Long before the world of creatine and peptides and milk thistle and amphetamines of varying danger and legality, there was the original performance enhancer: coffee. It’s what gave athletes and non-athletes alike that little extra bit of focus and energy they needed to tackle whatever challenge they faced, be it a sprint or a full day of parenting.
A new meta-study has examined exactly what sort of boost caffeine can provide athletes and the level required to get it. And it’s not as much as you may think.
As reported by Science X, the analysis was published recently in the journal Nutrients. In it, researchers from the University of Sao Paulo examined nearly 50 clinical trials to determine caffeine’s effect on athletic performance. They chose to focus on “time to complete” races, things like sprints, triathlons, swim meets, rowing, and bike races.
When comparing race results to pre-race caffeine intake (measured in mg of caffeine per kg of body weight), they found a measurable boost in speed, around 2%, at low doses. “~1.3–3 mg per kg of body weight, about one espresso for a 70-kilogram (154-pound) runner” was associated with a “significant boost.”
The largest increase came with moderate consumption, 4–6 mg/kg, or two double espressos, resulting in a 2.18% faster finish time on average.
But like all things caffeine, the results vary from person to person. In their meta-analysis, researchers note a 73% heterogeneity in their findings, meaning some felt a larger effect while others felt none at all. Still, the effect is there. And researchers suggest the gains are due to an increase in alertness and a decrease in perceived effort.
The study doesn’t examine how large doses, like five espressos, impact performance, though it is generally theorized that any additional benefit from high-level consumption would be more than compensated for by the negative side effects; nobody wants the bubble guts at mile 10 of 26.2.
But still, a little coffee before exercise may provide the small boost you need to push through for a new PR. I mean, you were probably going to drink it anyway. Now you can just claim you’re doing it for “performance”.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
