Research
Adherence
Caffeine improves performance in endurance and high-intensity exercise through mechanisms involving reduced perception of fatigue and enhanced central drive, with benefits seen at low doses.
Caffeine can improve performance in endurance and high-intensity sports. Use 2-6 mg per kg of body weight. It works by reducing the perception of fatigue. Be aware of side effects like insomnia or GI distress, especially at higher doses. Habituated users may not experience significant diuretic effects.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
More recent studies suggest that the primary effect of caffeine is to reduce the perception of fatigue or to enhance central drive by binding to adenosine receptors in the brain... Beneficial effects on performance can be achieved with low doses of caffeine, in the order typically of 2 – 6 mg · kg body mass-1
Why this rating
The paper cites a meta-analysis and specific studies showing performance improvements.
Source
The use of dietary supplements by athletes
Ronald J. Maughan et al. · Journal of Sports Sciences · 2007
DOI 10.1080/02640410701607395
narrative_review · n=310Cited 307×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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