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IOC CONSENSUS STATEMENT – 2018
Table 3: Supplements with good to strong evidence of achieving benefits to performance when used in specific scenarios
| CAFFEINE | |
| Overview | – Caffeine is a stimulant that possesses well-established benefits for athletic performance across endurance-based situations, and short-term, supramaximal and/or repeated sprint tasks. |
| Mechanism | – Adenosine receptor antagonism; increased endorphin release; improved neuromuscular function; improved vigilance and alertness; reduced the perception of exertion during exercise |
| Protocol of use | – 3–6 mg/kg of body mass (BM), pill or powder form – Consume ~60 min prior to exercise – Lower caffeine doses (<3 mg/kg BM, ~200 mg), provided both before and during exercise; consumed with a CHO source |
| Performance Impact | ENDURANCE – Improved endurance capacity such as exercise time to fatigue – Endurance-based time-trials (TT); 5–150 min; cycling, running, rowing and others – Low doses of caffeine (100–300 mg) during endurance exercise (after 15–80 min of activity) may enhance cycling TT performance by 3%–7% SHORT TIME PERIODS – During short-term, supramaximal and repeated sprint tasks – 3–6 mg/kg BM of caffeine taken 50–60 min before exercise – Performance gains of >3% for completion time, mean power output and peak power output during anaerobic activities of 1–2 min – 1%–8% for total work output and repeat sprint performances during intermittent team game activity |
| Further considerations and potential side effects | – Larger caffeine doses (≥9 mg/kg BM) do not appear to increase the performance benefit – Are more likely to increase the risk of negative side effects, including nausea, anxiety, insomnia and restlessness – Lower caffeine doses, variations in the timing of intake before and/or during exercise, and the need for (or lack thereof) a caffeine withdrawal period should be trialled in training prior to competition use – Caffeine consumption during activity should be considered concurrent with carbohydrate (CHO) intake for improved results – Caffeine is a diuretic promoting increased urine flow, but this effect is small at the doses that have been shown to enhance performance |