By Carla Schuit -Registered Dietitian
75% of Americans start their day with a cup-o -caffeine. Whether it be coffee, tea or another source. We live hectic lives and need to be awake and alert through out the day. Many people don’t stop at their morning cup but continue to drink a variety of caffeinated beverages throughout the day. Food and beverages with added caffeine are becoming more and more popular on store shelves from energy drinks to caffeinated gums. So what are the safe levels? How does it effect our daily function and more importantly our athletic performance?
The amount of caffeine a person can consume differs by each person and is dependent on their tolerance, metabolism, activity and other dietary choices. According to the Mayo Clinic about 400milligrams of caffeine daily is a safe amount for a healthy adult. That is equivalent to four 8oz cups of coffee or tea, two energy drinks or 10 cans of caffeinated soda. Heavy doses of caffeine (500-600milligrams/day) were associated with insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, stomach upset and a fast heart beat. Frequent urination is also a side effect of excessive caffeine consumption.
Caffeine at safe levels can help us fight fatigue and focus better throughout the day. It can aid in enhancing athletic performance,especially for endurance athletes. It has also been shown to increase energy output during bursts of exercise lasting 8-20min. Caffeine has been to shown to be very effective aiding our body in utilizing fat as energy during exercise and storing glycogen (the bodies main source of energy during exercise) for later use. In fact caffeine is one of the restricted substances by the International Olympic Council (IOC) because of the perceived edge it provides athletes.
It is caffeines ability to cause the body to burn more fat and less carbohydrates, increasing mental focus and having ergogenic effects on the body that has made it attractive for athletes in all sports. In a study of athletes it was found that athletes who consumed 250 milligrams of caffeine an hour before a desired activity and an additional 250 milligrams every 1-2hours for endurance athletes increased output by 7%. For a shorter higher interval program caffeine has shown to increase energy output for higher performance. However, for activities such as sprints that last 90seconds or less caffeine has shown to have little effect on improving performance.
It is common and popular for some athletes to consume pre-workout beverages with high levels of caffeine. These supplements vary in caffeine content from 80milligram to as high as 419milligram per serving. As we discussed above the later of the two would be considered a very high caffeine amount. If this is something that interests you I highly recommend doing your research first. Compare your options and choose a product that has natural ingredients and limited artificial sweeteners and preservatives.
Although caffeine can have a positive effect on athletic output it also comes with some side effects. We listed a few above such as insomnia and rapid heat rate but it is also a powerful diuretic, which could pose an issue for an endurance athlete without access to a bathroom. For this reason also be sure to hydrate properly due to the stimulation effect you are likely to experience increased perspiration and urination. Caffeine has a safe place in our diet and can be an ergogenic aid but consume with conscious and maintain a balanced real food diet.