From enhancing endurance to aiding quick recovery, caffeine can play a role in improving sports performance, as explained by experts in the field of sports science and nutrition during a roundtable on coffee, caffeine and sports performance held by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee.

Professor Greg Whyte OBE, a former Olympian and Professor in Applied Sport & Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, Dr Javier Gonzalez, a lecturer in Human and Applied Physiology at the University of Bath, UK, and Dr Sophie Killer, a performance nutritionist at British Athletics came together to present a wide variety of research which covered all aspects of coffee, caffeine and sports performance from fluid balance and intake levels, to what is currently understood about caffeine’s mechanisms.

Key highlights from the roundtable include:

• Caffeine is most effective during endurance sports (e.g. running, cycling, rowing) lasting more than five minutes
• Caffeine can improve short term high-intensity performance
• Caffeine has been shown to reduce muscle pain during endurance exercise, reduce muscle soreness after strength exercises, and assist in the recovery process
• Coffee can contribute to fluid balance and the suggestion that caffeinated beverages should be avoid prior to and during exercise is unfounded

Professor Greg Whyte commented: “Caffeine has the potential to improve sports performance across the board from marathon runners to Saturday sports teams. Both elite and recreational athletes are physiologically similar meaning relatively low doses can have an effect, including improved endurance and high-intensity performance, and muscle pain relief.”

It is widely accepted that any effect of coffee consumption on sports performance is linked to the caffeine in coffee. Although caffeine has been suggested to cause dehydration, research has concluded that moderate consumption of 3-5 cups of caffeinated coffee per day contributes to overall fluid balance and does not cause dehydration.

Research into caffeine’s mechanisms has shown that endurance performance is improved through its role as an adenosine antagonist, leading to an increased production of adrenaline, which stimulates blood flow and increases a feeling of being energised. Caffeine may also reduce the perception of pain, through a role in the central nervous system, further enhancing endurance during sporting activities.