CAFFEINE

Caffeine is the worlds most widely consumed stimulant, with approximately 90% of adults consuming caffeine on a regular basis¹. Generally, caffeine comes in many forms such as coffee, energy drinks, soft drinks and chewing gum, but here we look into how effective caffeine is and how to properly use caffeine to your advantage.

HOW DOES CAFFEINE AFFECT THE BRAIN

The molecule adenosine is produced naturally in the body and is responsible for feelings of tiredness, fatigue and how we feel pain when it binds with the receptors in the brain². Caffeine’s chemical structure is similar to that of adenosine and has been shown to directly block adenosine from working. By blocking adenosine, studies show that caffeine taken before exercise can decrease how hard an individual perceives exercise³, reduces muscle pain⁴, and allow the muscle to produce more force⁵.

CAFFEINE AND ITS EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE

1. 1. Endurance Performance

Research has consistently shown to improve endurance performance by 2-4% when using doses of 3-6mg/kg body weight⁶, with benefits seen in cycling⁷, running⁸ and swimming⁹.

1. • Research has shown up to a 15% difference in time trial performance when comparing individuals who used caffeine and those who did not¹⁰.
2. Strength and Power Sports
   Studies show that caffeine ingestion of 3-6mg/kg bodyweight consumed 30-90minutes prior to tests of maximal strength showed positive effects on performance¹¹. It is likely that caffeine consumption will have the best effect for athletes involved in powerlifting, weightlifting or sprinting¹².

HOW MUCH, WHEN AND WHERE FROM

• HOW MUCH
  Caffeine has consistently shown to improve exercise performance when consumed in doses of 3-6mg/kg bodyweight¹². The minimal effective dose of caffeine is still unclear, but some individuals may find benefit at as low as 2mg/kg bodyweight. Very high doses (9mg/kg bodyweight) are associated with higher likelihood of side-effects and are not recommended!
• WHEN AND WHERE FROM
  Generally, it is suggested that caffeine is most effective when consumed 1 hour prior to exercise, however this very much depends on the source of caffeine¹³.
  1. We recommend that you time your caffeine 1 hour before if you are using liquids
  2. If you are using caffeine capsules or caffeine gum – these will require a shorter waiting time, around 15-45 minutes

When we consider the optimal dose of caffeine, there is large person to person difference in how much is going to benefit you. Whilst the effect of caffeine has been shown in a lab, the amount of sport specific research is limited. As such, we encourage you to practice your caffeine intake to find what is right for you, here is how:

• WEEK 1: 2mg/kg of caffeine 1 hour prior to your workout
• WEEK 2: 3mg/kg of caffeine 1 hour prior to your workout
• If you find a benefit here, then stay here for some time until the effects of caffeine start to become less obvious
• From here, you can slowly increase the amount of caffeine you take on a week-to-week basis – try to avoid the temptation to jump to high caffeine straight away

POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS

Whilst it’s tempting to try and maximise caffeine intake in order to get a performance benefit, caffeine ingestion is also associated with side effects such as anxiety and insomnia¹². These side effects can be managed by:

1. Understanding how much caffeine works for you
   Use the plan above to find this out
2. Ensure you stop taking caffeine with enough time before you go to sleep
   Caffeine will still be in your system 5-6 hours after taking it – so take this into account and set a cap on when you stop taking caffeine to ensure a good night sleep
3. Know your sport
   If your sport is skill based, maybe risking an increase in anxiety and arousal is not the best idea. However, if you are an endurance, strength or team sport athlete, this level of arousal might just help give you the edge.

Check out our CHARGE pre-workout caffeine supplement here

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25832334/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27612937/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27612937/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16540851/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25211364/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19077738/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22476164/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22476164/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26279580/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30170953/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20019636/
12. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4
13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11583104/

Written by Sean Aspinall