Many athletes tell us that a cup of coffee is “a must” before any training session. 2024 Olympic Triathlon bronze medallist Beth Potter swears by her coffee, saying she would find it hard to get through a day of three different sessions were it not for coffee.
Ingesting caffeine has been shown to have quick effects in the body. Within just fifteen minutes the effects of heightened alertness can be felt and these effects reach their peak 45-60 minutes from the time of consumption.
No wonder therefore that athletes use caffeine to give them that extra kick. British international 800m runner Ellie Baker says that “if I’m tired before a run, I have a coffee to give me a boost.” And British Olympic marathon runner Rose Harvey says that she can’t imagine a training day without coffee.
The absorption of caffeine into the body produces a perception of alertness, and this also translates into better performance, as has been evidenced in several scientific studies. One study conducted on 13 trained male athletes found that the athlete’s 1-mile performance was 1.3% better 60 minutes after ingesting caffeinated coffee over decaffeinated coffee, and 1.9% better over a placebo.
The effects of caffeine are sustained in the period of 1-3 hours after consumption as caffeine continues to block adenosine and ward off feelings of fatigue.
Callum Elson, who won the silver medal over 1 mile at the 2023 World Road Running Championships, says that, while there are other ways of ingesting caffeine apart from through drinking coffee, “coffee sits well in my body pre-exercise. So, whenever possible, I will use it as my caffeine of choice a couple of hours before a race, especially if I’m racing late in the evening.”
For Elson the needs of performance outweigh considerations of the importance of rest after strenuous exercise, since it takes 10-12 hours for caffeine to be fully metabolised and to leave the system fully.
Read more articles about how caffeine can aid performance here
With thanks to Graham Smith for use of photographs
