Sport
Sport Caffeine is undoubtedly one of the supplements with the greatest scientific evidence to increase performance in various sports disciplines. Its intake improves reaction time, speed, muscular strength, muscular resistance, alertness, cognition and different aerobic and anaerobic variables.
It is recommended to supplement about 45 – 60 min before exercise at a dose of 3 – 6 mg/kg of body weight (eg 60kg=180 – 360mg; 80kg=240 – 480mg) because the peak of caffeine 45-60 min is reached, and performance can be maximized there2,3. However, the performance enhancing effect lasts for up to 2 hours. So its effects would be reduced in disciplines longer than those 2 hours, especially in the final moments of the competition (cycling, iron man, ultra-distance races…).
In these disciplines of prolonged exercise there is an accumulation of fatigue that becomes noticeable as the competitive event progresses. Therefore, the use of caffeine during exercise could be beneficial for performance depending on the duration of the event. In fact, supplementation with low doses of caffeine during exercise has been shown to improve performance in long-term disciplines of more than 2 hours, such as running or cycling3.
Therefore, in these disciplines we can assess caffeine intake every 2 hours, always in lower doses than those mentioned above. Specifically, doses of 2 – 3 mg/kg of body weight every 2 hours are recommended (60kg=120 – 180 mg; 80kg=160 – 240 mg)1–3. In order to supplement correctly, it is important to take into account the last intake and the end of the competition due to the peak that occurs at 45-60 min. Therefore, in very long tests (> 5-6 h), a dose of caffeine could be ingested for the final part1-3. In addition, a dose may be introduced in the middle of the test just at the beginning of the ergogenic effect decline (2 h after its supplementation). In the event that the intake can be divided, a dose of caffeine can also be included strategically at a key moment of the competition: for example, in the case of a climb to a mountain pass, a dose could be included 30 – 45 min before the start of the climb.
Supplementation can be done through the use of coffee, caffeine capsules, or even caffeine-containing carbohydrate gels or bars. However, it should be noted that the dose of caffeine in coffee can be highly variable, so using capsules or gels with standardized caffeine content may be more useful.
In addition, it is important to test the supplementation regimen before the competitive event (in similar training sessions) since it is necessary to train intestinal tolerance to avoid possible gastrointestinal problems1–3. For this reason, both the amounts and the sources of caffeine supplementation should be tested before doing so in competition.
Examples of a supplementation regimen for a 4 hour event for an athlete of 50, 60, 70 or 80kg body weight.
Finally, it should be noted that these guidelines are indicative based on scientific evidence, so the requirements will have to be adapted and individualized for each case.
References:
2. Burke, L. M. Caffeine and sports performance. in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism vol. 33 1319–1324 (2008).
3. Spriet, L. L. Exercise and Sport Performance with Low Doses of Caffeine. Sports Medicine vol. 44 175–184 (2014).
Intra-competition use of caffeine as an advanced tool
Caffeine is undoubtedly one of the supplements with the greatest scientific evidence to increase performance in various sports disciplines. Its supplementation improves reaction time, speed, muscle strength, muscle endurance, alertness, and different aerobic and anaerobic variables1.
In general, it is recommended to supplement about 45 – 60 min before exercise at a dose of 3 – 6 mg/kg of body weight (eg 60kg=180 – 360 mg; 80kg=240 – 480 mg) because the maximum peak of caffeine is reached in 45 – 60 min2,3. However, the performance enhancing effect lasts for up to 2 hours. Therefore, its effects would be reduced in disciplines lasting longer than 2 hours, especially in the final moments of the competition (cycling, iron man, ultra-distance races…).
It should be noted that in these disciplines of prolonged exercise there is an accumulation of fatigue that becomes noticeable as the competitive event progresses. Therefore, the use of caffeine during exercise could be beneficial for performance depending on the duration of the event. Therefore, in these disciplines we can assess caffeine intake every 2 hours, always in lower doses than those mentioned above.
In order to supplement correctly, it is important to take into account the last intake and the end of the competition due to the peak that occurs at 45-60 min. Therefore, in very long tests (> 5-6 h), a dose of caffeine could be ingested for the final part1-3. Specifically, doses of 2 – 3 mg/kg of body weight every 2 hours are recommended (eg 60kg=120 – 180 mg; 80kg=160 – 240 mg)1–3.
Supplementation can be done through the use of coffee, caffeine capsules, or even caffeine-containing carbohydrate gels or bars. In addition, it is important to test the supplementation regimen before the competitive event (for example, in similar training sessions) since it is necessary to train intestinal tolerance to avoid possible gastrointestinal problems1–3.
Examples of a supplementation regimen for a 4 hour event for an athlete of 50, 60, 70 or 80 kg body weight.
References:
1. Guest, N. S. et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition vol. 18 (2021).
2. Burke, L. M. Caffeine and sports performance. in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism vol. 33 1319–1324 (2008).
3. Spriet, L. L. Exercise and Sport Performance with Low Doses of Caffeine. Sports Medicine vol. 44 175–184 (2014).
ENERGY GEL HIGH IN CARBOHYDRATES WITH A PLUS OF SODIUM
- Provides 45 g of Carbohydrates
- Mixture of Maltodextrin and Fructose in a 1:0.8 ratio
- With a plus of Sodium (Sal Marina) 165 mg
- With anti-doping certificate by Informed-Sport
- Neutral flavor and pleasant texture
- Maximum absorption and digestibility
- Suitable for Vegans and allergen free
- PVP: 3,25 €
100 MG CAFFEINE CAPSULES
- Pure Caffeine Anhydrous
- With 100 mg of Caffeine per capsule
- Free of allergens and suitable for Vegans
- With Informed Sport anti-doping certification
- RRP: €22.40 -120 capsules
