Coffee before running - yay or nay?

[Iron Nick]

Hi,

so i've been drinking a cup of coffee between 30-45 minutes before lifting for some time now and feel pretty good doing so, however, i feel like coffee (even if it's completely black; just hot water and coffee) feels kinda heavy in my stomach while running and i don't remember running a time i was satisfied with either, when having downed a cup before running.
I mostly run a 5k, sometimes a 10k and recently 3 x 1k with 2 minutes of rest in between.

So my question is: what are your experiences with coffee and/or caffeine before running and have you got any advice?

 

[j-boxing]

I drink black coffee before all exercise (including running), and often on an empty stomach.

It doesn't bother me as long as there's a sufficient gap (30 minutes or whatever) between the drinking and the exercising.

I don't have any advice or insights for you, though. I suspect it just depends on your individual physiological constitution.

 

[xPINKx]

I'm also fine with coffee before any kind of exercise, if it doesn't work for you, you can try either caffeine tablets or caffeine gum.

 

[RR010V]

I also get an upset stomach from coffee. I now drink a glass of milk before I drink my coffee and that seems to help alot for me. I drink it 45 minutes before excercise

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Usually a short dark strong coffee, not much milk and 2 tea spoons of sugar. Just seems to give me a little boost

 

[vcmmafan]

Caffeine is performance enhancing for endurance runners. The sweet spot apparently for caffeine dosage and performance enhancement is five milligrams of caffeine for every kilogram of body weight . For a 150 lb. runner, that equates to 340 milligrams of caffeine. But I'd suggest <300 or 300 exactly. Take just enough where it's not dehydrating you. It lowers your perceived exertion.

There is a reason it's banned at certain doses in the Olympics.

 

[Robocok]

I like the fancy organic stuff. Brew method probably also counts. Something about tannins I heard somewhere. Are tannins bad?

 

[JimRussel]

There is a reason it's banned at certain doses in the Olympics.

No. This stopped in 2004.

It is currently back in the monitoring program:

WADA added caffeine to its monitoring list for 2017 so they could study the substance further.

 

[Iron Nick]

I drink black coffee before all exercise (including running), and often on an empty stomach.

It doesn't bother me as long as there's a sufficient gap (30 minutes or whatever) between the drinking and the exercising.

I don't have any advice or insights for you, though. I suspect it just depends on your individual physiological constitution.

I'm also fine with coffee before any kind of exercise, if it doesn't work for you, you can try either caffeine tablets or caffeine gum.

I also get an upset stomach from coffee. I now drink a glass of milk before I drink my coffee and that seems to help alot for me. I drink it 45 minutes before excercise

Usually a short dark strong coffee, not much milk and 2 tea spoons of sugar. Just seems to give me a little boost

Caffeine is performance enhancing for endurance runners. The sweet spot apparently for caffeine dosage and performance enhancement is five milligrams of caffeine for every kilogram of body weight . For a 150 lb. runner, that equates to 340 milligrams of caffeine. But I'd suggest <300 or 300 exactly. Take just enough where it's not dehydrating you. It lowers your perceived exertion.

There is a reason it's banned at certain doses in the Olympics.

I like the fancy organic stuff. Brew method probably also counts. Something about tannins I heard somewhere. Are tannins bad?View attachment 716059

No. This stopped in 2004.

It is currently back in the monitoring program:

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll just try it out some more times in the future, probably with slightly different timings and a less full stomach also.

What (and when?) do you guys eat if you want to get in an intense session of cardio of let's say ~20-35 minutes?

I figured that beet juice 2-2.5 hours before running helps significantly, but i'm still not entirely sure on what to eat.
Maybe having the last big meal at least 3 hours before running and a little snack 30-45mins. before running?

Also heard about some carbs and fat 1.5h before running being good, for example in the form of a banana and a few almonds.

 

[HomeCheese]

Some NBA players have coffee with butter in it from a grass fed cow. I think it's supposed to open your blood vessels.

I drink coffee in the morning and not after. The earlier I run the faster I seem to go. Not sure if it's because of the coffee or because I get more tired as the day goes on.

 

[DEVILsSON]

I remember getting good results from caffeine(~3-5mg per kg bodyweight) and aspirin(~5mg per kg). I am terrible all things aerobics so I leaned pretty hard on this stuff when I had to run a couple miles or other such activities. Beta alanine was also helpful.

 

[Iron Nick]

I remember getting good results from caffeine(~3-5mg per kg bodyweight) and aspirin(~5mg per kg). I am terrible all things aerobics so I leaned pretty hard on this stuff when I had to run a couple miles or other such activities. Beta alanine was also helpful.

Thanks, not gonna use Aspirine though, AFAIK it's considered a PED and while i might not compete, it'd still feel wrong for me.
Will experiment more with coffee though i think. Caffeeine as a sup might be a thing for the future though in my case.

 

[JimRussel]

Thanks, not gonna use Aspirine though, AFAIK it's considered a PED and while i might not compete, it'd still feel wrong for me.
Will experiment more with coffee though i think. Caffeeine as a sup might be a thing for the future though in my case.

You’re asking about caffeine, but won’t take ASA/Aspirin? Lol

Are you confusing it with something else?

 

[Iron Nick]

You’re asking about caffeine, but won’t take ASA/Aspirin? Lol

Are you confusing it with something else?

Isn't caffeine legal within a certain range? If not, then i probably won't do it, but i think caffeine is fine (and legal in competition) within the amounts in coffee though.

 

[JimRussel]

Isn't caffeine legal within a certain range? If not, then i probably won't do it, but i think caffeine is fine (and legal in competition) within the amounts in coffee though.

Bro...are you even reading your own thread? You literally quoted the post I made about caffeine.

Thanks, not gonna use Aspirine though, AFAIK it's considered a PED and while i might not compete, it'd still feel wrong for me.

Where did you get this information from? What do you think acetylsalicylic acid is and does? It's not banned by WADA at all.

 

[Iron Nick]

Bro...are you even reading your own thread? You literally quoted the post I made about caffeine.



Where did you get this information from? What do you think acetylsalicylic acid is and does? It's not banned by WADA at all.

I'm confused rn, sorry.
As for Aspirin: if i'm not mistaken Aspirin Complex is on the list for banned substances in many sports.
Feel free to correct me though!

 

[JimRussel]

I'm confused rn, sorry.
As for Aspirin: if i'm not mistaken Aspirin Complex is on the list for banned substances in many sports.
Feel free to correct me though!

If you're not in the US, it's not on WADA's list at all.

If you are in the US:

https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/2019-wallet-card.pdf

EXAMPLES OF MEDICATIONS THAT ARE PERMITTED:

...

HeartMedications: Aspirin

First one on the list.

10/10 researching-things-for-yourself skills, brah.

 

[Iron Nick]

If you're not in the US, it's not on WADA's list at all.

If you are in the US:

https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/2019-wallet-card.pdf

Thanks. Aspirin Complex seems to be banned in some cases though, because of the peseudoephedrin.

10/10 researching-things-for-yourself skills, brah.

You're right, but no reason to be rude, man!

 

[JimRussel]

Thanks. Aspirin Complex seems to be banned in some cases though, because of the peseudoephedrin.

That's not "Aspirin". That's "Aspirin taken in combination with another drug that might be/is banned".

 

[Iron Nick]

That's not "Aspirin". That's "Aspirin taken in combination with another drug that might be/is banned".

Fair enough mate.