What is it?
Caffeine is a natural stimulant most commonly found in tea, coffee, and cacao plants. It works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system helping you stay alert and prevent the onset of tiredness. It is a powerful substance that can improve both your physical and mental performance.
Scientific research:
Caffeine is rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream and blood levels peak after 30–120 minutes. Caffeine levels remain high for 3–4 hours and then start to drop.
Caffeine provides many positive effects:
The nervous system. Caffeine activates areas of your brain and nervous system to improve focus and energy while reducing tiredness.
Hormones. Caffeine increases circulating adrenaline the hormone responsible for the “fight or flight” response which can increase performance.
Fat burning. Caffeine may increase your body’s ability to burn fat via lipolysis or the breakdown of fat in fat cells
Endorphins. Beta-endorphins can increase feelings of wellness and give you the exercise “high” that people often experience after working out.
Muscles. Caffeine may improve muscle performance through activation of the central nervous system; however the exact mechanisms are unclear
Body temperature. Caffeine has been shown to increase thermogenesis or heat production which raises your body temperature and may help you burn more calories.
Glycogen. Caffeine may also spare muscle carb stores primarily due to increased fat burning. This can enhance endurance performance.
How much do we need?
When supplementing with caffeine the dose is often based on body weight set at around 3–6 mg per kg of body weight. This is about 200–400 mg for most people, although some studies use up to 600–900 mg.
Start at a low dose — around 150–200 mg — to assess your tolerance. Then increase the dose to 400 or even 600 mg to maintain a performance benefit.
Very high doses — 9 mg per kg body weight or more are associated with unpleasant side effects and do not offer additional performance benefits.
Verdict:
Due to the numerous articles and research carried out backing caffeine's positive effect on sporting performance I would recommend this as a good sports supplement. However the dose should be regulated as taking too high a dose can have negative side effects. Also caffeine resistance can build up over a period of time so saving caffeine for events may be a useful strategy.
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