Life In 19x19

I thought I asked about this a long time ago, but I couldn't find anything other than a mention of soda, but not exactly this topic: Does soda impair your ability to play Go? I once thought so because when I stopped drinking, my level seemed to spike. But that could have simply been a coincidence.

I quit drinking soda in September and it lasted at least a month or two. I can't really remember when I picked it up again. But I'll admit, I've gone back to guzzling soda.

But I'm thinking of giving it up entirely. Go wasn't my initial reason for this though. I've had other concerns, which aren't important to this topic, but I was wondering if maybe I'll be able to absorb concepts better if my head was clear.

Don't get me wrong, this is probably a silly question, but it was just something I was curious about. If I'm going to reach the level I'm trying to attain, I want to limit the amount of speed bumps as best as possible.

You should consider giving up soda regardless of you go ambitions, or at least switch to diet soda if you haven't already.

cdybeijing wrote:You should consider giving up soda regardless of you go ambitions, or at least switch to diet soda if you haven't already.

Oh No! Better to stop completely. Diet Soda has even more harmful chemicals and carcinogens. If you have to drink soda, drink a non-cola no-diet soda like sprite.
http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/dietsoda.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/210926-ingredients-in-diet-sodas

Maybe it's the caffine or sugar that is causing the OP to lose concentration or something.

Bad part is, it is diet soda that I drink. But starting tomorrow, I'm just going to stop drinking it altogether. I just wanted to see what people thought on this, and apprently nobody feels the affects diminish go ability. I just remember seeing an article about how caffeine can lower the ability to solve abstract puzzles.

I play just as badly whether I'm drinking coffee or not.

I gave up soda and lost 20lb. YMMV.

I used to drink lots of soda (cola).
Now I drink lots of coffee.
No difference.

I voted yes, just because I think it's a great idea to stop pouring such swill into your body.

I don't know if it would be a major effect on your daily play, but depending on how you consume it, it's entirely possible that soda leads you to a rush/crash cycle (from sugar, caffeine, etc). In a day long event like a tournament it might be quite noticeable. What I've heard is "best" for your mind if you're looking to keep yourself focused/balanced is actually something along the lines of a sports drink. They might not be particularly healthy for you (depending on what your diet is and whatnot), but they are essentially designed to provide "cheap" energy to your system while causing a minimum of shock to your body chemistry (pH, osmolarity, etc). Whether this is really noticeable to you with your play would be hard to say, I would imagine for some simply breaking their regular routine would throw them off a bit, but it might be worth trying.

cdybeijing wrote:You should consider giving up soda regardless of you go ambitions, or at least switch to diet soda if you haven't already.

full octane is better for you than diet.

diet anything is a terrible food substitute full of awful garbage.

man, in the end, we're all just as dead..
my dad never drank, never smoked, never ran around, died at 44 of liver cancer..
moderation is the key..

Archivist wrote:

cdybeijing wrote:You should consider giving up soda regardless of you go ambitions, or at least switch to diet soda if you haven't already.

full octane is better for you than diet.

diet anything is a terrible food substitute full of awful garbage.

Amen

Hmm, just beat by resignation a former ECG 2k (he thinks he's closer to 8k now) with 6 stones while drinking coke. Go figure.

Tea; oolong. Green. Even black are the only beverages worthy of consumption while playing go.