Caffeine is a popular performance-enhancer (ergogenic aid) that is found in coffee, tea, pre-workout supplements and even chocolate. There are numerous studies that suggest performance benefits of caffeine across many different forms of exercise. These include:
- Prolonged aerobic endurance exercise for the aerobic athlete. This is well-documented in studies and is largely uncontentious, with one study indicating a 21-minute improvement in time to exhaustion for caffeinated athletes against those ingesting a placebo.
- Increased muscle performance and activity for the power or performance athlete. The literature is a little less clear here, especially for the recreational athlete. However, there are studies on trained athletes that strongly suggest improved peak power after consuming caffeine.
- AND increased enjoyment of exercise and expenditure of energy during it.
What’s not to like? My preferred way to absorb caffeine pre-workout is through a cup of coffee (30-40 mins beforehand) simply because I love coffee, but if I’ve got clients in after I’ve trained, I’ll spare them the coffee breath and opt for a caffeine tablet (1 hour beforehand). In the grand scheme of things, the way in which you ingest your caffeine is unlikely to drastically impact on your performance boost, however, some studies have shown that caffeine in tablet form is the more effective method. Just bear in mind that the caffeine in liquid form is likely to hit you faster than tablet form! Honestly, I really don’t see the benefit of drinking an energy drink while training as the caffeine will take up to 45 minutes to absorb.
Of course, be sensible about your intake and assess your tolerance before increasing it. Caffeine is not recommended for pregnant women, those with high blood pressure or those with pre-existing heart conditions. There are some adverse effects to too much caffeine (restlessness, insomnia, anxiety etc) but its use in moderation is considered safe.