NUTRITION
Caffeine can be used as a tool for sports performance both during and after activity.
What’s all the Buzz?
The science of caffeine and sports performance BY ASHLEY LEONE Sports dietician and owner of Gazelle Nutrition Lab in Toronto, ON. GAZELLENUTRITION
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ational Hockey League (NHL) players are rumoured to love coffee, ultrarunners and triathletes have an affinity for Coke, and bodybuilders often swear by their pre-workout drink. But no matter the source, caffeine is often an essential part of an athlete’s routine thanks to its performance-boosting qualities. Caffeine’s ability to promote sports performance has long been recognized. Caffeine was listed as a banned substance by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1984 and by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) in 2000. Caffeine
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was subsequently removed from the list of controlled substances in 2004. But, even when it was a prohibited substance, caffeine was allowed in reasonable quantities. For example, only caffeine in amounts equivalent to more than four cups of coffee in the hours before an event may have tipped the scale. Given caffeine’s rocky history in elite sport, it is not surprising that many athletes use caffeine with equal parts hopefulness and trepidation; hoping it may provide a critical performance advantage and hesitation about the potential side effects.
Research regarding caffeine and exercise is evolving, but the evidence for its benefits is better than that of most other sports performance aids.
HOW DOES YOUR BODY RESPOND TO CAFFEINE?
Caffeine is a naturally-occurring chemical rapidly absorbed by the body and predominantly broken down in the liver. Within 15 to 45 minutes of consumption, caffeine enters the bloodstream and interacts with the body’s cells. Once absorbed, caffeine appears to primarily work by stimulating the central nervous
