be observed with concentrations above 60 ng/mL.

Effects: First generation H 1 antagonists can both stimulate and depress the CNS. Stimulation results in restlessness, nervousness and inability to sleep, while depressive effects include diminished alertness, slowed reaction time and somnolence. Diphenhydramine is particularly prone to cause marked sedation. Drowsiness, reduced wakefulness, altered mood, impaired cognitive and psychomotor performance may also be observed.

Side Effect Profile: Includes agitation, anticholinergic side effects such as dry mouth, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, disturbed coordination, irritability, paresthesia, blurred vision, and depression. In overdose, symptoms may include excitement, ataxia, tremor, sinus tachycardia, fever, hallucination, athetosis, convulsions or seizures, hypotension, deep coma, cardiorespiratory collapse, and death. Fixed and dilated pupils are also observed. Gastrointestinal symptoms are less with diphenhydramine than with other H 1 antagonists.

Drug Interactions: Effects of diphenhydramine are increased by the presence of alcohol, MAOI’s, diazepam, hypnotics, sedatives, tranquilizers, and other CNS depressants. Alcohol enhances such effects as drowsiness, sedation and decreased motor skills. These decrements in effect are more pronounced in the elderly.
Performance Effects: All first generation antihistamines, including diphenhydramine, have been demonstrated to diminish cognitive and psychomotor performance in healthy volunteers. Impairment might even be of greater clinical significance in patients when the allergic disorder per se adversely affects CNS function, as suggested in studies in which a reduction in cognitive functioning in patients was exacerbated by diphenhydramine . Laboratory studies have shown diphenhydramine to decrease alertness, decrease reaction time, induce somnolence, impair concentration, impair time estimation, impair tracking, decrease learning ability, and impair attention and memory within the first 2-3 hours post dose. Significant adverse effects on vigilance, divided attention, working memory, and psychomotor performance have been demonstrated. It is important to note that impairment has been shown to occur even in the absence of self-reported sleepiness or sedation. Concurrent use of diazepam and diphenhydramine caused significant performance decrements at 2 hours, and to some degree up to 4 hours.