When caffeine helps and when it doesn’t.

The stimulant known as caffeine, which has been around for a few centuries. Mostly known in the form of coffee, nowadays there is a wide variety of caffeine-containing products.

Quite a few athletes use it before their training session. There are known cases where people take more and more caffeine beforehand, for they think that it’s needed. What starts out as only a shot of espresso slowly but surely turns to a concoction of stimulants.

‘I need my pre-workout, otherwise I can’t hit legs today.’

‘2 scoops of preworkout + 1 can of Monster energy = Guaranteed PR’s.’

Although caffeine has its benefits, aren’t we overdoing it nowadays? The information on this substance is widely available, so why don’t we use it better?

One cup of knowledge, please

Caffeine is a stimulant. What it does in the body is blocking the adenosine-receptors. Adenosine is a substance in the body that induces the feeling of getting tired and ready to wind down. By blocking it, this substance can’t reach the receptors, meaning the fatigue will be staved off. In other words: it doesn’t create energy, it temporarily reduces the perception of fatigue.

A general rule of thumb is to consume no more than 400mg of caffeine a day. Before exercise, research recommends 3-6mg / kg of bodyweight.

Higher doses might be linked to other, unwanted side effects like jittering, gastrointestinal distress or heart complaints. Also, caffeine has a half-life of about 6 hours. If caffeine affects your sleep, avoiding it in the late afternoon or evening is often a sensible starting point.

Putting the caffeine to good use

For illustrative purposes, an athlete has been training consistently for 5+ years with significant progress. The last months, however, the sessions have become more taxing. Before each session, the caffeine intake has been increasing. What started with a shot of espresso became a large can of energy drink to now 2 scoops of preworkout, just to ‘feel it’. Just the intestines being energised but not the body, the sessions don’t feel as satisfying as before.   Leaving us with the question: ‘what needs to be altered so that caffeine is a welcome additive to the training sessions and not a necessity?

First that had to be done was look at other factors outside the gym. One in particular: sleep. Because of the high intake, his sleep has taken a big hit over the past months, meaning recovery was all but optimal. By not consuming any caffeine after 2 pm, his sleep has improved.

Next was to take a look at the training sessions. The intensity was sky-high everytime, meaning the physical recoverability was poor. Not to forget, this will also hit hard mentally, reducing readiness and with that performance. By reducing intensity and focusing on intense but recoverable sessions, the need for caffeine reduced as well.

Lastly, and this was the hardest part, temporarily removing caffeine completely before gradually reintroducing it. With this strategy, he was able to experience the benefits from caffeine better again.

Common mistakes

Just to name a few

-            Consuming more and more caffeine because ‘you need it’.

-            Taking caffeine before a late session

-            Neglecting proper sleep for recovery

What’s in it for you

Question for yourself:  ‘What are you chasing that you think that a high dose of caffeine is needed?’. Especially if it doesn’t seem to help anymore, why would it now? Besides frequent bathroom visits, speaking from personal experience.

Do know: Caffeine isn’t inherently bad. In fact, it can be helpful to give you that little extra push.

Final thoughts

Caffeine is a well-researched supplement with proven benefits. As the name says, it’s a supplement and it is a small piece of a bigger picture when it comes to training. Use it wisely and reap the benefits.

Training recoverable shouldn’t  be dependent on a scoop of powder. It’s about being able to perform every session with as few injuries as possible. Combined with proper sleep and smart training, you’ll give yourself the best chance to perfom consistently.

Has your caffeine intake increased but your performance hasn’t. Perhaps there’s something else that needs attention to get you further. Looking at other factors than just exercises and finding a way in how to deal with that is what I love doing.