Simon Higgins is studying caffeine—particularly from coffee—and how it may improve endurance performance. Credit: Peter Frey/UGA
“Previous research has focused on caffeine itself as an aid to improve endurance,” Higgins said. “Coffee is a popular source of caffeine, so this paper looked at the research surrounding its ergogenic benefits.”
More than 600 scholarly articles were screened for those that focused only on caffeinated-coffee conditions, measured the caffeine dose and measured an endurance performance. Of these, 9 randomized control trials specifically used coffee to improve endurance.
Looking at the 9 trials, Higgins found that between 3 and 7 mg/kg of body weight of caffeine from coffee increased endurance performance by an average of 24%. The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee can vary from 75 mg to more than 150, depending on the variety and how it’s roasted and brewed. “This is helpful for athletes because coffee is a naturally occurring compound,” Higgins said. “There’s the potential that getting your caffeine by drinking coffee has similar endurance benefits as taking caffeine pills.”
The participants either cycled or ran after drinking coffee. They then exercised vigorously and the results were measured. In a majority of cases, endurance was noticeably improved after the use of coffee. Higgins found 2 important discoveries: that caffeine from coffee has ergogenic benefits – that it enhances physical performance – and that more research is needed on the use of caffeine from coffee versus pure caffeine use.
Higgins said that coffee shouldn’t be dismissed as less beneficial for endurance. He found that coffee appears to be just as helpful as taking caffeine in the form of powder or tablets. “There is a caveat to athletes using coffee: Be careful because you don’t know how much caffeine is in some coffee, especially when it’s prepared by someone else,” he said. “Athletes should run their caffeine use through their sports dietician as the NCAA lists it as a banned substance.” http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/coffee-may-improve-athletic-endurance-performance-1215/
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