How drinking coffee before a workout can improve your performance

How drinking coffee before a workout can improve your performance

When it comes to multifunctional drinks, coffee is simply number one. You sip a cup for a much-needed energy boost on a slow morning at the office. You sip from a cup when you feel a little reassured of your hope for a successful experience on the porcelain throne. And you can even mix it with alcohol to get through an awkward first date.

And as it turns out, you might want to drink coffee before a workout, too. Here, two registered dietitians explain how fueling up with a cup of coffee can improve your sweating and offer tips for mixing pre-workout coffee into your routine.

The benefits of drinking coffee before training

Although coffee contains a variety of bioactive compounds, the drink's pre-workout benefits are largely thanks to its caffeine content, says Abby Chan, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and co-owner of EVOLVE Flagstaff in Arizona. ICYDK, caffeine is a naturally occurring substance that stimulates your central nervous system and increases the speed at which messages travel from your brain to your body, says Chan. “It is one of the most studied ergogenic – that is, performance-enhancing – aids available and legal on the market and in sport,” she adds.

Reduces perceived exertion

Because caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, making you feel more alert and energized, drinking coffee before a workout could affect your rating of perceived exertion (RPE), says Allison Knott, MS, RD, CSSD, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics in New York City. “You might be able to train a little harder and not necessarily feel like it,” she explains. “Most studies have consistently shown a positive effect of caffeine intake before training.” In fact, a small 2007 study found that participants who drank coffee before endurance cycling reported a lower RPE than those who drank decaffeinated coffee.

Improves performance

Sipping on a cup of coffee before your workout can also help you pull off an impressive sweat session. Systematic research has found that caffeine has a performance-enhancing effect in strength sports, resistance exercise and endurance sports, according to a study published in Sports Medicine. Specifically, consuming caffeine before exercise has been found to improve strength and power. And in a study of runners, those who drank coffee before a 1,500-meter race finished the event faster than those who drank decaffeinated coffee.

Speeds recovery

Aside from helping you get through your sweat session, drinking coffee before a workout can speed up your recovery afterward, says Chan. After about 15 minutes of exercise, glucose levels in your blood begin to drop, and your body typically turns to glycogen (the stored form of glucose in your liver and muscles) for energy, she explains. However, "there is some thought that caffeine can mobilize free fatty acids, which your body can then use for energy to conserve glycogen," says Chan. “If you can reduce your glycogen consumption during exercise, perhaps by using more fatty acids, then you can theoretically recover faster and better because you don’t have to rely so deeply on your energy stores.”

Even though caffeine can help you stay ahead of the recovery process, you still shouldn't skip your post-workout meal. "You should still eat after a workout because no matter what you do or how much caffeine you consume, you're still going to use some of that glycogen," says Chan. To properly recover after a brutal sweat session, you need to replenish those glycogen stores by consuming carbohydrates and supply your muscle tissue with protein that aids in the repair process, according to information published in the Journal of Sports Medicine.

How much coffee should you drink before training?

To reap the performance-enhancing benefits of caffeine, you only need to consume 3 to 6 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight about 60 minutes before starting your workout, according to International Society of Sports Nutrition guidelines. In a single 8-ounce cup of coffee, you'll consume 80 to 100 milligrams of this energizing stimulant, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Do a little math wizardry, and that means a 150-pound person only needs to consume 180 milligrams — the amount found in about two cups of coffee — to see these benefits. However, the exact amount can vary from person to person, depending on how well you tolerate caffeine and other factors, says Knott.

The risks of drinking coffee before training

Caffeine is generally considered safe as long as you don't exceed the 400 milligrams per day recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, says Knott. Still, some people who are sensitive to caffeine may experience negative side effects from drinking coffee — even if they keep their consumption below the recommended limit, she adds. “This could mean that you are having gastrointestinal upset, perhaps experiencing nervousness, or have a rapid heart rate,” says Knott. "At this point, the performance benefit doesn't necessarily outweigh the risk in terms of how you feel. You want to feel as good as possible while training." (Related: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?)

Even if you can tolerate caffeine without problems, drinking coffee before a workout could still have an impact on your sleep. Caffeine has a half-life (that is, the time it takes for half of the dose to leave your body) of five to six hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So if you drink a cup or two before a 6 p.m. workout, Chan says, "you could end up extending your bedtime and therefore not getting enough or restful sleep, which can also affect recovery."

Coffee vs. pre-workout supplements

Coffee isn't the only way to get performance-enhancing caffeine. Pre-workout supplements also contain caffeine, as well as a mix of ingredients such as creatine, beta-alanine, amino acids and nitric oxide agents. However, there are some factors to consider when deciding which energizer to use. For one thing, the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go on the market. “Many supplements are not necessarily tested or regulated by a third party – this can mean that the supplement may contain compounds that are not necessarily apparent from the label,” says Knott. “Coffee may be safer in this regard.”

The amount of caffeine can also vary greatly between products, says Knott. According to the Cleveland Clinic, an 8-ounce cup of coffee may only contain 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine, while a serving of pre-workout may contain 150 to 300 milligrams. "It's going to be a little more difficult - although not impossible - to get that much caffeine from coffee compared to something that might be as simple as a scoop or two of pre-workout," says Knott. If you drink a cup of joe in the morning and then take a scoop of pre-workout before your afternoon run, you could exceed that recommended caffeine limit — and experience side effects like restlessness, headaches, dizziness, anxiety, insomnia and dehydration, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Not to mention, coffee may be easier to incorporate into your routine. "Coffee may be more pleasant if you want to drink it for breakfast before a workout," says Knott. "I would also say it's a little more accessible as you can easily grab a coffee on the go before a workout, whereas a pre-workout requires a little more planning."

How to use coffee as a pre-workout drink

Are you interested in using coffee as a workout enhancer? Consider drinking one or two cups (depending on your weight and caffeine tolerance) about an hour before heading to the gym or cycling studio. However, if you're a total caffeine newbie, take it slowly to avoid these unpleasant side effects, suggests Knott. "Don't try to jump in and drink the 400 milligrams or even 200 milligrams right away," she says. "But if you're someone who's used to it, then sticking to amounts that you're used to can definitely help prevent some of these side effects."

You should also avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach, which could cause gastrointestinal upset, says Knott. That's why she suggests pairing your cup of joe with a carb-rich snack that will also provide you with the fuel you need for your workout. "Eat a slice of toast, top it with some peanut butter and banana, and drink your coffee," she recommends. "Do this the hour before you head out for a run or whatever you plan to do...[and] it will potentially have a significant impact on your performance." If coffee makes you want to poop, don't worry: the post-Java urge to have a BM usually occurs within half an hour of drinking the drink, so you'll need to take some time to go to the bathroom before tackling your workout.

To ensure your pre-workout coffee doesn't disrupt your sleep, only drink it before your morning workout, suggests Chan. Most importantly, test the pre-workout coffee on an average, insignificant day at the gym — not before an important race or competition — in case it affects you badly on that first go-round, says Knott. “Don’t drink coffee for the first time before a race,” she says. “It’s good to experiment with it and know how you react to it, so give yourself some time to adjust.”