There are people who drink coffee before they go for a run and never have any issues. Other people may have gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea if they drink coffee before running. Some may also experience heartburn.
If you need coffee to get going in the morning, it is safe to have a cup before you go for a run. There are some advantages and disadvantages to think about before you make your decision to brew.
How coffee affects running performance
Coffee is brewed from roasted coffee beans, which contain a small amount of caffeine. The caffeine in coffee acts as a performance enhancer.
At the recommended amounts, caffeine has been shown to increase performance by 2-4% across many studies. There is the most evidence for the benefits of endurance exercise, but there is also some evidence that it can improve velocity and power in strength training exercises. Research suggests that this effect is present for both trained and untrained individuals, which is great news!
These effects are likely due to one or more mechanisms, as described in the International society of sports nutrition position stand on caffeine and performance :
- Caffeine can bind to adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine can make you feel tired, sleepy, or drowsy when it binds to its receptors. However, when caffeine blocks some of those receptors by binding to them instead, you become more alert and energized.
- It may increase endorphin production or the production of other chemicals in the body, which may reduce pain perception and rate of perceived exertion during exercise.
- There may be a mechanism related to improved skeletal muscle performance, either through enhancing strength and/or neuromuscular function. For example, caffeine may affect certain ion activity at the muscular level, which could enhance force production.
It was formerly believed that caffeine might make the body burn fat instead of carbohydrates for energy, but this has been disproven.
Remember that training and a healthy diet are more important for optimal performance than coffee. Caffeine can help support your race preparation in other ways.
Caffeine Timing
If you’re a morning runner, coffee is probably part of your routine. Some runners consume caffeine before, during, and after their run for additional benefits.
Before Running
Caffeine is most commonly ingested before running because it takes five to 15 minutes to enter the bloodstream, and it reaches its peak levels between 40 and 80 minutes. It takes three to five hours for caffeine to completely leave your system. Different studies recommended different amounts to consume.
The recommended amount of caffeine to consume ranges from 3-13mg/kg body weight. The recommended dose of 5 to 6mg/kg is considered moderate.
The amount of caffeine that is optimal for one runner might not be the same as what works for another runner.
Start with a dose of 2mg to 3mg per kilogram of body weight and see how it goes. You can always increase the dose if necessary. The recommended dosage is 3 mg, as it is the least amount that provides benefits without negative side effects. Dosages of under 3 mg are the least studied.
There is no evidence that taking a higher dose of the drug than 9mg per kilogram of body weight will improve athletic performance. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that toxic effects, such as seizures, may start with consumption of more than 1200mg of caffeine.
If you weigh 150 pounds (approximately 68 kg), you should take approximately 340-409 mg of caffeine for moderate use. A recommended dose of caffeine for someone who has never used it before would be 136 to 204 mg, which is about the amount found in one cup of coffee.
Most sources agree that timing is not a critical factor in reaping the benefits of caffeine from coffee – you can drink it an hour or more before running and still enjoy the benefits. You don’t have to drink caffeine immediately before your run to get the benefits. The effects of caffeine last for three to five hours.
Start with the smallest amount of the drug recommended and observe how your body reacts to it. Remember not to try anything new on race day. Experiment during training runs to find your sweet spot.
During a Run
Some runners drink coffee before a race so they can get a mid-race boost, while others delay their caffeine intake until they’re running. You as a runner know yourself. You should experiment with different timing and amounts to see what works best for you and gives you the best results. Caffeinated energy gels or chews can help you stay energized while on the go.
Most sports nutrition products will list on the packaging if they contain caffeine. Many products contain multiple supplements, such as amino acids, sodium, and some source of quick energy, such as fructose. The caffeine in energy gels is absorbed into the body quickly, so you can use a caffeinated sports gel during a race without worrying about having to wait long for its effects.
After Running
Although it may seem odd, drinking coffee after a race can actually be beneficial. A small study of seven trained cyclists/triathletes found that consuming caffeine along with carbohydrates after exhaustive exercise improved muscle recovery.
Coffee may help improve mental alertness for runners who train or race in the morning and need to focus or perform on the job later in the day.
Caffeine timing tips
S consuming caffeine about an hour before your run.
Keep the rest of your day’s schedule in mind. If you run in the evenings, it may disrupt your sleep if you drink coffee before bed. Though there may be a small increase in performance associated with caffeine, it will likely be cancelled out by the negative effects of sleep deprivation. Sleep is key for athletic performance and overall health, so it is best to save coffee consumption for race day rather than drinking it before training runs.
In addition to an hour before your run or race, caffeine may be helpful during times where fatigue is kicking in. Caffeine may help improve performance during an event. It is found in caffeinated energy gels, blocks, or sports drink products.
What about other sources of caffeine besides coffee?
What if you don’t like coffee? Caffeine is found in other sources besides coffee, but many of these don’t compare to coffee in terms of quality. In fact, coffee has been linked to several health benefits.
These alternate sources include the following. How much caffeine is in each drink? We will compare the amount of caffeine in each drink to that of coffee, which contains approximately 100 mg per cup.
Amounts of caffeine below are provided by Harvard School of Public Health or product websites (though note these can vary depending on the product, brewing method, etc):
- Espresso – 1 shot, 65 mg
- Soft drink – 12 oz, 40-50 mg
- Energy drinks – 1 cup, 80 mg
- Energy shots – 1 shot, 200 mg
- Tea – 1 cup, 30-50 mg
- Chocolate – 1 oz, 24 mg
- Caffeinated gum – 50 to 100 mg
- Pre-workouts – amount varies based on the product; check labels (read more about pre-workouts vs coffee )
- Caffeine pills – amount varies based on the product, but often around 200 mg per pill
- Caffeine powders (aka anhydrous caffeine) – not recommended unless working with a professional, as it is very easy to improperly measure these and cause significant health risks
- Other supplements – amount varies; check label
Based on the evidence presented, it would be difficult to consume enough caffeine from tea or soda to use it as a performance enhancer. In addition to all of that, energy drinks or shots may offer other undesirable ingredients. If you don’t like coffee but want to use caffeine to improve your performance, you should look for a supplement that provides the right amount of caffeine. But first, talk to a doctor to make sure the supplement is from a reputable manufacturer.
Myths About Coffee and Running
Many people think that consuming caffeine can replace the need for training and preparation when running, but this is just a myth. Caffeine may improve your performance or make you feel like you’re expending less effort, but it won’t make you run faster or make the run feel easy.
Additionally, some runners feel that more caffeine is better. This is not always the case. Too much caffeine on race day can make you shake and feel nervous, making it hard to focus on the race. A dosage greater than 9 mg/kg body weight doesn’t improve the situation, and consuming more than 1200 mg may be poisonous.
Coffee may provide some benefits, but it is not a suitable replacement for smart training. You won’t see much of a difference in your performance if you don’t usually drink coffee and you try to drink it before a big race.
Lastly, there are myths about coffee and dehydration. Caffeine may make you have to urinate more, but it doesn’t make you more likely to get dehydrated. Even though runners don’t sweat as much as people who do other types of exercise, they still need to drink fluids before and after a run. This means that coffee will not cause dehydration.
Coffee Calories and Nutrition
How you drink your coffee can affect both how much you weigh and how well you run. A cup of black coffee contains very few calories. The only micronutrients it has are a small amount of sodium (5mg) and potassium (116mg).
What you add to your coffee can greatly change its nutritional value. If you add two tablespoons of cream to your coffee, you’ll add over 100 calories and about 11 grams of saturated fat. If you add sugar to your coffee, it will have about 20 more calories per spoonful.
If you want to consume the amount of coffee recommended by some guidelines, you would need to take in a lot of calories.
If possible, consume coffee black before your run. You are less likely to experience stomach discomfort if you eliminate full-fat dairy from your diet. You can also reduce the amount of calories and saturated fat you consume by reducing the amount of fat in your diet.
Do you need a caffeine wean?
This idea has been suggested in the past, that in order to experience the performance-enhancing effects of caffeine on race day, athletes need to wean themselves off coffee beforehand. Competitive athletes would usually avoid coffee for 4 to 7 days before a race. The process of cutting out caffeine was a headache for many people.
It is not necessary to give up coffee the week before your race if you are hoping to benefit from it on race day.
The article explains the findings of a study in which 40 cyclists were given either caffeine, a placebo, or nothing an hour before they completed three time trials. Cycling may not be considered as running, but it is still a form of exercise that helps in improving one’s overall health. Sports nutrition research is important in order to provide better ways to help people maintain their health while exercising.
Three groups of cyclists were formed based on their average daily caffeine intake in order to study the impact of habitual caffeine use. The groups were low intake (<101mg/day), moderate intake (104-183mg/day), and high intake (190-583mg/day). The cyclists who consumed less than one cup of coffee per day had the lowest average daily routine, while those who consumed more than two cups of coffee had the highest average daily routine.
The good news: As expected, the caffeine supplement boosted performance. Cyclists who took caffeine rode 2.5 to 3.3% faster than those who didn’t take caffeine or took a placebo. Bring on that coffee before a run!
There was no difference in performance benefits between the groups that consumed caffeine and those that didn’t. Even when high caffeine users were not taking caffeine, they were still just as likely to see a performance boost as moderate and low caffeine users.
The only difference in the caffeine’s effectiveness was related to how each person responds to it. Some cyclists experienced an increase in performance after taking caffeine while others experienced a decrease.
The cause of individual variations in caffeine metabolism is still unknown, but it might be due to genetic differences. The study’s results show that coffee doesn’t need to be avoided before an event, meaning that sports nutrition is an individualized process.
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