Caffeine For Runners

How much tea and coffee?

There are lots of different views around the inclusion of caffeine in endurance runners diets. It's a bit like the debate around alcohol. There are those that say you should cut it out of your diet completely and there are others that see it as a positive. There are some big marathons where caffeine based drinks are on offer in the last five miles or so of their events. As with most things it's all about balance.

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How much caffeine is there in coffee and tea?

It is difficult to give the exact amount of caffeine in specific food and drinks due to the way they're manufactured by different suppliers. A Starbucks latte will have a different amount of caffeine from the same size latte from Dunkin Doughnuts for example, but this is a guide as to what you should expect. The coffee cup size used is an 8oz cup, (236 ml).

First up is the one that will surprise you most; decaffeinated coffee. The decaffeination process only removes 95% to 97% of caffeine, so it still has 3-5% of caffeine. That's around 7mg. A cup of filter coffee has around 90 mg and instant coffee around 60 mg. Expresso has a lot more than that. It's about a quarter the size of a filter coffee and a very similar amount of caffeine. For a cup of tea it's around 40 mg and green tea it's 20 mg. Lots of people assume green tea is caffeine free, but that's not the case.

And don't forget fizzy drinks and chocolate. An average size can has up to 50 mg and of course the likes of Red bull and Monster have way more. A standard Snickers bar that's around 2 oz (48g), has around 5g of caffeine.

How much caffeine should you have in a day?

The safe daily amount of caffeine is up to 400 mg per day if you’re an adult over the age of 18. Runner's always worry about the impact of caffeine on hydration levels. The good news is that a runner can safely have up to 550 milligrams of caffeine (or about five cups of coffee) without an impact in this regard.

It's different if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding; then the safe daily amount is around 200 mg per day.

What's good about it?

• Can improve performance

  
  

Research has shown that improvements in long distance running performance during training can be gained by consuming a small amount of caffeine. You have to drink lots of coffee before a run or pop lots of caffeine pills, the numbers here are quite small. All it takes is around 5 mg/kg of body weight an hour before exercise.

• Helps recovery

  
  

Research has also shown that caffeine can also help in your recovery from the training when taken alongside carbohydrates. We all need to make sure our glycogen stores are boosted after a run, especially after a long run, or on an event day, so if you plan some pasta when you get back then have a coffee or tea, alongside the water that you should also be drinking.

• Mentally gets you moving

  
  

Most of us can struggle at times to get out for a run, whether that be in the morning before work, or the run in the evening after a tough day. Caffeine does have a significant impact when it comes to giving you an extra boost at the start and end of the day and this will help you get running.

• Makes you run more efficiently

  
  

We all want help to make us more efficient when we're running. We want our legs to be able to deliver more. Thankfully caffeine can assist in their area thanks to its impacts on neuromuscular coordination and reaction times.

• Burns fat quicker

  
  

Caffeine helps break down fat by stimulating the nervous system. Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, travels through your blood to the fat tissues, signalling them to break down fats and release them into your blood. It only works if you're burning more calories than you're consuming. Caffeine is included in many commercial fat-burning supplements, it's that good.

• Makes it easier in warm weather

  
  

It has also been shown to help performance during training in hot weather. This won't be in cups of tea but via an energy drink that contains caffeine, and there are many of them.

What's bad about it?

• Can increase blood pressure

  
  

If you are sensible and stick to the recommended amount of caffeine the impact on your blood pressure will not be significant, but we are all different. Generally it does increase it by a small amount for a short period after you consume it, but it does come back down. If you have too much it will take longer to come down. If you're consumed you need to speak to your doctor.

• Could make you go to the bathroom more often

  
  

There is absolutely no doubt that caffeine makes you go to the bathroom more often! it irritates the tissues in the bladder with the inevitable result, but not if you drink only a couple of cups a day. Many more than that and the consequences are inevitable.

• May be a trigger

  
  

There may be some instances where caffeine can impact pre-existing health conditions. It can for example cause diarrhoea if you have irritable bowel syndrome.

• Too much could potentially leads to dizziness and tremors

  
  

Most of us will have experienced some of the side effects of drinking too much caffeine. Whether it be a couple of energy drinks or too many cups of coffee, headaches, dizziness or muscle tremors can follow.

• Potential to impact sleep

  
  

The majority of people will have their sleep disturbed if they drink coffee too close to going to bed. They may struggle to get to sleep or wake up during the night, but there is normally an impact. It's not always the case with everyone but it's more than likely caffeine will impact your sleep if you drink it past late afternoon, especially a couple of cups of coffee.

What about caffeine pills?

If you feel that caffeine may help with your running, but you don't really like coffee or tea that much, or you don't want to drink the required volume then there is another option. Caffeine pills could be an option for you.

• Taste

Some people just like the taste of tea or coffee, whatever way it's served. or they don't like hot drinks, or they don't like drinking too many liquids as they get bloated. These are the perfect alternative.

• Convenience

  
  

On the go and can't always get to a bathroom? It's a diuretic and does make us visit the bathroom more often than water for example so for the sake of convenience the pills are a real option.

• Acidity

  
  

Anyone who is susceptible to heartburn might have a problem drinking coffee, as it is acidic.

This can cause complications like gastritis and stomach ulcers. Acid reflux may also aggravate your asthma or other chronic respiratory conditions. It's worth trying caffeine pills to see if they help.

• Cholesterol

  
  

Coffee oils are naturally found in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. It has been shown that these oils, cafestol and kayweol, impact on the body's ability to metabolize and regulate cholesterol and those that drink a lot of coffee may have higher cholesterol levels. Caffeine pills don't contain coffee oils and are unlikely to have this effect.

• Antioxidants

  
  

There are some negatives to taking the pills versus drinking tea or coffee. These include missing out on the antioxidants that tea and coffee contain. And everyone loves antioxidants. People taking caffeine pills instead of drinking coffee won't be able to take advantage of this antioxidant boost.

Just with caffeine in its liquid format, don't consume too much in pill format either. Check how much is in each pills and remember that it's generally ok to consume up to 400 mg per day with no negative impacts, but this can differ by individual. Caffeine pills normally have around 100–200 mg of caffeine each.

Summary

As with most things in life caffeine is all about moderation. It does have proven benefits to exercise, both in preparation and recovery, but it doesn't always need to be in liquid form. Chocolate is one option, but then you need to consider the sugar intake, but there is also the potential of caffeine pills. With these you need to watch your dosage. They are so easy to take that you could easily have too many. Be cautious and be mindful of any negative impacts that caffeine might be having and seek advice if needed.

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