How Does Caffeine Help Me?
Forward Focus
Taken in dosages of 80mg upwards, the benefits of caffeine have been shown to provide a mental lift, helping to keep you alert and focused which can help you deliver your A game on vital training sessions and during competition. This effect appears to be optimal when dosages of between 1 and 4mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight are taken on board 1 hour prior to your start time, with athletes selecting an intake within this range based on their individual caffeine tolerance which ideally should be tested in training.
Less Pain More Gain
In dosages of 4mg per kilogram body weight caffeine has been shown to reduce perception of effort, which in simple terms means you can output the same training intensity but it won’t feel as hard. This could translate to maintaining your race pace with less effort/pain so it’s easy to see how this could be of help during tough training and competition.
Go Faster, Go Longer
In slightly lower dosages of 3mg per kilogram of body weight, the benefits of caffeine have been shown to improve performance, essentially helping you to go for longer.
How to Use
It’s easy to see with this impressive benefit list why caffeine is indeed so popular, but it’s also important to understand that an individual’s tolerance of caffeine is very personal so finding what works for you is important. Ideally taken 1 hour prior to your training session or race, a convenient product such as FuelMax Plus Gel will deliver 100mg caffeine whilst at the same time helping to fuel you with fast digesting carbohydrates, or if you prefer a capsule you could opt for Thermobol capsules, containing 148mg of caffeine per tablet. A caffeine boost can also be helpful in long events where you might otherwise lose focus, so carrying a gel to fuel and focus you later in your event can be of benefit.
