What is caffeine? 

First up, what exactly is caffeine? As our introduction hints, caffeine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system, while it also affects the muscular system thanks to its chemical makeup.

Nigel Mitchell, head of nutrition at Team EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale, users of OTE nutritional products, explains it’s a natural drug that can be found in many foodstuffs.

“It’s a psychoactive drug that’s part of our normal food system and is commonly available,” he says. “It’s not dangerous in the way we consume it socially, but in truth it can kill you if you take too much of it (10g is lethal, with around 212mg commonly found in an espresso).

“It can be refined and purified from natural sources, or it can even be synthetically made – if used sensibly, it can be used for a performance benefit.”

Katie Mallard, assistant brand manager for HIGH5, says the fast absorption rate of caffeine into the bloodstream makes it particularly convenient for cyclists on the go.

“It has fast absorption through the gastrointestinal tract and can reach the bloodstream within 15-45 minutes of consumption, peaking around one hour,” she explains.

Where can I find caffeine?

In our everyday lives, caffeine can be found in multiple sources, both natural and synthesised.

“Caffeine can be commonly found in your day-to-day diet with coffee being a prime example,” says Mallard. “But you’ll also find it in common things like tea, many soft drinks and chocolate.

“Of course, the other place to find caffeine these days is in many sports products – you can have it in capsule form or mixed into gels or energy drinks.”

Mitchell explains that the rate of absorption into the body depends on the product, as well as the kind of caffeine found within it.

“For example, a product like Red Bull provides a hit of caffeine and sugar simultaneously, which helps speed up the absorption rate into the bloodstream,” he says.

Are there any benefits to using packaged caffeine over natural caffeine?

With caffeine available in so many sources, is there a tangible benefit to using packaged caffeine in the form of gels and energy drinks, over natural caffeine from a cup of coffee?

“The main point to make here is that, with packaged products, you know exactly know how much you’re getting, which makes it far easier to manage dosage and intake,” says Mitchell, who pays a lot of attention to individual dosing for optimal benefit in his role as head nutritionist with the WorldTour outfit Team EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale.

“It’s far harder to manage this in coffee form or with foods like chocolate – it’s far easier to take in excess caffeine in these less-controlled items.”

Of course, it’s also easier to take caffeine on-the-go if it comes as part of a packaged energy gel, rather than having to stop for a cup of coffee – though there’s certainly something satisfying about the latter. Meanwhile, Mallard points out that there remains an ongoing debate over which forms of caffeine affect the body in the best way for performance.

“Will your morning cup of coffee give you the same ergogenic effect as when taken in a refined form?” she asks. “The simple answer is no, and this is why High5 uses anhydrous caffeine [with no water] in all our products.

“One major benefit of using sports nutrition for your caffeine hit is that you know exactly how much you’re getting. Caffeine content in coffee can vary quite substantially between brands and sources; they don’t design it specifically for sport performance.”

Are there any potential downsides to caffeine?

So far it sounds like caffeine could be something of a magic potion and in specific doses can really help to improve performance at key times. However, there are potential downsides.

“Taking caffeine in high doses can affect sleep quality in some individuals. While it’s absorbed quickly, it takes much longer to be metabolised, so it stays in the system for a long time,” says Mitchell. “More acutely, over-stimulation by taking too much [in single or multiple doses] can cause anxiety in some people.

“A lower dosage may better support your needs, because it also eradicates the potential negatives of caffeine,” Mitchell adds. “More isn’t always better.”

Mallard also warns again over-use and emphasises how the effects of caffeine can be felt in small doses.

“Performance enhancements can be seen when caffeine is consumed in moderate doses of between 3-6mg/kg of body mass, while anything higher than this offers no advantage,” she says.

“As with many things, used to excess, caffeine can negatively influence the central nervous system, causing restlessness, increasing heart rates and potentially causing insomnia. It’s here that, if you have a particular sensitivity to caffeine, this should be taken into consideration and you should always seek guidance.”

This is especially true if you have underlying health conditions that are exacerbated by caffeine intake, Mallard says.

You may have head of one more potential negative side-effect of caffeine: dehydration. As Mallard explains, plenty has been made of the fact that caffeine has a diuretic effect and can negatively affect your hydration, although during exercise this isn’t necessarily the case.

“Performance enhancements can be seen when caffeine is consumed in moderate doses of between 3-6mg/kg of body mass, while anything higher than this offers no advantage”

“There has been speculation that caffeine can cause dehydration,” she states. “While this argument may be true at rest, during exercise there is no significant negative effect on fluid balance and shouldn’t cause any concerns for athletes [other than to stay hydrated and replace fluids and salts as normal].”

Of course, Mitchell also has a message for tested athletes too, who will want to ensure the caffeine they consume is from a tested source suitable for consumption.

“If supplying caffeine to riders, we use caffeine that has the Informed Sport accreditation – we use Healthspan Elite products, for example – which reduces the chance of contaminants [that might return an adverse sample when tested],” he says.

The bottom line

Caffeine consumption has spawned research, argument and critical analysis by nutritional experts all over the world. Through our discussions with both Mitchell and Mallard, we’ve learnt how caffeine can increase mental alertness, help the body burn fat, and potential improve muscle contraction and blood flow. However, potential performance benefits of caffeine – and the optimal dosages required – are very much linked to the individual that consumes it, as well as the demands of the ride at hand.

For many riders, a cup of coffee remains part of the cultural and social experience of cycling, but the fact remains that utilising caffeine smartly can benefit cyclists, as a stimulant for both the central nervous and muscular systems in the body. The science is ever-evolving, but we do know this: caffeine consumption in cycling is here to stay.