We all know that coffee contains a lot of caffeine, which has the effect of keeping you awake.

Many people probably drink coffee to wake up in the morning or during a break from work. Recently, caffeine has been shown to have the effect of increasing brain concentration and preventing dementia.

Surprisingly, there are also reports that caffeine may have a positive effect on sports, and ``caffeine'' has become one of the ingredients that athletes pay attention to. I did. These days, some runners even drink coffee at marathon water points. So how exactly does coffee work for you?

A research group led by Jozo Grujic, who studies sports science at the University of Victoria in Australia, reported that caffeine is effective in improving sports performance. Grujic et al. used a method called an "umbrella review," in which multiple papers and research results and meta-analyses of these results were further integrated to analyze 11 studies related to caffeine and sports. We evaluate and report on papers.

Reports suggest that caffeine intake can improve sports performance by anywhere from 2% to up to 16%. There are a wide variety of types of exercise that are said to be effective, and both aerobic and anaerobic exercise are effective, and can be expected to improve muscle strength and muscular endurance. Furthermore, it has been reported that performance improvement is not affected by whether or not you consume caffeine on a daily basis.

 

 

How exactly should you consume caffeine? Grujic recommends drinking coffee. However, this does not mean that consuming caffeine in ways other than coffee is not effective; it is simply a lack of data.

One study found that even sweets containing caffeine, such as jellies, bars, and chewing gum, may help improve performance. On the other hand, there are reports that caffeinated energy drinks and caffeine-containing aerosol sprays that are sprayed into the nose and mouth have little to no effect, but there is insufficient data to conclude whether they are effective. Therefore, rather than saying that ``other methods than coffee have no effect,'' Mr. Grujic reports that ``the effects of other methods have not yet been confirmed.''

Regarding the timing of drinking coffee, the research team says that it is recommended to drink coffee about 45 to 90 minutes before exercise. In addition, caffeinated chewing gum is absorbed quickly, so it is said to be effective even if taken 10 minutes before exercise.

When it comes to caffeine intake, researchers report that two cups of coffee is likely to be the most effective dose. It is said that the amount of caffeine that improves performance is 3 to 6 mg per kg of body weight, and one cup of coffee contains 95 to 165 mg of caffeine, so an adult weighing 70 kg should consume 210 mg of caffeine per 1 kg of body weight. To get ~420mg of caffeine, you would need to drink about 2 cups of coffee.

In the world of sports, caffeine ingestion inhibits the action of a substance called adenosine, which has a calming effect on the nerves, exerts a wakefulness effect, reduces fatigue during exercise, and improves endurance. It is said to be beneficial, and has been reported to be particularly beneficial for improving performance in endurance sports.

For this reason, people who participate in endurance sports such as marathon running and cycling have started taking it in hopes of improving their performance. There are also reports that sports that involve repeated intermittent movements (soccer, basketball, volleyball, swimming, tennis, etc.) can improve maximum muscle strength and muscular endurance.

 

Caffeine is an ingredient that is currently attracting attention among athletes. Coffee is a drink that can absorb this energy efficiently.

I also work and play sports while drinking coffee. Is it because of this that your concentration has increased? maybe.

If you do sports or do strength training on a daily basis, why not try incorporating coffee into your diet?

The content introduced in this article does not guarantee a certain effect.

 

 

Reference: Wake up and smell the coffee: caffeine supplementation and exercise performance—an umbrella review of 21 published meta-analyses | British Journal of Sports Medicine
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/11/681)
Reference: Health check: can caffeine improve your exercise performance?
https://theconversation.com/health-check-can-caffeine-improve-your-exercise-performance-114087

2023.03.17
Hiroto Usukura