Seems counter-intuitive doesn't it? from what I've read the real advantage for endurance athletes is that is helps with "perception" of effort, something to do with neurotransmitters change in the brain that control how we feel fatigue.

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“Bloom wherever you are planted"

I think you can add constrictes blood vessels to that list.

While that stuff may be true for a body at rest, caffeine has different effects to bodies in motion. I've found that exercising with caffeine reduces pulse and perceived effort for any given pace. I believe it's related to caffeine's effect on more efficient fat metabolism

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

It doesn't really matter what you (or I) think might happen. The fact is that the research shows that caffeine is (mildly) performance enhancing. So there's your answer.

I was part of a study in University that tested the effects of caffeine on a 20k cycling time trial. I had to do the test 3 times, each time I was given a pill and cup of gatorade. Only one of the pills was caffeine and I didn't know which time it was. I ate the same, slept the same, was very consistent each time in days leading up to the effort.

Turned out that on the second test I was given caffeine and I was 48 seconds faster.

When it comes to endurance sports (although shorter effort levels have some overlap with these points):


The amount of caffeine needed to be a performance enhancing drug is pretty nuts - Bordering on not worth it (when taking that much) after taking into the account the affect on digestion.

The affect caffeine has on those things is less drastic when you drink it every morning and build up a tolerance, then you're dealing with another set of variables from withdrawal (if you're going to test without caffeine)

As someone else mentioned, the affect caffeine has on your body is likely change your perception of the effort to output ratio more positively, thus you feel better. So the psychological perception of the physiological affects would be my guess for any measurable training benefit. That and the placebo affect, which still is an affect - live ignorantly - collect your placebo affects! :)

All that being said, there's been a lot of discussion on this, I'm sure you'll find plenty of information in the forum search bar.

brilliant

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Eliot
blog thing - strava thing

I don't doubt the benefits for shorter duration efforts like the 20k mentioned above or a sprint tri. I think people get carried away trying to extrapolate the same thing to Ironman racing due to potential side effects, dehydration and withdrawal symptoms due to the duration of the activity and the amount of caffeine that would be required to maintain a buzz the entire time.

I do believe in the benefit of caffeine but believe it is most effective the later in a race it is used rather than attempting to pre-load with a strong dose prior to the start. The latter typically results (for me) in a jittery swim, increased risk of dehydration and headaches on the bike and a poor run.

From personal experience I find abstaining from anything beyond your normal morning ritual, or for greatest effect weaning yourself off of caffeine entirely before the race, then waiting to utilize it for the second half of you run provides the most significant improvement in performance for long course racing.

Exactly. If I am on a steady stream of caffeine then it takes quite a bit to matter, I need it to not lose speed but if I haven't been taking much over the past few weeks it doesn't take much to get me going.

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Ride Scoozy Electric Bicycles
http://www.RideScoozy.com

This. I can tell a big difference, largely psychologically, when I take a shot of caffeine late on a long run. When I just want to stop and walk because I'm tired and sore, it really helps me push through the wall. That much, at least for me, is a definitive performance enhancer. Anything beyond that I can't say for sure.

This^
I just know, when I've been rooted in a race and dropped two x 100mg no dose caffeine tabs, I've certainly felt much less rooted after. My kids are competitive swimmers and one uses them and swears they make a difference. Whilst it's legal, people will use it. And you don't need a shit load either.

^This

It also stimulates respiration and reduces RPE.

I've trained with and WO caffeine and there was nothing noticeable in terms of HR & pace. I found morning runs without caffeine mentally suck when starting out but after a warm-up the runs weren't any different. Besides, coffee helps getting the #2 duties over with before AM training!

Per the NCAA: "The ergogenic benefit of caffeine is likely due to its role as a central nervous system stimulant resulting in a heightened sense of awareness and a decreased perception of effort...Robust evidence shows that caffeine enhances endurance and provides a small but valuable enhancement of performance in a wide range of exercise protocols. These include short-duration, high-intensity events (1-5 min), prolonged high-intensity events (20-60 min), endurance events (¡Ý 90 min), ultra-endurance events (¡Ý4 h) and prolonged intermittent sprint events (team and racket sports)."

Many more like this searching the web, didn't see anything stating it as a limiter.

Now the lunch runs during the heat of the day may have more to do with HR & pace variability than caffeine. It's amazing how different days with 85*F temps can affect a run: A sunny 85 low dew point day is totally different than a sunny 85 high humidity day. Same goes with if they both are compared to a cloudy day at the same temps.

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<We all know that light travels faster than sound. That's why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak>

thanks for a true laugh out loud laugh

"Sympathetic nervous system" is your google search of the day.

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Endurance coach | Physiotherapist (primary care) | Bikefitter | Swede

Not exactly. I've read caffeine opens up blood vessels, and your body restricts them back in an effort to stabilize things. And that's why you get a headache if you are addicted to caffeine and don't get any. The body says, "Time to restrict blood vessels, just like every day at 9 am." It restricts, but there's no caffeine to open them, and you get pain as a result.

Take a bit more caffeine that what the body is used to, and you'll get more opened blood vessels than normal. Supposedly.

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Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com

Are you sure this is true? Do you have a source for this?

I'm not saying you're wrong, I've just never heard this claim. I was under the impression that caffeine headaches were caused by good old chemical withdrawal.

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Facebook and Strava

 I believe it's related to caffeine's effect on more efficient fat metabolism //

This is what i have seen as the real benefit to endurance exercise. It may be different effects that work for sprinters. But once again, it could be a different story for different people. Sure you may get more usable fat from it, but what if you are a hyper sweater and prone to dehydration? Is it worth the trade off? How long and hot is the race?


I remember when i was very young in the sport and some doc told me of a study where they gave mice the stuff and then swam then to death. And then had a control group also swim to death, figuring death was a big motivator for the mice to give it their all, and take a lot of the noise out of the test. From what i recall, the caffeinated mice lived 18% longer than the ones without their morning Joe. Of course it was mice, but a lot of things we adopt start with tests on them.


Then there is the whole should i abstain for how long before, and does that increase the benefit, or do I lose the stomach enzymes that break down the coffee, and it now upsets my stomach?? So many things, I say if you drink coffee, keep drinking it. If you have problems in heat, maybe save any race caffeine for your gels later in the race. Go figure it out for yourself, just like with all nutrition.