You just have to know how to use it strategically.
With the brakes off, we feel less fatigue.
Its easier to focus, andexercise doesnt feel as tiring.
In endurance eventslike triathlons, marathons, and cycling racescaffeine provides a serious performance boost.
In experiments that mimic races,caffeine took an average of 3% off of athletes finish times.
In some cases, the effect was as large as 17%.
Three percent is about two minutes an hour.
Yeah, me too.
That explains why caffeine is in so many products meant for runners, likeenergy gels.
The highest doses were in triathletes.
Research on other types of exercise doesnt show consistent benefits, however.
One thing caffeinedoesntdo is dehydrate you.
That slight effect doesnt apply during exercise, though: even large doses of caffeinedont dehydrate you during exercise.
It wont hurt and might help.
(The hot liquid will also help you poop if thats high on your morning to-do list.)
What Source?
Coffee might not be the best way to get your caffeine, although the research isnt clear on this.
One studyin the Journal of Applied Physiologyfound that coffee didnt have as strong an effect as caffeine pills.
They figured there must be something in coffee that inhibits caffeine.
Without better evidence, the best approach may be to experiment with both.
If you dont get much of a boost from coffee, try an equivalent amount of No-Doz.
How Much?
(Heres acalculator to convert pounds to kilograms.)
If you weigh 150 pounds, that means you want between 210 and 630 milligrams of caffeine.
The same range for a 200-pound person is 270-810 milligrams.
You could use caffeine every day, but youll quickly build up a tolerance to it.
The tolerance will dull some of caffeines effects, but not everything.
For example, habitual coffee drinkers dont get the increased blood pressure or heart rate that a newbie would.
(The delay is similar towhat happens when you have alcohol with food.)
Once its in your system, caffeine sticks around a long time.
Your liver is responsible for breaking down caffeine so that the kidneys can excrete it.
The liver enzyme that has this job is a cytochrome known asCYP1A2.
It does its job faster when you exercise, or smoke cigarettes, or eat broccoli.
Alcohol has the opposite effect, keeping the caffeine in your body longer.
Some people have more efficient versions of this enzyme than others, making caffeine metabolism a very individual thing.
So no matter what the research says, the smart thing to do is experiment on yourselfbeforeyour big race.
That includes your caffeine plan.
You dont want jitters or badly-timed bathroom breaks to ruin what could have been a great experience.
Illustration by Sam Woolley.
