I was wondering if drinking iced coffee a couple of hours before my race would give me a good amount of energy to push harder in the race? Has anyone tried this before?
I was wondering if drinking iced coffee a couple of hours before my race would give me a good amount of energy to push harder in the race? Has anyone tried this before?
I would say it depends. If you normally drink coffee then it probably doesn't help much. But if you are not used to caffeine it might rev you up. I usually drink coffee mostly to get the digestive tract plumbing going so I don't have explosive issues right before or during the race.
It's definitely possible, but the important thing is to try it before a workout or tempo run to see how your body reacts. If everything goes smoothly (no anxiety attacks, cramps, diarrhea), maybe try it again before a low key race. Don't do it for the 1st time before an important post-season meet.
I would suggest 8-10 hours of sleep instead to be energetic.
The coffee might make you want to poop mid race or 10 minutes before with full porta potty lines.
Whatever you do, test it out before a real race. Experiment with what dosage works how far out from race time. I’ve tried taking sips of coffee like 5 min before race start and it did not go well. Felt like I had a hole in my chest.
Definitely try it out in workouts first. I generally try to make sure I have at least an hour after a cup before I start the run. I have only occasionally run into digestion problems which mostly is limited to feeling like I will puke up the coffee. Most of the time it is helpful but figure out how long you need before heading out.
ovoindian wrote:
I was wondering if drinking iced coffee a couple of hours before my race would give me a good amount of energy to push harder in the race? Has anyone tried this before?
Yes, it might help, but definitely try it a few times at practice. I usually drink a strong cup 1:30-2:00 hours before my race.
DC101GDub wrote:
I would say it depends. If you normally drink coffee then it probably doesn't help much. But if you are not used to caffeine it might rev you up. I usually drink coffee mostly to get the digestive tract plumbing going so I don't have explosive issues right before or during the race.
If your not used to caffeine you will be at a better state than without, if you drink coffee, then you will get into normal mode (but would be worse if you cut it out). The effect start around 45 minutes after you drank the stuff. Test before competition for digestive issues. For the digestive tract you may as well drink tea or cocoa or hot water, it is the fluid that makes you want to go, not the caffeine.
* it is the HOT fluid
There are substantial genetic differences in the ability to metabolize caffeine. Generally, those of us with the genes for fast metabolism of caffeine find it more desirable and tolerable than those individuals with the genes for slower caffeine metabolism. Multiple studies have shown that caffeine is beneficial for middle and long distance performance. The recommended amount is 3-6mg/kg of body weight approximately 60 minutes prior to the activity. Larger doses of caffeine, e.g. > 9 mg/kg of body weight have not been shown to increase the performance benefit.
Good advice from others here about testing it out first
Remember that coffee, and caffeine in general, is a diuretic - which in addition to explaining the potential for GI issues, can also lead to dehydration. The dehydration issue is the biggest concern to me, especially in warm weather races, so if I do any caffeine from any source prior to a race I also made sure to take in more water to balance things out.
Coffee doesn't cause dehydration.