Caffeine for Athletic Performance
Caffeine, one of the most widespread substances in our society today, surprisingly affects many areas of our biology. What's even more surprising is that many people are unaware of its potential as an athletic performance enhancer—also known as an ergogenic agent. Some genotypes, such as CYP1A2, respond better to caffeine as a performance-enhancing compound (2). However, it seems to benefit the majority of athletes, as the International Olympic Committee recognizes caffeine as one of the five dietary supplements with substantial evidence to improve exercise performance. The recommended dose is 3-6mg per kg body weight, with the best results seen when taken about an hour before performance (1).
Controversy surrounds whether caffeine enhances performance not only in men but also in women athletes. Several studies have examined the effects of caffeine consumption on women athletes. Lara et al. (2021) conducted a study on 10 women and 10 men athletes, finding that 3mg of caffeine per kg of body weight increased peak power by 2.3% in men (p<.01) and 3.2% in women (p=.04). Another study investigated whether caffeine ingestion would affect exercise performance in women during different phases of their menstrual cycle. In this study, 13 well-trained eumenorrheic triathletes ingested 3mg/kg of caffeine during their early follicular, preovulatory, and mid-luteal phases. The results showed that women can benefit from caffeine intake during any time of the month in terms of athletic output (3).
Caffeine functions as an ergogenic agent by antagonizing adenosine receptors A1 and A2A. By doing so, it increases the release of norepinephrine and dopamine, leading to heightened attention and alertness while reducing the perception of pain and exertion (1). Moreover, caffeine may improve performance by enhancing muscle oxygenation and regulating potassium ion and calcium ion channels (4).
References:
1. Carvalho, A., Marticorena, F. M., Grecco, B. H., Barreto, G., & Saunders, B. (2022). Can I Have My Coffee and Drink It? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis to Determine Whether Habitual Caffeine Consumption Affects the Ergogenic Effect of Caffeine. Sports Medicine, 1–12 https://uws.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edssjs&AN=edssjs.48185C3F&site=eds-live&scope=site
2. Grgic, J., Pickering, C., Del Coso, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., & Mikulic, P. (2021). CYP1A2 genotype and acute ergogenic effects of caffeine intake on exercise performance: a systematic review. European Journal of Nutrition, 60(3), 1181–1195. https://uws.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=149433605&site=eds-live&scope=site
3. Lara, B., Gutiérrez-Hellín, J., García-Bataller, A., Rodríguez-Fernández, P., Romero-Moraleda, B., & Del Coso, J. (2020). Ergogenic effects of caffeine on peak aerobic cycling power during the menstrual cycle. European Journal of Nutrition, 59(6), 2525–2534 https://uws.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mdc&AN=31691019&site=eds-live&scope=site
4. Lara, B., Salinero, J. J., Giráldez-Costas, V., & Del Coso, J. (2021). Similar ergogenic effect of caffeine on anaerobic performance in men and women athletes. European Journal of Nutrition, 60(7), 4107–4114. https://uws.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edssjs&AN=edssjs.64458909&site=eds-live&scope=site
