Coffee and Running

Many a morning I've wanted to chug a cup of coffee before my run, just to wake up before I go out the door. And sometimes, I do - but wondered if it really does help or hinder running?

I've tried drinking coffee a bunch of times during training and fewer times before races (I've even drank a Red Bull in the parking lot before a 5K) And to be honest, it didn't work out so well. It was especially nice to have a (small) hot cup of coffee before marathons (like Disney) that start at 6am in the dark, during January. Although temps are nice and warm when you finish Disney (70-80 degrees) it was about 30 degrees at the start.

Now granted, I think most people reading this are not Olympic-caliber athletes; but suppose we were? What is the impact? So I looked for the science to support this notion.


There is an abstract in the British Journal of Medicine that examines the effect of caffeine on running. Click here for the abstract.

While I won't list all the details, under the lab conditions of the study they tested the effects at a high-intensity workout at the 1500-m distance. What they found, was that caffeine increases the 'finishing burst' AND increases VO2 during the high-intensity 1500-m run. The study concluded that caffeinated coffee could enhance the performance of sustained high-intensity exercise.

Good to know, at least for short distances that coffee could help running -- since I need all the help I can get during a race!