Habitual vs. Supplemental Caffeine with Dr Bryan Saunders - Science of Getting Faster Podcast Ep 6

Caffeine’s performance-enhancing effects are well-documented. Most studies show measurable improvements in performance following a small dose, and as a result caffeine is commonly found in gels, drink mixes, and other athletic supplements.

But most adults already consume caffeine each day. Habitual consumption causes tolerance, which is said to weaken caffeine’s ergogenic effect. As a result some athletes even reduce their coffee consumption around key events, in hopes of increasing the performance-enhancing ability of supplemental caffeine.

But does the science back this up? A systematic review and meta-analysis by Dr. Bryan Saunders and colleagues examine the evidence to find out. Dr Saunders joins our host Sarah Laverty on this episode of the Science of Getting Faster Podcast to discuss the review, its findings, and what it means for caffeine’s role in making you faster. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

(0:00) Intro: Does habitual caffeine consumption impact its ergogenic effects?
(2:45) How has caffeine been used as a performance-enhancing agent? 
(6:40) How does caffeine improve performance?
(11:20) Does caffeine improve mood?
(16:19) Habitual vs. Supplemental Caffeine: Study hypothesis
(20:06) What is the process for finding the relevant studies? 
(21:52) How do Dr. Saunders extract the data?
(23:27) How did Dr. Saunders assess the quality of his studies?
(29:29) After the study, what did Dr. Saunders find? 
(46:59) Dr. Saunders' recommendations for those who might be negatively impacted by caffeine
(50:58) What did Dr. Saunder’s study tell us and what did it not?

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