Caffeine As A Performance Supplement: The Original Pre-Workout

The evidence behind caffeine and performance

Among the most well-researched performance-enhancing substances available, with consistent evidence for improved strength, endurance, and reduced perceived effort during exercise across numerous well-controlled studies.

Finding your effective dose

Roughly 3-6mg per kilogram of body weight, taken 30-60 minutes before training, is a commonly researched effective range — for a 70kg person, that's approximately 200-400mg, or roughly 2-4 cups of coffee equivalent.

Building tolerance and how to manage it

Regular daily caffeine use reduces its performance-enhancing effect over time as tolerance builds — some people find cycling off caffeine periodically restores greater sensitivity and effect when it's reintroduced before a training block.

Timing considerations for sleep

Caffeine has a half-life of roughly 5-6 hours, meaning an afternoon pre-workout dose can meaningfully disrupt that night's sleep — worth factoring into evening training schedules specifically.