Research

Hormonal

Caffeine ingestion of 3-6 mg/kg body mass improves sport-specific endurance performance (time-trial >5 minutes) by approximately 3.2% on average, primarily through central adenosine receptor antagonism.

To get the most out of caffeine for endurance events, consume 3-6 mg per kg of body weight. You can take it before or during the event, and it works whether you take it in a capsule, water, or a sports drink. Crucially, if you drink coffee or soda daily, you need to stop completely for 7 days before your race to reset your brain's caffeine sensitivity. Do not exceed 6 mg/kg, as higher doses offer no extra benefit and increase side effects.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In conclusion, caffeine ingestion can be an effective ergogenic aid for endurance athletes when taken before and/or during exercise in moderate quantities (3–6 mg·kg−1 body mass).
Matthew S. Ganio et al. · The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · 2009

Why this rating

Systematic review of 21 high-quality studies (mean PEDro score 9.3/10), though with high variability in individual responses.

Source

Effect of Caffeine on Sport-Specific Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review

Matthew S. Ganio et al. · The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · 2009

DOI 10.1519/jsc.0b013e31818b979a

systematic_reviewCited 308×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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