Assignment 2 for Writing 159A at UCSB
The article published by Scientific American, “Can Avoiding Caffeine Boost Your Athletic Performance?” by Brock Armstrong (February 8, 2020) identifies the benefits of caffeine for exercise. In Armstrong’s three-page article, he explains a personal anecdote when he withdrew from caffeine for a few weeks before drinking it on the morning of his Ironman race. The point of discontinuing caffeine use was to allow his body to reset his tolerance to coffee. Armstrong then explains the scientific background in which caffeine improves athletic performance. He describes a study from the Journal of Applied Physiologyin which the effects of caffeine are applied to performance in cycling. The study concludes that caffeine does significantly enhance performance in comparison to a placebo condition and to the neutral condition where participants only received water.
Armstrong appeals to a lay audience, in particular those who are interested in the effect of caffeine on one’s body. He mentions the term “adenosine receptors,” which may not be common knowledge to the average reader. However, Armstrong hyperlinks this term in order to define it to a person who does not understand it. The only other use of language in the article that may not be considered common are the words dopamine and noradrenaline. However, Armstrong explains these meanings when he indicates that increased levels of these neurotransmitters—which can come from caffeine—results in a better performance. A reader of this article is more likely to have at least a high school education because the topic of interest is caffeine consumption and athletic performance. However, since 80% of the readers of this publication have college degrees or higher, the reader of this specific article will probably have that too. Based upon audience data, 59% of Scientific American’saudience is in the age range of 25–54, and within that, 39% is 35–54 years old. Furthermore, 60% of their audience has a household income of $60,000 or more per year and 49% have a household income of $75,000. Given this data, on average the reader of this article is likely to be 44 years old, a college graduate and is likely to have a total yearly income of approximately $73,000 (Mediakit, 2020).
Armstrong’s intent of this article was likely to inform and educate audiences on the benefits of caffeine. It also peaks people’s interest who drink caffeine daily, showing that a break from it may be advantageous for a one-time physical activity. Even the title sets the article up to be informative and intriguing as the author questions if quitting caffeine can increase athletic abilities. This tactic hooks people into reading the article. The hyperlinked words in the article also demonstrate that Armstrong is trying to educate his readers. Additionally, he states, “doses of 3 to 13 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) have been shown to improve exercise performance” (Armstrong, 2020). The purpose of including the amount of caffeine required to improve performance is to inform and educate the audience. It also enables the reader to do their own calculations based on their body weight.
Furthermore, the tone of the article emphasizes the informative nature of the article. For example, Armstrong explains caffeine’s effect on the nervous system, its benefits on the brain and how it can cause an increase in physical activity performance. Simultaneously, he maintains an informative tone and the reader may feel he or she is being taught the benefits of caffeine by their humble professor. Armstrong also introduces a playful tone; he teases “for someone like me, qualifying meant I would have to go the extra mile—the metaphorical mile, that is” (Armstrong, 2020). He also adds an exclamation mark when he states, “contrast that with the two weeks of caffeine deprivation I inflicted upon myself!” The punctuation mark implies that he is using this commentary to be relatable, playful, and humble. Overall, this article, entices viewers who are caffeine or exercise prone, has the intention to educate readers, all while keeping a playful tone to connect, attract and amuse readers.
Works Cited
Armstrong, B. (2020). Can Avoiding Caffeine Boost Your Athletic Performance? Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-avoiding-caffeine-boost-your-athletic-performance/
Audience - Mediakit. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/mediakit/advertise/scientific-american-mind/audience/
Sports Performance With Caffeine. (2020). [Image]. Retrieved from https://munsterbootcamp.com/how-to-improve-your-sports-performance-with-caffeine/#page-content
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