Caffeine & Performance
Caffeine is one of the most thoroughly researched and most commonly used ergogenic aids. It has been shown again and again that caffeine can improve performance. However, knowing WHAT benefits can result from ingesting caffeine, WHO it can benefit, HOW MUCH is necessary (or too much), and WHEN to take it is important. Let’s dive in and address these questions.
Performance Benefits:
Stimulates your Central Nervous System, which improves your cognitive performance. This means better focus, faster response speed, and quicker visual information processing.
Dilates your blood vessels, allowing your body to more efficiently deliver nutrients and oxygen to your working muscles.
Reduces perceived exertion during both resistance and endurance exercise.
Increases muscular and aerobic endurance in long workouts, like running, cycling, and swimming.
Reduces perception of pain.
Improves mood.
Improves speed and performance in short workouts, like sprints, cycling time trials, weight lifting, soccer, and tennis.
Who can benefit from caffeine?
Athletes looking to improve endurance, improve speed, improve cognitive performance, or reduce perceived effort may benefit from caffeine. However, each athlete responds differently to caffeine, so an individualized approach is necessary. Timing and dosage may be different for each individual. In fact, about 25% of people are “non-responders” to caffeine. Since each individual has a unique response to caffeine, it is important to have practiced training with caffeine. Don’t drink a cup of coffee or ingest energy gels containing caffeine for the first time right before a soccer game or during a marathon!
How much caffeine do I need?
Like I said above, each individual responds differently. It’s best to start with a small amount if you do not regularly have caffeine. For most athletes, 200-300 mg of caffeine is most beneficial. Keep in the mind that the benefit is NOT greater with a larger amount! Make sure you are reading labels to see how much caffeine the product contains and to be sure you are not exceeding 300 mg. If a product includes a “proprietary blend” and does not list the exact amount of caffeine, pass on it! Check out the table below to see how much caffeine is in various foods, drinks, and supplements.
If you already regularly consume caffeine, you likely won’t have performance improvements from ingesting it. Decreasing or abstaining from caffeine for 1-2 weeks before competition may be needed to regain the possible benefits.
When should I ingest caffeine?
Caffeine should be ingested about 1 hour before training or competition. Caffeine levels in the blood peak at 45-60 minutes after ingestion. Once again, timing needs to be individualized and practiced.
For endurance activities (2 hours or more), it may be beneficial to consume some caffeine before activity and some during activity (combined with carbohydrates). There are a lot of products marketed to endurance athletes that contain carbohydrates, electrolytes, and caffeine - such as energy gels, energy bars, and energy chews.
Remember, caffeine does not replace the need to provide your body with energy (carbohydrates). Caffeine provides no fuel for your muscles.
What are the effects of TOO MUCH caffeine?
Exceeding 300mg of caffeine/day can lead to these unwanted consequences. For some individuals, these effects can come even with lower amounts of caffeine (remember, caffeine dosage is highly individualized!).
GI distress
Nausea
Nervousness
Over stimulation/jitters
Inability to focus
Headaches
Disrupted sleep
Negative impact on thermoregulation if not consumed with adequate fluids, especially for athletes training in hot environments.
A positive drug test. Caffeine is restricted by the NCAA. A urinary caffeine concentration greater than 15 ug/mL results in a positive drug test (for most people, this would correspond to ingesting 500 mg of caffeine a few hours before competition).
Because caffeine dosage and timing needs to be individualized for each athlete, it is often beneficial to work with a sports dietitian to develop a plan that will work for you.
Hi, I’m Anna!
Welcome to the Nutrition with Anna blog! Sharing recipes, sports nutrition tips, & inspiration to eat foods that fuel your lifestyle and athletic goals without rules or restrictions.