Researchers have come to the interesting conclusion that 3 out of 4 Olympic endurance athletes consume caffeine to enhance their performance. But this is not a reason to drink coffee thoughtlessly.
In this article, we will tell you what coffee can really do for you as a runner and how to make drinking it as efficient and safe as possible.
Running with Coffee: Pros & Cons
The question “is coffee good for athletes?” remains open, as many researchers make different arguments regarding this drink. We’ve rounded up the top ones to help you determine whether or not to add coffee to your runner’s diet.
Pros
- Coffee before running indeed boosts your performance. Science has confirmed that caffeine has a positive effect on an athlete’s speed, endurance, and power. An experiment among 1500m runners showed that drinking caffeine before the race reduced the time needed to cover the distance. Another experiment also recorded an improvement in time but among 5K runners. You may ask: “How does caffeine affect how fast you can run?” Well, scientists have prepared an explanation: caffeine speeds up our nerve cells, which signal our bodies to produce adrenaline, and, in turn, energizes us.
- Caffeine improves the state of mind. In particular, it has been proven to activate your mental alertness and elevate your mood, which together awakens your desire to run. That’s why morning caffeine can be a game changer when you find it hard to get out of bed for a workout. It also works if you are an evening runner and need a mental boost to run your intended distance after a long day at work.
- Caffeine replenishes glycogen (carbohydrate energy source). A study shows that drinking a caffeinated sports drink between high-intensity interval-running workouts speeds up glycogen regeneration. Two groups of runners consumed caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks during a 4-hour recovery period between two grueling interval workouts. Those who consumed caffeine lasted 50% longer during their second workout due to better carbohydrate replenishment. So coffee before marathon training during the day may be a pretty good idea.
Cons
- Drinking coffee before running may increase the need to urinate. Although coffee does not cause dehydration, contrary to popular myth, scientists say that caffeine works as a mild diuretic, which affects the frequency and urgency of urination. This can be a problem if there are no toilets on the route.
- Caffeine can lead to gastrointestinal problems. Due to its laxative effect, it can cause diarrhea, heartburn, or abdominal pain, which will undoubtedly negatively affect your running performance.
- Increased nervousness. Caffeine abuse can cause jitters (excessive nervous excitement), headaches, irritability, and dizziness, preventing you from achieving the desired result.
Caffeine and Running: Important Tips
If the cons of coffee scare you, but you can’t deny yourself this drink, there’s good news: the side effects of coffee can be mitigated and prevented by following a few rules.
- Start running 45-60 minutes after drinking coffee. During this time, caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream and reaches its peak level, which increases your running performance. Besides, if you are still subject to the diuretic or laxative effects of coffee, this will most likely be enough time to not interfere with your run.
- Do not abuse caffeine. After reading the cons of caffeine, many may wonder, “is it safe to run after drinking coffee?” The short answer is yes, it’s safe, as long as you don’t overdo it. In fact, consuming high doses of caffeine (more than 9 mg/kg) will not give you any additional benefits. Instead, you may experience side effects like jitters, irritability, etc. So drink your coffee wisely.
- Follow your caffeine running dose. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends 3-6 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight. This is enough to get the benefits of caffeine while avoiding most of the side effects. If you are new to coffee drinking, you can start as low as 2mg/kg and increase the dose gradually while monitoring the individual body response. But still, try not to exceed the daily dose of 400mg.
- Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. If coffee is the first thing your stomach gets in the morning, it triggers acid production, damages the mucosa, and, as a result, increases your chances of experiencing gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, indigestion, and so on. That is why it is better to drink a cup of coffee during or after a light snack.
As you can see, running on coffee has no hard contraindications. The main thing is to listen to your body and drink coffee wisely. Then it can help you reach the finish line.
