In the following post I try to understand what that range does at the receptor and signaling level, how coffee differs from isolated caffeine, what frontier caffeine research shows about the gut–brain axis and neuroprotection, and learn about withdrawal Caffeine isn’t a direct energy source or a conventional dopamine-releasing stimulant; at ordinary dietary exposure, it’s […]
A skeletal muscle is controlled through motor units. Each motor unit contains one lower motor neuron and the muscle fibers supplied by its axon. The CNS changes muscle force by recruiting more units and changing how frequently recruited units fire. A rough model is: $$ \text{descending + sensory input} \rightarrow \text{alpha motor-neuron spikes} \rightarrow \text{muscle-fiber […]
A TENS unit is a battery, waveform generator, current-control circuit, and a few electrodes. It sends pulsed current through the skin to recruit nearby nerve fibers. The goal is not to repair a strained muscle, realign a joint, or remove inflammation. It is to change the neural traffic associated w/ pain. A rough model is: […]