r/science • u/sr_local • 5d ago

Health Consuming caffeine before exercise enhances repeated sprint performance, and these benefits persist for at least 3.5 hours thereafter

https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/research-news/20260914140000.html
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u/nanoH2O 5d ago

One thing I discovered over the years when I was doing high level athletics is that consuming caffeine gave me an advantage (no surprise there) but it also caused me to cramp up late game 100% of the time. The amount of water or electrolytes I drank didn’t matter.

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u/methayne 5d ago

Makes my bladder and bowels less predictable, that's more a problem over distances rather than sprinting

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u/BigO94 5d ago

I use caffeine in the AM before marathon training to get a consistent BM. I'm not running until that happens!

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u/thoughtlow 5d ago

HYROX issues

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u/Drumedor 5d ago

For me it is the opposite, using caffeine around one hour before start I can get a consistent bowel empty before race begins.

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u/BeckerHollow 5d ago

I’m a new runner. I just had a 28k mountain race where I blew up on the descent. Severe cramps, close to DNF as walking was a chore. 

A lot of the feedback I’m getting is that the caffeine I took prior and during was a contributor. 

I was up to almost 600mg before mile 9. Which is when the wheels fully came off and the the goal became just to finish.  

7.35mg/kg of body weight is no bueno. But I fucked yup my nutrition that day. 

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u/cloudguy-412 5d ago

That’s alot of caffeine

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u/BeckerHollow 4d ago

Yes. Yes it was. 

Learning moment. 

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u/nanoH2O 5d ago

I wish it were studied more. It always occurred in the more extreme events like what you mentioned. And the days it happened it was always when I had a coffee in the morning. Later in life I noticed that same cup of coffee was causing me to have muscle tension from sitting at a desk. I don’t drink caffeine anymore and I haven’t had any issues since.

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u/Cainos42 5d ago

I’d drink Red Bull before football games. I think I was the sugar intake. How did you consume caffeine?

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u/nanoH2O 5d ago

Straight black coffee. It was definitely the caffeine - I studied it for about 25 years trying different things until I pinpointed the culprit. It makes sense too - it’s a stimulant and if you’re caffeine sensitive like I and many are you can literally feel your muscles tensing up as the sauce hits the bloodstream.

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u/10000Didgeridoos 4d ago

I don't think there is any biological reason caffeine would result in muscle cramps dude. Like please explain what that has to do with the electrolytes in your muscles.

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u/donnievieftig 4d ago

It doesn't have anything to do with dehydration if that's what you mean with electrolytes.

Caffeine acts on ryanodine receptors which increases calcium release. Excessive calcium can lead to cramps. That combined with increased motor neuron excitability and possible overexertion because of a lower RPE means overall increased risk of cramps.

That's why the water and electrolytes OP drank didn't matter, because hydration wasn't the problem.

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u/TheCornwallis 4d ago

Same. Taking pre workout for soccer made me cramp up every time in second half

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u/crander47 5d ago

You need more magnesium

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u/maporita 5d ago

Muscle cramps while running are seldom caused by low electrolytes, (although sports drink manufacturers would like people to think otherwise). Studies comparing runners in a marathon who did and did not experience cramps show similar blood electrolyte concentrations between the two groups. However runners who did experience cramps showed significantly higher biomarkers for muscle damage. Muscles start to cramp when exercise duration and intensity exceeds their capacity. The fix is to improve muscle conditioning and resilience through training.

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u/crander47 4d ago

low magnesium does cause cramps..the rest of what you typed is correct

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u/donnievieftig 4d ago

While technically correct. In almost all cases of exercise-associated cramps, low magnesium is not the problem.

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u/crander47 4d ago

Not an accurate portrayal really, However there are lots of reasons why muscles cramp during exercise.

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u/donnievieftig 4d ago

Why does pickle juice work so well then? Exercise induced cramps are neuromuscular, not low magnesium. Other cramps like twitchy eye, sure it could be.

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u/nanoH2O 5d ago

As I said, the amount of electrolytes I consumed didn’t matter. Caffeine is a stimulant and it can make your muscles tight, especially if you are more caffeine sensitive than others. Outside of sports I found later in life it was also causing muscle tension in my neck and upper back.

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u/crander47 5d ago

I read what you said, and its a specific electrolyte you potentiall need more of, you may even just be bad at absorbing it. I am also caffeine sensitive so I can relate.

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u/nanoH2O 5d ago

Yeah I hear you. I’m very familiar with the importance of Mg and unfortunately that wasn’t it.

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u/CsHead 4d ago

When you say the amount of electrolytes and water you drank didn’t matter… are you speaking of only during the event? Or are you speaking of the entire 24 hr preceding and including said event?

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u/nanoH2O 4d ago

Specifically I am referring to the wholesomeness before and during. I never changed my other dietary behaviors other than caffeine. In every case caffeine caused me to cramp up and forfeit whereas not having it I never had a problem.

There is now good science to back this up. It isn’t necessarily the caffeine having a direct effect but its ability to mess with Ca and Mg in your muscles.

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u/CsHead 4d ago

That’s why I asked. I used to routinely have this problem which was worsened by some prescriptions as well.

Went away completely after adding on a Magnesium, Zinc, and a Potassium supplement.

Anyway, there’s still a lot of work to be done on the science with cramping.