Does Caffeine Make You Faster?

does caffeine make you faster there is nothing like a strong cup of coffee for a mid ride pickup but does it really make you that much faster or is it all in your head it's time some gcn does science guys why are we all sitting like this I don't know I've designed an experiment Coast to here is the AL the W A fearsome 2.4 km climb Alpine Vibes and challenge Hank to a race good news is we're both going to have two strong cups of coffee beforehand but there is a catch one of them will be drinking decaf coffee and the other normal caffeinated but then next week we're going to come back and we going to flip the script oh see who wins after all me it's going be me you never win right come on let's go get some coffee could I please have two decaf americanos and just two regular americanos as well [Music] please oh morning coffee I'm desperate I haven't have one all morning just opening I've got the caffeine yeah I'm Hing I need the caffeine right who's who's manad so oh why did you get black so you can't tell the difference oh no no actually I'll go like this what this I really don't know who is right what two yeah we need you need to get the caffeine in you you need to really feel it I'm actually caffeine that is I'm actually really interested to know if caffeine makes different I kind of relied on it for the last 10 years I've needed it but is it all in your head that's it I mean I'm wondering if it's a placebo in some form but anyway to get us through the science let's hear from Andy from Precision Fuel and hydration he was the lowdown well I Tu it Bottoms Up Bottoms Up old chat cheers caffeine is one of the few supplements out there that's actually proven to enhance Athletes Performance it's a stimulant and it works on the brain the central nervous system and on the muscles so it enables you to go faster and push harder for longer if you use it in the right way figuring out if caffeine is really going to work for you is something that you find out as an adult as part of your lifestyle if you're someone who drinks coffee and tea and caffeinated soft drinks and gets on well with them and feel the benefits of caffeine without some of the downsides then it's there's a strong likelihood that caffeine is going to work for you as an athlete as well not everybody responds to caffeine in exactly the same way I hate coffee and that's down to to genetics and Metabolism some people metabolize caffeine really quickly and get a lot of benefits from it without the downsides other people metabolize it slowly and they don't get the benefits genetic testing can help identify this but most of the time people learn this through practical day-to-day life because they decide whether a cup of coffee in the morning really helps them or hinders them for their [Music] day coffee are drunk how you feeling I'm feeling alive I'm feeling ready no idea if I I'm so interested to know right time to hit the climb this one's a big one one of my favorites and uh it's for sure going to get our heart rates going let's do it th coffee hasn't we've made it to the bottom of the alter W and this is a climb that's very local to H he knows it very well so might be an advantage of their hang but hit us with some stats 2.4 K long average gradient for the first 1.4 K around about 10% but we're doing the full length that finishes at the top of the common I used to hold the K now I don't someone called feather took it off me but your chance to get the km back today you feeling good yes I'm feeling good I was and I believe Miracles are the way here I was feeling happy so I feel like now con thinks he's a sexy thing okay anyway there's some energy within me that's come from somewhere and I am ready to rumble you're like a kid on sweet shop right I'm going to set you off exactly the same time so it's going to be a little bit of a race I will not be taking part in this because I am riding in zone 2 and zone two only so I might be a while might have to walk this climb um anyway are we ready team yeah 3 2 1 go I believe in miracles off a start in a dream long old Climer so F God all right there 150 there's been a lot of research over the years into the erogenic which means the performance-enhancing effects of caffeine and how athletes should use it the recommended performance dose is usually between 3 and 6 milligram per kilogram of body weight which usually equates to between 2 and 400 Mig or so for most normal sized adults now that window of of sort of dosage has been tested in the laboratory and it's been shown that anything less than that usually isn't very effective and anything more than that really offers diminishing returns so if you can aim for something within that 3 to six milligrams per kilo Sweet Spot then you're probably in the right Zone [Music] caffeine takes about 15 minutes to start showing up in your bloodstream after you've consumed it and about 50 to 60 Minutes to become maximally effective so actually taking a caffeinated drink or two about an hour before you go out on the bike if you want to be performing at your best from the start is a really good idea it's also means that you don't want to be taking a caffeinated gel in the last three or four miles of an event because it's that's going to kick in after the finish line and I think that's something that a lot of athletes don't necessarily realize if you're going to save caffeine for late on an event you still need to take it 40 to 60 minutes before the end if you want it to help you in a final Sprint or something like that missing that bit of Zing just makes me feel on the decaf heart [Music] 165 last 30 seconds [Music] right they've made it to the top and they look pretty damn knackered how was it hard no full gas effort upper climb is easy true um but first in the morning without a coffee cuz I'm I don't think I've had a coffee do not I still feel a bit lethargic you yeah what do you how do you feel Connor see I I thought I was on decaf as well on the climb but then I managed to get into a rhythm cuz Hank over took me and I just about managed to peg him so I was performing relatively well 7 minutes 20 for me up clb 7 Minutes 2 so I've gone you know 10 times faster than you not quite anyway the Mark has been set the Mark has 20 seconds and we will be back in a week's time the tables well too but more or less caffeine it's going to be interesting all I could do is some caffeine mate right see you in the week see you in the week folks bye Conor see you in the [Music] week it's time for round two right get these down you here we go get your other ones don't me your other ones I'm on the caffinated oh yeah 100% how do you know I know I think I'm just too good at my coffee think I is caffeinated though but we'll see oh I'm freezing I think I've got you today well you do seem very sprightly this morning worries me this is the Boost I needed and you're not getting the Boost you need right let's down this get to the climb [Music] yeah okay we're back for round two made it to the bottom of the hill coffee has been drunk Connor how you feeling what what how do you feel last week so I'm convinced I had the caffeine today but then I was convinced last week and I remember I was singing on the way here and I haven't actually been singing on the way here so I don't I I generally don't know anymore I'm like questioning my own caffeine and abilities cuz I think I'm quite a coffee connoisseur HK I've got no idea I'm I'm feeling a little like flat today so I Reon I had the caffeine last week but who knows so it's not obvious right now it's really not I'm I'm just still a bit nervous of this time because it always scares me the important question is will it make any difference and will I actually manage to beat Hank there's only one way to find out guys it's race time set you oh yeah I'm feeling optimistic people I'm feeling optimistic I've had Han before I let him come back I let him come back cuz I'm I'm a nice guy today there will be no Revenge well no there will be Revenge there'll be no prisoners that's it right Conor get in the zone come on now Z if he beats I'm never going to leave it down no man I was born in the Z he's taking his he's opening the Gil you might want to tuck this in Conor that's going to hold you back yeah let me Arrow myself up right let's go in three 2 one off you go just about he's playing a slightly C game come on legs where are you no cheating [Music] some people will definitely feel like they get a boost from caffeine immediately when they take a coffee or or caffeinated gel and I think it's fair to say that the physiology suggests that that is a placebo effect and I think there is a strong placebo effect tied to the use of caffeine with a lot of people we all feel better in the morning when we've had our cup of coffee and I can vouch from experience that living with someone my wife who doesn't have caffeine we have decaf and we have normal coffee in the house even if I have a decaf coffee it kind of feels like it wakes me up because it's part of my morning routine so the I think the placebo effect is real I think also as an athlete understanding you know the the nutritional inputs that really help you during an event um you know carbohydrate intake fluid intake electrolyte intake they are massive levers that you can pull on to improve your performance caffeine is more of a marginal and minor gain so although the effects are real they they are very much so tied to the pero effect with some people as [Music] well if you're thinking about increasing the amount of caffeine that you're taking in to increase your performance further it's always worth bearing in mind there's a sweet spot with these things and that if you're going to increase it make sure you're not going out of the recommended range 3 to 6 Mig of caffeine per kilo of body weight and try not to do it too quickly so you don't want to go from taking a very small dose to a very high dose like anything in in physiology and training you want to just incrementally increase and I think one of the biggest things that most Riders don't realize is how much caffeine they're taking in in different products and different types of foods and drinks that they're they're um consuming on a regular basis so getting a handle on those numbers and what they are are is really really [Music] important my lungs are on fire I think that's honestly the deepest I've ever got on G I feel like I was back in a race what have we done to ourselves Hank oh gosh right guys play I can you've tried very hard from all the uh coughing and spluttering dead how was it how was the actual ride this time and all importantly who won at the top so from the start I was kind of thinking it's going to be a same it's going to be a rerun think it's going to walk away with it but actually halfway up I found something within myself and I did feel stronger okay I managed to beat Hank which I'm pretty toughed with I I think we should mention that it was fairly tactical just because I think the headwind played a big part um uh there was a big wi coming in off the top there but in my mind Conor you were stronger this time I do think I was Stronger cuz it was a similar scenario you went ahead but this time I was always was re you back then okay um and what were the times comparing to last week so time wise I was only a tad faster um 719 I mean pretty much the same time but power-wise I had about 40 extra Watts I averaged 437 Watts that is big today I think that just shows I I was 20 seconds slower than last week um and uh just didn't feel as comfortable um interesting though my heart rate average was the same 167 but the first time I was able to hit a max heart rate of 176 and this time just hit 172 it's interesting so what do you think you had today caffeine or no caffeine I'm pretty sure I didn't have any caffeine cuz I still feel flat and last week I'm pretty sure I had the caffeine yeah I think the opposite T I'm I think had caffeine today and decaffeinated last time but what I'm so I'm still like not entirely sure but excuse me this is really interesting so so tell us Connor last week you had caffeine MK you had the decaf and this week you had the caffeine and Connor had the decaf that is generally that generally a big surprise I was so convinced I had decaf last week to the extent I had an actual caffein to drink after we finished filming soz I was worried I was like not have my Cofe you literally overdose on C cuz I couldn't sleep last week either when I went home and I got in bed I lay down and I was like wa maybe I have had the caffeine so that just I guess means that the PBO really plays a big part is because cuz I was so convinced I had the caffeine today and when you dropped me and I was like I can't let him beat me today I I've got the caffeine this is my best me I'm going to bring him back and I did so it really is so mental but I think we should mention that this isn't you know real factual science because you can be on an off day you can you've trained maybe more than I have and that all plays a big part the variables of the weather there's there's a lot of factors involved caffine can play a small role but also it's potentially not as much of a massive benefit as maybe we once thought and when I was racing I I did actually maybe not the best thing but I did rely on quite a lot especially before stages I think we all did we all did but I almost wonder if it was for that mental boost it does play with your head if I don't have a coffee in the morning and I go on the bike I I'm like oh really need a coffee and when you're so used to having it every day I think it could could and it's that it's that mood it's that motivation but the big question is is that the result you expected let us know in the comment section below if you know you think that that result is true I guess and big thanks to Andy from Precision Fuel and hydration for all the Insight because it is is such a fascinating topic and um it's one that's been it's been really cool to delve into today but thanks for watching this video If you enjoyed it please give it big thumbs up yeah and give C thumbs up for beating me cuz it's it's only going to happen once and thanks for not making me ride up the hill full of gas see see you the next one

Channel: Global Cycling Network

Views: 89,980

Keywords: coffee, caffeine, faster, coffee effects, Global Cycling Network, Sports, Cycling, Bike, Bikes, Bicycle (Product Category), Road Bike, Road Cycling, Cyclist, GCN Cycling, sec-feature, sca15, gc21s, ꤬, c1, ꗶ, Ղ, ଙ, ᠫ, パ, 𖬫, 𑫷‎, 𑫫‎, 𑫎‎, Ꮽ, ꚢ, Բ, ፕ15, ኾ, ጮ, 5408, caffeine effects, caffeine effects on the body

Id: 7I0lNgU8rw0

Length: 16min 7sec (967 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 26 2024