Whether you want to take a HIIT class to the next level or increase your stamina on a run, all walks of active people have used caffeine to enhance performance. Some caffeine effects include helping boost energy and increase focus, and they may also help get you over hurdles during your workout.
Studies have found that caffeine improves performance in athletes, and even the International Olympic Committee has acknowledged its effectiveness.
However, chugging more caffeine before a workout does not mean more power. “The main factors to making caffeine more effective include timing and type,” explains Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS.
Here’s a look at some caffeine effects and how you can maximize its benefits.
1. Know What It Does
Caffeine is one of the best-known nootropics, a group of substances that support mental alertness, performance, and focus. It’s also the most widely consumed ergogenic (performance-enhancing) aid in the world and may help boost your anaerobic power performance.
Along with a proper diet, consuming caffeine before a workout may give you more energy or help you lift more after limited sleep. However, caffeine should never replace sleep. It should supplement healthy rest, exercise, and food.
2. Assess How It Works for You
“Caffeine works by blocking receptors in the brain that sense fatigue,” explains Kyla Channell, who holds a master’s in nutrition and human performance. It is chemically similar to a neuromodulator in the brain that regulates sleepiness — caffeine binds to the same receptors, reducing drowsiness.
However, this sparks another question: Are you a fast, slow, or moderate metabolizer of caffeine? The answer is largely determined by your genes, and more specifically the CYP1A2 gene, explains Channell. You could find out by taking an at-home genetic test, but you’re likely better off experimenting with dosages and timing to get a sense for how it personally affects you.
3. Understand the Different Types
Many caffeine sources are extracted from plants. The most familiar plant sources are tea leaves, coffee beans, and cacao beans. Another common source in supplements is caffeine anhydrous, or a highly concentrated form of caffeine. Even though it’s often plant-derived, a 2019 study found caffeine levels can be as high as 176 percent of what the label states in some Australian supplements. This could result in mega-dosing (and unsavory side effects).
“Too much caffeine can be a bad thing,” says Channell, with high doses potentially impacting cardiovascular health.
4. Consume the Right Amount
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, consuming up to 400 mg of caffeine a day (the equivalent of about four to five cups of coffee) is safe for most healthy adults.
One scoop of Beachbody Performance Energize delivers 100 mg of caffeine, which studies show is an efficacious amount to reap many of its performance-enhancing benefits.
5. Time It Just Right
“Caffeine is absorbed fast,” says Spano. “But it doesn’t leave your body quickly.” After you ingest it, caffeine reaches peak levels in the bloodstream between 15 and 120 minutes, but it takes about five hours for your body to eliminate half of it.
For performance benefits, it’s best to take caffeine about 30 minutes before exercising. To support focus and attention, Beachbody Performance Energize provides 100 mg of caffeine from green tea and coffee bean extract, and it also includes beta-alanine and quercetin. The formula helps you go harder for longer — safely and effectively.*
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