Cup of joe. “Go-go” juice. Java, mud, bean juice, or whatever you like to call it, coffee or at least some kind of caffeine has a long history with humankind and endurance. No joke. Because of its widespread availability in many plant species, historians posit humans may have consumed some kind of caffeine tens of thousands of years ago.
Certainly, our stone age ancestors were far from baristas. But it’s easy to imagine how the discovery of a plant, root, or flower that provided heightened focus and decreased fatigue might find some utility. Caffeine has fueled tribal hunts and ancient rituals to the rise of empires and the revolutions percolating their demise. From all-night cram sessions to long drives, from marathons to Monday mornings; caffeine has been civilization’s constant co-pilot.
Is caffeine necessarily “good” for you?
There’s actually no nutritional need for caffeine. Our bodies don’t store it, and yes we can have too much of it or even develop an unhealthy tolerance to it. (Just try and engage with any “coffee person” before that first cup in the morning.) We won’t even wade into the energy drink space here, but when used properly, caffeine can provide some performance and recover benefits for runners and athletes of all kinds.
Dr. Christopher Felton is a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician with Novant Health. He’s also a runner and fan of HIIT workouts. He says caffeine can improve endurance performance and short-term, high-intensity exercise. Caffeine is a stimulant which speeds the signals between our brain and body. Our pulse rate quickens, our airways open up, blood flow increases to our muscles, our focus sharpens… in short, we’re fired-up and ready for rock!
Timing is everything.
To get the most bang for your caffeinated buck, Dr. Felton points to studies on endurance athletes that show 45-minutes to an hour prior to your run or activity is the best time to consume caffeine. Since caffeine can stimulate other bodily functions, like bowel movements, this should provide for plenty for time for things to literally run their course.
For extended efforts, long training runs or races, additional doses may give you a second wind. Gels, blocks, chews, or even a few swallows of soda can serve up enough caffeine to get you to the finish. Be mindful of how much caffeine each product contains, and experiment with your tolerance levels during training.
How much caffeine is right for me?
Caffeine tolerance is a very personal thing. Your size, weight, and metabolism all play a part in caffeine’s effects on your body, as does your routine caffeine consumption. A regular, daily coffee drinker may require several cups to get the same jolt as an occasional user.
Less than 3mg/kg of body weight (or about 200mg) of caffeine before, during, and after exercise has shown benefits without negative effects, adds Dr. Felton.
Here’s the quick math: 200mg of caffeine is about two (2) 8-ounce cups of drip coffee, one (1) 5-Hour Energy, one (1) 16-ounce can of most energy drinks, or two (2) energy gels. Note: most sodas get their punch from the sugar content, not their caffeine content.
Naturally, there’s a dark side.
Pardon the coffee pun, but there is a yin and yang to everything. And that includes the potential performance boosts that caffeine can provide. Too much caffeine can cause increased heart rate, heart palpitations, headaches, gastrointestinal upset, nervousness, mental confusion, inability to focus, and disturbed sleep.
Caffeine is also a diuretic, which means it will make you have to pee. And here’s a little more math. All that extra pee means you’re flushing essential nutrients faster than normal. That’s food for thought, particularly in warmer weather and extended efforts when salts and minerals are at a premium.
Bottom line here. Caffeine can provide safe, performance benefits when consumed at the right time and in the right quantiles. Take time to see what works best for you, and ask your doctor if you have questions or concerns about caffeine and its impact on your health.