How Much Caffeine is Too Much Caffeine? Here’s What a Sports Nutrition Expert Says.

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There’s no denying caffeine can take the sting off when issues get dicey in a race. Many endurance athletes flip to the world’s hottest drug for a efficiency enhance, and with an extended record of caffeinated gels, drinks, and chews to select from, a turbocharged buzz is simply a swallow away. However is it attainable to soak up an excessive amount of caffeine throughout a exercise or a race?

Properly, sure—as with something, an excessive amount of will be dangerous, and never everybody responds to caffeine the identical means. However to get extra particular, let’s dive into what science says about how a lot caffeine to an athlete truly wants, the purpose of diminishing returns, and find out how to use it properly in coaching and racing.

What’s caffeine, and the way does it assist your exercise or race?

Caffeine naturally happens in espresso beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, and cola nuts. It is usually synthetically produced and added to sports activities gels, chews, power drinks, sports activities drinks, chewing gum, and dietary dietary supplements.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system (CNS) by blocking adenosine receptors within the mind, lowering perceived effort, delaying fatigue, lowering ache, and enhancing psychological focus, consideration, and motivation. These advantages apply broadly throughout sports activities, from sprints and endurance occasions to workforce sports activities and power coaching. It’s no marvel many athletes really feel skipping their pre-exercise espresso places them at a efficiency drawback.

Nonetheless, the physiological response to caffeine is very particular person. Whereas most athletes expertise a efficiency enhance to various levels, some are caffeine-sensitive because of genetic variations that have an effect on the breakdown price. These variations clarify why some folks expertise opposed unwanted side effects at very low doses and can’t tolerate caffeine, whereas others can drink espresso late within the day and nonetheless sleep effectively.

Caffeine dosing, supply, and unwanted side effects for endurance athletes

Caffeine peaks within the bloodstream 60 minutes after consumption and has a half-life of roughly 5 hours (the time it takes the physique to interrupt down 50% of it).

Apparently, artificial caffeine is absorbed quicker by the physique and thus takes impact quicker than its pure counterpart. Most caffeinated sources, comparable to espresso, sports activities diet merchandise, and tablets, are absorbed by way of the intestine, cross by the liver, and enter circulation earlier than affecting the CNS. Nonetheless, caffeine from chewing gum is absorbed instantly by way of the liner of the cheeks contained in the mouth, bypasses the liver, enters the bloodstream inside 5-Quarter-hour, and peaks by 25 minutes.

The beneficial dose for a efficiency enhance whereas minimizing unwanted side effects is a reasonable 2-3 mg/kg of physique weight. Increased doses of 5-6 mg/kg of physique weight don’t additional improve efficiency, however improve the chance of unwanted side effects. These unwanted side effects embody complications, elevated nervousness, irritability, fast coronary heart price, dizziness, nausea, tremors, elevated blood stress, insomnia, and gastrointestinal misery. Overconsumption or improper use can result in extreme penalties, together with arrhythmias and doubtlessly demise.

The beneficial dose for a efficiency enhance whereas minimizing unwanted side effects is a reasonable 2-3 mg/kg of physique weight. Increased doses of 5-6 mg/kg of physique weight don’t additional improve efficiency.

To keep away from the pitfalls of caffeine, it’s essential to know what you’re taking and the way a lot caffeine it incorporates. Drinks and dietary supplements containing artificial caffeine, comparable to power drinks and powdered caffeine, should not regulated by the FDA and, subsequently, should not required to reveal the quantity of caffeine or record of elements on the label. To make issues worse, undeclared elements and proprietary formulation present in manufactured caffeine drinks might embody elements banned by WADA and the NCAA.

To cut back the chance of unintentionally taking in an excessive amount of caffeine, at all times examine the ingredient label for these commonly-used stimulant medication:

Inexperienced tea extract
Kola nut
Cola
Espresso extract
Yerba mate
Guarana
Bitter orange (citrus aurantium)

All the time examine the label for the quantity of caffeine per serving, if included.

Sensible software for endurance coaching and racing

There are lots of methods to make use of caffeine in exercises and racing, and what works on your coaching associate might not give you the results you want. One of the simplest ways to find out your efficient dose is thru repeated and cautious experimentation throughout race-similar depth and length coaching periods. Caffeine timing relies on the supply,  the length, and your physique’s response. Analysis means that 2 mg/kg physique weight is an affordable beginning dose for many athletes.

With that in thoughts, let’s dive into some real-tri-world examples of caffeine use.

Caffeine dose for exercises or races lasting 1-3 hours

For coaching periods or races lasting roughly 1-3+ hours, ~2-3 mg/kg of caffeine 30-60 minutes earlier than the beginning. Relying in your response, comply with up with small hourly doses, comparable to caffeinated gels or chews, throughout train to take care of an optimum blood degree. These common small caffeine hits all through the session are related in effectiveness to a single pre-exercise dose and will be taken with out the pre-exercise dose. An alternative choice is caffeinated chewing gum Quarter-hour earlier than the beginning of train and chew for no less than 5 minutes for full impact.

Caffeine dose for exercises or races lasting 3+ hours

For occasions lasting 3+ hours, caffeine is essentially the most useful late within the race when fatigue is the best. Other than morning espresso or a pre-race dose, ready till midrace to make use of caffeine could also be strategically advantageous. Then, proceed with small doses each 30-60 minutes to take care of the specified impact. Analysis suggests these small hits of caffeine late in a race have comparable efficiency results to greater single doses taken earlier. If caffeine use has been effectively beneath your tolerable threshold throughout an endurance occasion, taking a 1-2mg/kg dose 60 minutes forward of the ultimate 6-mile push or climb might be useful.

Caffeine caveats for endurance athletes

Select one supply and follow it: The excellent news is that analysis suggests the precise protocol doesn’t matter very a lot, supplied you attain your efficient dose. However remember that taking in a number of sources of caffeine in various quantities might tip the scales over your threshold and result in opposed results. To greatest handle your dosing, keep away from including caffeine to sports activities drinks that function your main hydration and gasoline supply. As a substitute, absorb caffeine in smaller quantities by way of supplemental gasoline comparable to gels and chews.
Caffeine shouldn’t be an alternative to fueling: Carbohydrates (carbs) are nonetheless crucial gasoline on your exercises and races. Caffeine won’t save the day if power ranges fade because of poor or insufficient fueling. For extra on find out how to construct your diet plan on your race, try this text: The Triathlete’s Information to Race Fueling for Each Distance.
You don’t have to do a “caffeine taper” earlier than a race: Common caffeine consumption doesn’t alter caffeine absorption and metabolism or blunt its response. So, common caffeine shoppers (e.g., espresso drinkers) don’t have to take a bigger dose or implement a caffeine taper to get the specified impact.
Caffeine consumption of lower than 6mg/kg doesn’t result in extreme urine loss or have an effect on hydration standing.

Merchandise with caffeine on an Ironman race course

Maurten Gel CAF
100mg
1 gel

Coca-Cola
34mg
12oz can

Coca-Cola
2.8 mg
1 oz = 1 medium mouthful

Caffeine content material of widespread sports activities diet merchandise

Crimson Bull
80 mg
8.4oz

GU Gel
20-40mg
1 gel

Neversecond Gel
75mg
1 gel

SIS Gel
75-150mg
1 gel

Maurten 100 CAF
100mg
1 gel

Skratch Chews
2-50mg
1 package deal

Clif Bloks
25-50mg
3 bloks

Bonk Breaker Chews
100mg
4 bites

Caffeinated gum
40-100mg
1 piece

Caffeine content material of every day drinks

Espresso*
90-250mg
8oz

On the spot Espresso
82mg
8oz

Black Tea
45-90mg
8oz

Inexperienced Tea
25-45mg
8oz

Weight loss program Coke
46mg
12oz can

Mountain Dew
55mg
12oz can

*Excessive variability of caffeine in brewed cofffee

Ultimate ideas on caffeine for coaching and races

Caffeine will be an efficient software for enhancing athletic efficiency, albeit when used properly and customised to the person – it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. By means of repeated experimentation in coaching, decide the bottom efficient dose that helps your efficiency. Monitor the way it impacts your sleep, temper, and power ranges, and regulate accordingly.

When utilized properly, caffeine can improve focus, cut back the notion of effort, and delay fatigue, making it a priceless a part of a well-planned athletic efficiency technique. Nonetheless, it isn’t a magic answer and doesn’t compensate for poor fueling, hydration, and pacing. Be good, take the “much less is extra” method, and bear in mind: Nothing new on race day!