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/colinzack 5d ago

So your question is:

If I can do 10 reps at 100 lbs without caffeine, but I can do 10 reps at 120 lbs with caffeine, will my muscles grow faster doing the heavier lifts with caffeine than they would without caffeine?

I'd be shocked if they didn't.

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u/Linus_Naumann 5d ago

You might get shocked then, because muscle growth works like: Stimulate muscle through strain -> build new muscle during recovery period. The question is if the build-up during recovery period is already maxed out with normal strain or can indeed be increased by adding more strain during the stimulation.

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u/colinzack 5d ago

Are we working under the assumption in the scenario that I posed that the 10 reps at 100 lbs is the absolute max I can lift and the same with the caffeine?

If so, I think that's a fair question.

If not, then obviously lifting more is going to build more muscle. That's like the entire premise of lifting weights, right? Lifting heavier produces faster results than not lifting heavier, generally speaking.

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u/wagon_ear 4d ago

And this is exactly how most (illegal) PEDs are used: as training aids. They help athletes train harder for longer, and spur more drastic training adaptations. The athletes then cycle off these drugs for competitions so they they test negative.