So I was at a multi day track meet and I got a black coffee every morning as I always do. A coach commented on it and said that he's never seen an athlete drinking coffee at this event. Looking around the cafeteria at people faster than me, I realized that he was right: no one had coffee except for the coaches.
Now, I've been having a cup or two in the morning every day for the past year. And I eat clean--no sports drinks, junk food, sugary juices, athlete "boosts." So coffee is the only "boost" I get before morning workouts and races. But could I be harming my performance by drinking a black coffee every day?