Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

New study provides more evidence that drinking coffee gives your cycling a boost

Professor Bruno Gualano reckons a few cups can save minutes in a time trial

Most of us like a coffee before, during or after a bike ride – sometimes all three – and now, another study has been published that suggests we’re doing the right thing, concluding that caffeine boosts cycling performance.

We’ve reported on similar findings here on road.cc before, and the latest study, from the University of São Paulo, put three groups of male competitive cyclists through a time trial.

> It’s official – caffeine makes you ride harder and faster

Metro reports that professor of physiology Bruno Gualano, who is a cyclist and coffee aficionado himself, split the riders into those with a low caffeine intake of one cup or less a day, moderate intake of two cups, and high intake of three cups or more.

The subjects undertook three time trials, stopping when they had burnt off 450 calories – the first after taking a 400mg caffeine tablet that was equivalent to drinking four cups of coffee, the second after taking a placebo, and the third after taking nothing.

Professor Gualano found that almost without exception, the best performances came when the riders were pumped with caffeine, and suggested it could shave minutes off a time trial in race conditions.

The average subject was 2.2 per cent faster when taking the caffeine pill compared to the placebo, and 3.3 per cent faster compared to taking nothing at all.

He added that the improvement in performance was similar between those with a high daily caffeine intake, and those in the group with minimal consumption.

The potential performance enhancing benefits of coffee are well-known – indeed, until 2004 it was banned above a limit of 12 microgram/ml in urine, said to be equivalent to around eight cups of espresso, and in 2010 then WADA president John Fahey suggested reintroducing a ban on it.

> WADA president to urge re-banning of caffeine

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

9 comments

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 7 years ago
3 likes

It's probably due to the time dilation effects from strong coffee:

https://imgur.com/gallery/uoKqLRm

 

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
1 like

400mg is a lot. You'd be in full gabba mode.

Avatar
DrG82 replied to Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
0 likes

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

400mg is a lot. You'd be in full gabba mode.

Indeed, that's about 5 cups of coffee  or 8 pro plus tabsin one hit.

 

 

Avatar
LastBoyScout | 7 years ago
0 likes

I'll have to stick with his tablets - I can't stand coffee and even the smell of it makes me feel a bit queasy.

Avatar
dottigirl replied to LastBoyScout | 7 years ago
1 like

LastBoyScout wrote:

I'll have to stick with his tablets - I can't stand coffee and even the smell of it makes me feel a bit queasy.

Chocolate? Lots of the dark stuff?

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to dottigirl | 7 years ago
0 likes

dottigirl wrote:

LastBoyScout wrote:

I'll have to stick with his tablets - I can't stand coffee and even the smell of it makes me feel a bit queasy.

Chocolate? Lots of the dark stuff?

Cola, or energy drinks.

Avatar
Sven Van Anders | 7 years ago
1 like

Where did he get his placebo from? I already drink ample coffee, but I would welcome an extra 1.1% performance gain with no extra effort.

Avatar
alansmurphy replied to Sven Van Anders | 7 years ago
1 like

Sven Van Anders wrote:

Where did he get his placebo from? I already drink ample coffee, but I would welcome an extra 1.1% performance gain with no extra effort.

 

I hope you're being flippant  1

 

Avatar
StraelGuy | 7 years ago
0 likes

This doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I'm usually knackered after work but a large old brown java made in my Aeropress has me absolutely raring to go kiss.

Latest Comments