How to use caffeine to improve athletic performance

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Caffeine is a legal, inexpensive, and affordable stimulant. Most importantly, it can help you achieve athletic performance even faster than many specific supplements. You just need to know how to use it correctly.

What is caffeine

Caffeine is a multifunctional substance that affects many systems in the body. But his strong point is maintaining brain function. By blocking adenosine, the molecule responsible for signaling to rest, we can work longer with caffeine without feeling tired. Including in the gym.

Caffeine can be of great help during endurance training (triathlon, marathon, cycling). have shown that athletes on caffeine perform an average of 3% better times (up to 17% in some cases).

What does 3% mean for an athlete

It's about 2 minutes per hour, or:

about a minute in a 5-kilometer race;
about 7 minutes of a 4-hour marathon.

And that's just because of the right breakfast!

Most athletes consume caffeine in one way or another with various additives. According to the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, about 73% of athletes use caffeine, most often triathletes.

However, caffeine cannot be said to be beneficial during other types of training, such as strength training. But it can help footballers who have to make periodic runs.

In addition, the effects of caffeine on the body are very diverse. And on many aspects, scientists are constantly arguing. But we can definitely say that:

caffeine promotes the burning of fat, not glycogen in the muscles.
Caffeine affects muscle contraction by increasing the release of calcium (although it won't make you stronger overall)
there is no point in fearing dehydration due to the caffeine in a cup of coffee.

How to get more out of coffee

Many of you probably drink coffee for breakfast. And it can help after the gym. But to get more, you need to consider all the variables:

Which source of caffeine should you choose?
What is the optimal amount for the best result?
What is the best time to take it?

To get the most out of caffeine, you need to consider where, how much and when to get it.

1. Source of caffeine

Research is not clear on whether coffee is the best source of caffeine. Therefore, the best option for you would be to do your own research: with what you achieve the best results - with natural caffeine from coffee or synthetic from pills.

2. The amount of caffeine

To noticeably improve your gym performance, you need 3 to 6 mg of caffeine for every pound of your weight.

The table shows data on the content of caffeine in different sources:

Source of caffeine	Quantity	Caffeine, mg
"Caffeine-sodium benzoate"	1 tablet	100-200 mg
BAA Now Foods Green Tea Extract	1 capsule	400 mg
Drip Arabica	150 ml	110 mg
Drip brew robusta	150 ml	170 mg
Instant coffee	250 ml	65-90 mg
Latte Starbucks	large portion	up to 350 mg

The figures are approximate, as the type of coffee and the method of preparation are of great importance.

Various sports supplements can also contain caffeine. The easiest way to find out about the amount is by reading the information on the composition on the package.

3. Time to take caffeine

It should be borne in mind that if you consume caffeine every day, then tolerance develops very quickly. But this affects your body in different ways. For example, high blood pressure and increased heart rate are less common in regular coffee drinkers.

Fortunately, you will run faster, even if you have been drinking coffee every morning for many months.

But you will achieve the best results if you cut caffeine for a week before the competition.

recommends taking some caffeine an hour before the competition. Caffeine taken on an empty stomach will enter the bloodstream after 15 minutes, and on a full stomach - only after 45 minutes. Alcohol will also increase the absorption time of caffeine into the bloodstream.

The half-life of caffeine is 4-5 hours. But the larger the dose, the longer you will feel its effects. The liver is responsible for metabolism, and caffeine breaks down more quickly when you exercise or smoke. Alcohol, on the other hand, will make caffeine work longer. Of course, the toxic effect will also be higher. In general, the metabolic rate of caffeine is an individual thing, since the activity of the enzyme responsible for its breakdown differs from person to person.

On the day of the competition

“Nothing new, just tested and working exactly” - this rule should not be broken before any competition.

Preparing for a marathon takes several months. You plan every run and diet accordingly. Likewise, you need to make a plan for your caffeine intake.

If you don't drink four cups of coffee every day, then you shouldn't drink that much the morning before the competition. This will only ruin your long-term preparation.

Start researching your response to caffeine ahead of time. For the competition, you should choose the source and the optimal amount, and also check if you can take a break and live a whole week without coffee.