Coffee contains a mix of nutrients, including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, polyphenols and flavonoids, and, of course, caffeine.[1] While very few randomized controlled trials have explored the effect of coffee on exercise performance,[1] some studies have found a beneficial effect of pre-exercise coffee consumption on exercise performance.[2][3][4] However, examining the effect of coffee on performance creates a practical problem: The optimal caffeine dose for increasing exercise performance is 3 to 6 mg per kg bodyweight (approximately 200–400 mg in a 70 kg person) taken around 60 minutes before exercise.[5] Because a cup of coffee could contain anywhere between 50 and 200 mg of caffeine, and because the precise amount of caffeine per cup is highly variable depending on the type of bean, how the bean is roasted, and the method of preparation,[6][7] estimating the amount of caffeine in an “average” cup of coffee is difficult and has a large margin of error. While it has been suggested that 2 to 4 cups of coffee consumed around 60 minutes before exercise should improve exercise performance in most people,[8][1] in order to accurately exploit the performance-enhancing effect of caffeine, choosing a sports nutrition product with a known amount of caffeine might be preferable to drinking an “average” cup of coffee.
Does coffee have the same effect as isolated caffeine on exercise performance?
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•Last Updated: April 23, 2025
Coffee contains various nutrients along with caffeine, and although some studies suggest that it may enhance exercise performance, the caffeine content in coffee can vary significantly. For optimal performance, it may be better to use a sports nutrition product with a known caffeine dosage rather than relying on an average cup of coffee.