Should You Drink Coffee Before a Race? Insights from a Running Legend and Expert

Before each race in her 18-year career, Des Linden sticks to a simple ritual: she makes herself a cup of coffee an hour before the start. Linden, a two-time U.S. Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon winner, has loved coffee since her teens and started her own small-batch company in 2020. Traveling for races led her to visit many coffee shops, sparking her interest in high-quality beans.

Linden also believes in consuming caffeine mid- and late-race. “The mind will tell you that you’re out of fuel, but there’s still a ton left in your muscles. Caffeine helps you find it,” she explains. But does this work for everyone? To find out, I consulted an expert.

Magda Boulet, an Olympic marathoner and ultra-trail champion, holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology and is the president of GU Energy Labs, a leading sports nutrition company. She confirms that caffeine is a proven performance enhancer, improving outcomes by 3-4%, regardless of age, gender, or competition length.

Caffeine boosts mental clarity, reduces perceived effort, and lowers fatigue during exercise. Boulet recommends low doses of caffeine (1-3 mg per kilogram of body weight) before races, which equals 1-2 cups of coffee. Higher doses can help in short, intense workouts, but too much caffeine can cause headaches, anxiety, and elevated blood pressure.

Timing is crucial. Caffeine takes about an hour to absorb and has its strongest effect within the first four hours. Boulet suggests consuming it before a race and continuing with small doses during longer efforts through caffeinated gels, chews, or drinks.

For new runners, Boulet recommends starting with 3 mg/kg before a run and adding 1-3 mg/kg per hour during longer races. This usually means one or two gels per hour, but individual results may vary, and athletes need to experiment with their caffeine intake during training.

Genetics play a role in how fast you metabolize caffeine. Boulet advises runners to test what works best for them. The form of caffeine—whether from coffee, gels, or drinks—won’t significantly affect absorption time.

To help athletes, Boulet’s team developed the Roctane Cold Brew Gel, which contains 70 mg of caffeine per gel. It uses green tea extract, making it less bitter than synthetic caffeine found in most gels. Boulet herself used caffeinated gels during ultramarathons like Western States 100.

Runners should know how much caffeine they’re consuming, as products vary in content from 30 mg to 200 mg. Proper dosage helps optimize performance while minimizing side effects like dizziness and nausea, especially during long or intense efforts.

Caffeine’s effects differ from person to person. Boulet emphasizes the importance of testing caffeine intake during training to determine what works best, much like experimenting with fuel or shoes.

Read the Original Article: Run.OutsideOnline.com

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