Supplement Inside Look: Caffeine

Coffee, energy drinks, pre-workout mixes, soda… caffeine can be found in some of the most commonly consumed products. Caffeine can have major effects on human performance but may also be misunderstood when it comes to when and how much should be consumed. Information in this blog will provide clarity on what caffeine is and does.

What is it? Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that has huge benefits to athletic performance. It can improve adenosine receptor antagonism (block the feeling of sleepiness), increase endorphin release, enhance neuromuscular function, improve alertness, and reduce perceived exertion.

Should I supplement with Caffeine? Though caffeine has numerous benefits to athletic performance, you can usually get enough through an espresso dose versus actual supplementation. In this case food = supplement. More on amount in the next section.

How much should I consume?

From the ISSN position statement: “Caffeine is effective for enhancing sport performance in trained athletes when consumed in low to moderate doses (3-6mg/kg) but does not result in further enhancement with higher doses.” Also, important to note: Caffeine has a half life between 2 and 12 hours, with 5 hours being the average. That means if you have an espresso before your 7pm game time, roughly half of that caffeine will still be in your body as you try and fall asleep that night. Amount and timing may be individualized and if post-game restlessness is a problem for you, it may be important to play around with your routine.

Who is best suited to supplement with caffeine? Team sports involving high intensity exercise and those involving sustained maximal endurance exercise (think cycling time trial performance).

Sources: Burke L.M. (2008). Caffeine and sports performance. Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism 33(6) 1319–1334. doi:10.1139/H08-130

Goldstein E. R. Ziegenfuss T. Kalman D.Kreider R.Campbell B.Wilborn C. … Antonio J. (2010). International society of sports nutrition position stand: Caffeine and performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 7(1) 5. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-5

Spriet L.L. (2014). Exercise and sport performance with low doses of caffeine. Sports Medicine 44(Suppl. 2) 175–184. doi:10.1007/s40279-014-0257-8

Follow Coach Nate: Instagram and Twitter: @NateWilliamsSC Facebook: Facebook.Com/NathanWilliamsStrength