{"id":1034,"date":"2022-11-01T11:00:42","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T08:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.runzy-run.com\/blog\/?p=1034"},"modified":"2022-12-23T14:03:13","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T11:03:13","slug":"should-runners-drink-coffee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runzy.com\/blog\/should-runners-drink-coffee\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Runners Drink Coffee?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Researchers have come to the interesting conclusion<\/a> that 3 out of 4 Olympic endurance athletes consume caffeine to enhance their performance. But this is not a reason to drink coffee thoughtlessly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running with Coffee: Pros & Cons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The question \u201cis coffee good for athletes?\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pros<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. Coffee before running indeed boosts your performance. Science has confirmed<\/a> that caffeine has a positive effect on an athlete’s speed, endurance, and power. An experiment<\/a> among 1500m runners showed that drinking caffeine before the race reduced the time needed to cover the distance. Another experiment<\/a> also recorded an improvement in time but among 5K runners. You may ask: \u201cHow does caffeine affect how fast you can run?\u201d Well, scientists have prepared an explanation: caffeine speeds up our nerve cells, which signal our bodies to produce adrenaline, and, in turn, energizes us.<\/li>
  2. Caffeine improves the state of mind. In particular, it has been proven<\/a> 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.<\/li>
  3. Caffeine replenishes glycogen (carbohydrate energy source). A study shows<\/a> 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.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Cons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    1. Drinking coffee before running may increase the need to urinate. Although coffee does not cause dehydration<\/a>, contrary to popular myth, scientists say<\/a> 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.<\/li>
    2. Caffeine can lead<\/a> to gastrointestinal problems. Due to its laxative effect, it can cause diarrhea, heartburn, or abdominal pain, which will undoubtedly negatively affect your running performance.<\/li>
    3. Increased nervousness. Caffeine abuse can cause<\/a> jitters (excessive nervous excitement), headaches, irritability, and dizziness, preventing you from achieving the desired result.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Caffeine and Running: Important Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Start running 45-60 minutes<\/a> 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.<\/li>
      2. Do not abuse caffeine. After reading the cons of caffeine, many may wonder, \u201cis it safe to run after drinking coffee?\u201d The short answer is yes, it’s safe, as long as you don’t overdo it. In fact, consuming high doses<\/a> 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.<\/li>
      3. Follow your caffeine running dose. The International Society of Sports Nutrition<\/a> 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<\/a>.<\/li>
      4. Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. If coffee is the first thing your stomach gets<\/a> 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.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nShould Runners Drink Coffee? - RUNZY<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Researchers have come to the interesting conclusion that 3 out of 4 Olympic endurance athletes consume caffeine to enhance their performance. 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Finally, at age 33, after a co-worker convinced him to try crossfit, he got back to working out and being active. Greg did crossfit for 5 years and ran occasionally to supplement his workouts. As his distances grew longer, a friend inspired him to run a half marathon, which they did together on his 37th birthday. He felt amazing after the run - and it was this feeling that he became addicted to and began thinking about training for a full marathon. As the months went by, he was inspired by an opposition Russian politician Evgeniy Royzman who talked about his marathon training in his weekly youtube posts, as well as by a Boston-based venture capitalists, Semyon Dukach, founder of One Way Ventures, who trained for and ran several marathons that year. Finally, in November of 2018, Greg partnered with Joe McConkey, a head trainer at Boston Running Center, and began training for his first marathon. Greg ran his first marathon in Newport in April. The race was major struggle, as he started out too fast and quickly realized that he was not ready for the amount of hills that comprised the course. But, after stopping several times, he nevertheless finished in exactly 4 hours which was his goal. The experience inspired him to continue to train and he ran his second marathon later that year in Liston, Portugal in a much faster 3 hours and 36 minutes. This race was along the beautiful Portugal coast, stretching from Cascais to Lisbon, and Greg was once again inspired to continue to train with the goal of running the Boston marathon next. Based on his age, the minimum qualifying time is 3:10, but given how many applicants typically apply he will need at least a 3:05 finish time to qualify. He continued to train for another 2 years and improved his time to 3 hours and 21 minutes in Albany, NY in October 2021. He also ran a half marathon in Maine in May 2022 and another full marathon in Biloxi, Mississippi in December 2022. 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