How to Make the Most of Your Prerun Coffee

LACE UP YOUR running shoes. Shake out your muscles. And down a mug of coffee. For some runners (pros included), having a cup of coffee before a run is a non-negotiable part of the routine-a ritual so embedded in the norm that a workout just wouldn't feel right without it.

- JENNY MCCOY

If you're in the daily caffeine camp, good news: Drinking coffee prior to a run can offer very real performance benefits. These advantages include decreased fatigue and reduced perceived exertion, among other perks. But it's not one-size-fits-all. Depending on how much coffee you imbibe and your individual sensitivity to caffeine, downing a triple-shot espresso before you hit the trails may do more harm than good.

Amity Lui, MS, RD, a New York City-based sports dietitian who works with runners, says clients often ask about having coffee before running, posing questions like: "Should I be drinking coffee?" "How much coffee should I drink?" "How much is too much?" "When should I drink it?"

While the answers to those questions depend on your individual needs, a few general guidelines can help you optimize your prerun coffee routine. Here's what nutrition experts and research have to say about getting your caffeine fix before you log your miles.

● The benefits of coffee before a run 

Most of the advantages you'll gain from having a cup of joe before you hit the road come from the caffeine in coffee, so the payoffs aren't so present in decaf varieties. "Caffeine is a legal ergogenic aid," Lui says. That means it can enhance your performance, according to research.

One review published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism in 2019 summarizes that for endurance running and racewalking specifically, caffeine can lessen perceived effort, tiredness, and pain, while boosting alertness and vigilance. Researchers suggest taking in caffeine before a run, but also note that consuming it during a race, when fatigue starts to set in, can lead to an even greater response.