Caffeine and Sports

It’s a socially acceptable drug that most of us consume daily. Although it gives athletes a performance edge, it’s no longer a restricted substance. The effects of caffeine have been studied by academics for decades. Now a Guelph University researcher, along with two colleagues has brought the scientific literature to layman in a new book. Caffeine for Sports Performance. Maria Hayes reports.

For most of us, it helps us open our eyes every morning. But for almost half of the world’s athletes it provides an edge; a boost to performance.

“It relieves the symptoms of fatigue and makes you feel better.”

Once thought to impact muscle, scientists now know caffeine works on the central nervous system. Fighting the chemical adenosine, which signals fatigue.

“So what caffeine does is it fights for the receptors the adenosine binds to and it takes the adenosine place, thereby removing the sort of slow the system down affects. And it increases your alertness. Increases your vigor.”

Even regular coffee drinkers can experience a performance boost. Many athletes opt to take a caffeine boost mid way through an event of extended length.

“Because interestingly caffeine seems to be even more powerful when you’re already tired.”

Lawrence Spriet is the head of Guelph University’s Human Health and Nutritional Sciences Department. He co-authored a new book, Caffeine for Sports Performance.

“What we’ve tried to do is make it a layman’s book so that coaches and trainers and athletes could read the book and actually understand what it’s all about.”

Spriet says any form can work, gel, capsules, even coffee. And it doesn’t take much; 3 milligrams of caffeine for one kilogram body mass.

“So if you weigh 70 kg. You don’t need to take more than about 200mg and that’s about the amount you would get in a medium or large coffee at a lot of the typical outlets. So it’s really user friendly.”

But Spriet says users of this drug should be serious athletes. Those on the recreational end of the scale should have other priorities.

“I would argue that caffeine is not something you need to worry about. You need to worry about training, nutrition, sleep and getting into a more active or athletic paradigm.”

Lawrence spriet’s book is called caffeine for sports performance. It’s available at major online book sites.