Research

Mixed

Current generalized caffeine guidelines (3–9 mg/kg, 60 min pre-exercise) are not optimal for all athletes due to substantial inter-individual variation in ergogenic response driven by genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors.

Stop assuming the standard 3-6 mg/kg dose works for you. Your genetics (like CYP1A2) and how much caffeine you drink daily change how caffeine affects your performance. Some people get a huge boost, others get no benefit or even a negative effect. Consider genetic testing or systematic self-experimentation to find your optimal dose and timing, rather than blindly following general guidelines.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Contemporary evidence suggests current guidelines are optimal for only a sub-set of the athlete population.
Craig Pickering et al. · Sports Medicine · 2017

Why this rating

The paper is a review of existing literature; while it cites multiple studies showing variation, the specific genetic interactions are not yet fully replicated or standardized for clinical use.

Source

Are the Current Guidelines on Caffeine Use in Sport Optimal for Everyone? Inter-individual Variation in Caffeine Ergogenicity, and a Move Towards Personalised Sports Nutrition

Craig Pickering et al. · Sports Medicine · 2017

DOI 10.1007/s40279-017-0776-1

narrative_reviewCited 201×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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