How does caffeine affect athletic performance?
The benefits of caffeine are well known. Caffeine fans feel it makes them more alert, gives them more energy, improves their mood, and makes them more productive. Athletes often use caffeine to aid their performance, especially during afternoon workouts or as a means of getting "psyched up" for a championship competition. But, while one or two cups of coffee may give you that short-term burst of energy you are looking for, it usually takes very high levels of caffeine to produce a real improvement in athletic performance. And at those high levels, you can experience sleeplessness, anxiety, stomach upset, headache, and a wired or jittery feeling. Caffeine works by stimulating your central nervous system. For endurance athletes, large amounts of caffeine can create more energy by releasing free fatty acids in the body which can be used as an energy source, thus sparing the sugar (glycogen) stores in the muscles for later. Like other drugs, caffeine can provide some benefits but too much can lead to problems.

Is there a limit on how much caffeine I can have?
Not only do athletes run the risk of negative reactions to caffeine, they also risk losing the opportunity to compete. The current list of drugs banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) contains more than 40 different stimulants, including caffeine. Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and cola sodas, as well as NO DOZ and some nonprescription pain relievers. Because caffeine is a common ingredient in beverages and foods, its use is permitted by the IOC, but only in limited amounts. The IOC allows an upper limit of 12 mcg/mL of urine tested. Over a 2-to-3-hour period, a dose of 100 mg of caffeine results in a urine concentration of 1.5 mcg/mL. So, for example, if in a 3-hour period you took 800 mg worth of caffeine (5 to 6 cups of strong coffee or a couple of espresso drinks) you could exceed the legal dose. Depending on the individual, a range of 100 to 300 mg of caffeine has a stimulant effect. A dose of 2.3 mg/lb of body weight provides a stimulant effect yet is still legal according to the IOC rules. So, the recommended legal dose for a 100-pound (45kg) person would be 225 mg. However, this recommended legal dose is not enough to improve performance by saving the energy in your muscles. To improve your endurance performance, you would have to take in so much caffeine that you would come close to exceeding the legal limit.

What are the sources of caffeine?
As an athlete it is important to be aware of your caffeine intake and recognize the sources of caffeine. Many people don't realize that many nonprescription medications contain a significant amount of caffeine. The table below lists items that contain caffeine and the urine levels they produce.

What should I keep in mind?
You may be asking yourself, "Should I eliminate caffeine from my diet, just to be safe?" Probably not, but you should keep these points in mind:

1. Be aware of the caffeine in your food, drinks, and medication, including nonprescription drugs.
2. Know how much caffeine you consume during the course of a day.
3. Listen to your body. Know how caffeine affects you. If you have ill effects from caffeine, cut back.
4. Don't try using caffeine to give you a boost during competition if you haven't used caffeine before.
5. Espresso drinks like cappuccino and lattes are tasty and becoming very popular. They are also a big source of caffeine and may have a negative impact on your performance.

Bryant Howard BA, MA, CFT, SPN — Bryant is certified through the International Sports Sciences Association. He is both a Fitness Trainer and Performance Nutrition Specialist. He also holds certification in CPR and First Aid. He has trained competitive athletes for ten years and offers personal and group training sessions in the Portland, OR area. Bryant Howard owns Performance Fitness Training