Caffeine - A great performance drug!!

Many athletes these days are being caught taking drugs in a bid to become greater athletes than they could imagine. But is there a performance enhancing drug out there that is perfectly legal?? Well Caffeine could be your answer!

There are more than 74 good studies on the use of caffeine for both endurance exercise and short-term, higher intensity exercise. The vast majority of the studies conclude that caffeine does indeed enhance performance and makes the effort seem easier (by about six percent).

The average improvement in performance is about 12 percent, with more benefits noticed during endurance exercise than with shorter exercise (eight to 20 minutes) and a negligible amount for sprinters. More benefits are also noticed in athletes who rarely drink coffee, hence are not tolerant to its stimulant effect.

So when do I take it??

It takes around 45 minutes for all of the caffeine to be absorbed so make sure whatever you plan to do intake the caffeine 45 minutes beforehand. If you are going for a run in the morning many athletes just run off caffeine before they return for breakfast. Taking Caffeine just before you began training still gives benefits as during your run the caffeine will kick in and help you perform!!

I wouldn't recommend having caffeine in the evening as it will keep you up at night. If you have a training session at 7 I would instead take the caffeine at 4 or 5 so you the caffeine will be in your system for the session but probably won't be come bed time.

And how do I take it???

The most commonly known way of having caffeine is through a good cup of coffee!! However it takes a bit of time to make and isn't very convenient. Other sources include energy drinks such as Monster Energy and Red Bull as well as caffeine patches and caffeine chocolate!?!?

Another alternative to these are a product known as RunGum. They are founded by former professional runner Nick Symmonds and his coach. It is basically just flavored gum that when bitten, releases Caffeine. After recently trying it I believe it is super convenient source of caffeine that gives you plenty of energy quickly!!!

Overview:

Caffeine is a brilliant performance enhancer that should be used by all!! We all need a little boost of energy sometimes whether that's in sport or just in life. It can be taken easily and can set you up for a great days work!!!