The Performance Benefits of Caffeine

Forget the coffee-fixated hipster image; science says caffeine really work for runners.

- By Natalie Rizzo

Two-time olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden drinks three to four cups of coffee each day. “I'm a huge coffee fan,” Linden says (which should come as no surprise, since she and her husband own a coffee company: Linden x Two).

“I have two cups first thing in the morning, and it's beneficial in getting all systems - mind and body - up and running before I head out the door for my first run,” she adds.

Many of us (elite and non-elite) use caffeine to our benefit, as research has shown tha addition to perking you up, it can also make you faster and help you focus during your workouts. But as with any other performance food or drink, education is key to achieving maximum benefits; so we tapped experts and the latest research to tell you everything you need to know about your favourite energiser.

The benefits of caffeine for performance Unless you have a sensitivity, caffeine can be highly beneficial for most people, according to Todd Buckingham, PhD, exercise physiologist at Mary Free Bed Sports Rehabilitation Performance Lab.

[It's] shown to increase mental alertness and concentration and improve athletic performance by increasing time to exhaustion, so I often do recommend caffeine to my runner clients, as long as they tolerate it well,” says Angie Asche, sports dietician and owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition.