How to Consume Caffeine Properly

How to Consume Caffeine Properly

Caffeine is the world’s most popular performance enhancer: a stimulant that excites the nervous system and helps drive away fatigue. Research shows that coffee can improve alertness, reaction speed, attention, and endurance.

In competition—especially in cycling—caffeine is often used safely and effectively to help athletes improve performance, but the amount is carefully controlled. Based on each athlete’s individual condition, we have them take an appropriate amount of caffeine at key moments. In some endurance events, for example, we may have them take caffeine at the very start of the race rather than during the final sprint. If a rider shows up at a race with breakfast and a double coffee, we factor that in as well. Cycling teams at every level have their own coffee culture, but professional riders are highly disciplined—they may even know exactly how much caffeine is in the specific brand of coffee they are drinking.

Professional triathlete Sarah Piampiano does not normally drink coffee. She only takes a small amount of caffeine during races, usually in the form of energy gels. She consumes measured doses of caffeine before the race and at different stages during it.

However, I also often see athletes in other sports drinking coffee at home, taking caffeine supplements during training, or chewing imported caffeinated gum. They consume large amounts of caffeine without any plan, and that can have harmful effects on the body.

Large doses of caffeine can make people anxious and restless. If the concentration of caffeine in the blood is too high, it can make it hard to fall asleep or cause poor-quality sleep. Caffeine is also an addictive drug. If you consume large amounts every day, you develop a tolerance to it. You will need more and more caffeine to get the effect you want. Once excessive caffeine use becomes routine, things are often not what they seem: you may think you are performing exceptionally well, but in reality you are not. You may find yourself constantly a step behind, overstimulated, and a diminished version of yourself. Although you have taken caffeine, you may only be performing at your normal level.

Research shows that 3 to 6 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is most beneficial for athletes. The recommended daily intake of caffeine is no more than 400 milligrams. For comparison, a large freshly brewed Starbucks coffee contains 330 milligrams of caffeine, a single shot of espresso contains 75 milligrams, and a cup of homemade coffee contains 200 milligrams.

In addition, caffeine has a half-life of six hours. That means it may remain in your body far longer than you realize. If you can avoid consuming caffeine in the evening and sleep better at night, so much the better. But what if you have already had a large Starbucks coffee, then another machine-brewed coffee at work, a few cups of tea—each containing anywhere from 25 to 100 milligrams of caffeine—and a can of cola at lunch, which contains 35 milligrams? On top of that, some other foods and drinks may also contain caffeine without us really noticing, such as chocolate, painkillers, and even low-caffeine tea or coffee, because “low caffeine” and “caffeine-free” are obviously not the same thing.

If you overstimulate yourself with caffeine every day whenever you feel like it, that is not the same as an athlete using caffeine in a competitive setting. It means you have developed a habit of consuming caffeine, rather than using it occasionally for a specific event. That is not to say you can never drink the large cup of coffee you want—no one is suggesting that. Aren’t all those Lycra-clad athletes standing outside cafés drinking instant coffee? That alone proves my point. But why not calculate roughly how much caffeine you are actually consuming? Why not use caffeine more rationally? If you have an important meeting and need to perform at your best, or an important task that requires intense concentration, why not save caffeine for those critical moments? Let caffeine serve as a true performance enhancer, instead of taking it and still performing only so-so.