In this installment of Virtual Running Buddy, I take questions regarding the effects of caffeine on performance and mistakes runners make. If you missed them, you can find the previous Virtual Running Buddy posts here and here.
Photo by Jenny Downing
Question:
I love the boost I get from the GU gels on my longer runs. I just bought a multi-pack and some of the flavors have caffeine, but I’m hesitant to try those flavors. What kind of effect/benefit does caffeine contribute to performance? How do the caffeine levels of GU compare to that of coffee or pop?
- Adina
Answer:
Most resources I have found tend to agree that caffeine can boost performance in both shorter as well as endurance events. All of the anecdotal advice I’ve received regarding caffeine usage on race day has been “Once you start using caffeine in the race, keep using it.” I assume this has to do with the crash that takes place once the caffeine wears off. This is similar to the way co-workers who drink coffee in the morning might also have a cup late-afternoon (combat the crash with another dosage).
In general, though, the info I am reading does not recommend starting to drink coffee in an effort to gain these performance benefits. I don’t drink coffee or soda on a regular basis, because when I need a boost I want it to really work. Similarly, the effects of caffeine on performance seem to be magnified for those who have not built up a tolerance to (or dependence on) caffeine. My advice would be to give one of the caffeinated gels a try late in a long training run, to see if it gives you an additional boost (more than an uncaffeinated gel) and to make sure your stomach can tolerate it. If it seems to work, do what I do: keep a caffeinated gel or two tucked away on race day for when you need a “turbo boost” (whether real or imagined) in the later miles!
As for how much caffeine can be found in GU gels, it looks like the “standard” dosage is 20 mg and the 2x flavors (such as Espresso Love) have 40 mg. The average cup of coffee contains 115-175 mg of caffeine. But remember, you probably wouldn’t drink 5 cups of coffee in a 4-5 hour period, but you might take that many gels during your marathon.
More Resources:
How Caffeine Affects Runners
Caffeine Effects on Weight Loss & Sport
Question:
What are some of the biggest mistakes you and/or other new/advancing runners have made/make?
- Oblivion
Answer:
This snippet from Coach’s Corner – Setting up your season seems fitting for those of us that are training:
“One top running coach who works with a gaggle of Kenyans was asked what is wrong with American runners. He replied, ‘They run their hard runs too easy, and their easy runs too hard.’”
I can relate to that statement. Not running my easy runs easy enough is probably the biggest mistake I make. I’ve been trying to combat this lately by changing my Garmin to not allow me to see my pace while on an easy run. Running by feel seems to fix the issue of “chasing the needle” to hit a particular pace, and also gives me a little break from the feeling of training. Some of these “pace blind” easy runs have been the most enjoyable I’ve had lately.
My guess as to the biggest mistake all runners make (regardless of what level they’re at) is not getting enough rest. [Expect a post from me in the near future discussing the role rest plays in training and the concept of supercompensation.] It’s easy to fall into the trap that the harder you work, the better you’re getting. However, your body needs rest in order to repair the damage you’re doing. The short-term effect of not getting enough rest is being too tired and/or sore to properly perform your next workout, making that workout less effective. But, the long-term side effect of not getting enough rest is overtraining which often leads to injury.
More Resources:
The Errors of our Running Ways
10 Common Running Mistakes to Avoid
What do you think? Is caffeine all it’s hyped up to be or is it a placebo that makes you feel more energetic? Have any running mistakes that you or someone else makes (or used to make, but have overcome)? Let’s hear about it in the comments.
As always, if you have questions that you would like addressed, please send them to marty@fitmilwaukee.com.
Re: Caffeine, lately there’s been a call to limit caffeine intake to 200mg on race day until more can be learned about it. Some runner collapse is linked to caffeine consumption above that level. “The Running Doc” has been waving the red flag on caffeine lately and this is a pretty good link, though not the one I had in mind and can no longer find: http://runningdoc.competitor.com/2010/07/05/caffeine-yes-or-no/
I’m a daily coffee drinker until a month or two before a race, then I cut the caffeine out with the exception of my gels (e.g. as of last week, I quit ahead of Chicago 10/10/10). I train as I’m going to race. Honestly, I’ve never felt a tangible boost from them, but I’ve also never crashed late race (other than due to extreme weather), so I don’t fix what isn’t broken. I use PowerBar gels which are dosed at 25mg or 50mg for the 2x. I use the 2X flavors, but I’ve never taken more than 3 gels in a race, so I’ve stayed under that new 200mg guideline even before it was a guideline.
Thanks for that link Oblivion! Like anything else, it seems there definitely can be too much of a good thing.
I don’t drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks very often, but when I do I definitely feel a boost. Similarly, I feel a noticeable difference between taking a “regular” gel and one that is caffeine-infused. What I cannot tell you for certain, though, is whether it’s an actual physical difference or if I just “know” that caffeine will give me an energy boost (it could be that simply seeing the “w/ caffeine” on my Orange Burst Gu packet is enough).