Coffee is a stimulant. It increases alertness and focus. Coffee is a stimulant, meaning it increases focus and alertness. Caffeine may also be stimulant and improves physical performance during exercise.Three experts in cardiology and sports science were asked by us to determine if coffee can help improve exercise performance. Here's what we discovered.What data is available on the effects of caffeine on sports performance?Dr Neil Clarke is a specialist in sport sciences at Coventry University in UK. He says that "caffeine" is one of the most studied substances to aid athletes in training longer and more efficiently. As a result, professional and amateur sportspeople often take it as a performance-enhancing 'ergogenic' aids for a wide range of activities."Numerous research papers have demonstrated that caffeine can improve running, cycling and strength for weightlifting, tennis, golf, basketball, football and other sports.Dr Clarke states that "the evidence for caffeine’s effects on sprinting seems mixed." For events less than three minutes, there have been limited improvements. For races lasting less than ten seconds, however, caffeine can increase peak power output, speed and strength.Is coffee the same as taking caffeine pills?The majority of studies are focused on caffeine pills and not coffee drinking. Because the caffeine content of coffee varies from one cup to another, it is difficult to measure how coffee affects sport performance. There have been studies that focus on coffee's effect.Dr Clarke states that "an increasing number studies have also demonstrated that coffee can be used in place of caffeine to improve cycling performance and competitive running performance and produce results comparable to pure caffeine." Coffee may be even more effective in improving resistance to exercise than caffeine.Do you have any caveats?There are always caveats to remember when doing nutritional research.Dr Neil Schwartz, a South Alabama University expert in sports science, states that "individuals react differently to caffeine/coffee." Coffee can improve both mental and bodily performance if it is tolerated properly. Individual responses to caffeine vary depending on their genes as well as their caffeine intake.Coffee drinking can also have its downsides. Coffee consumption can lead to anxiety and decreased sleep, which could have a negative effect on performance.Dr Clarke states that you could feel nauseated or jittery if you're competing.The bottom line: Although multiple forms of caffeine have been shown to increase sports performance, the effects can vary from person to person.This article is based on 3 expert responses to the question: Does coffee boost exercise performance?This expert response was published by Metafact.io, an independent fact-checking platform. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter.
