Sports performance

Factsheet for professionals

Food for performance

What active people eat and drink affects their performance. Recommendations in sports nutrition range from following the general principles of a healthy diet for individuals involved in a general fitness programme, to personalised diets and supplements for top athletes. For specific recommendations from The International Society of Sports Nutrition¹, click here http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/5.

The effects of coffee, and caffeine in particular, on sports performance have been extensively studied. The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s 2010 position paper on caffeine supplementation and sports performance is available at http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/5.

Caffeine as an ergogenic aid

• There is scientific evidence that caffeine in coffee can be an ergogenic aid i.e. it can improve physical performance.
• Caffeine’s effect is most evident in endurance (aerobic) sports which last for more than five minutes. Caffeine appears to improve time-trial performance2 as well as reduce muscle pain³ .
• The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently stated that a cause and effect relationship has been established for caffeine intake and increased endurance performance (3mg/kg body weight 1 hour before exercise), endurance capacity (3mg/kg body weight 1 hour before exercise), and a reduction in perceived exertion (4mg/kg body weight 1 hour before exercise⁴.
• Although caffeine also appears to improve performance in certain types of short-term, high intensity (anaerobic) exercise in specific groups e.g. trained athletes performing intermittent exercises and team sports⁵ , the overall evidence on the effect of caffeine on short-term, high-intensity activities remains inconclusive.
• EFSA does not currently consider there to be sufficient published science to support a cause and effect relationship⁴.
• In both cases, caffeine most likely exerts its effects via a pathway that leads to an increased production of adrenalin, which stimulates energy production and improves blood flow to the muscles and the heart^2,6_.
• Caffeine may moderate fatigue and influence ratings of exertion, perceived pain and energy levels, all of which are likely to lead to improvements in performance.
• The International Olympic Committee removed caffeine from its list of banned substances in January 2004.