Should you drink coffee before you run? (2024)

For some runners (pros included), having a cup of coffee before a run is a non-negotiable part of the routine – a ritual so embedded in the norm that a workout just wouldn’t feel right without it.

If you’re in the daily caffeine camp, good news: drinking coffee before running can offer real performance benefits. These advantages include decreased fatigue and reduced perceived exertion, among other perks. But it’s not one-size-fits-all. Depending on how much coffee you consume and your individual sensitivity to caffeine, downing a triple-shot espresso before you hit the trails might do more harm than good.

Amity Lui, a New York-based sports dietitian who works with runners, says clients often pose various coffee-related questions such as, ‘Should I be drinking coffee before running?’ ‘How much coffee should I drink per day?’ ‘How much is too much?’ ‘When should I be drinking it?’

While the answers to those questions depend on your individual needs, a few general guidelines can help you optimise your pre-run coffee routine. Here’s what nutrition experts and research have to say about getting your caffeine fix before you log your miles.

Is it okay to have caffeine before a run?

There are actually lots of benefits to drinking coffee before a run – most of these advantages come from the caffeine in coffee, so the pay-offs aren’t so present in decaf varieties. ‘Caffeine is a legal ergogenic aid,’ Lui says. That means it can enhance your performance, according to research.

One review, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism in 2019, summarises that for endurance running and race-walking specifically, caffeine can lessen perceived effort, tiredness and pain, while boosting alertness and vigilance. Researchers suggest taking in caffeine before a run, but also note that consuming it during a race, when fatigue starts to set in, can lead to an even greater response.

What are the effects of coffee before running?

The effects of consuming caffeine seem to most consistently provide moderate to large benefits for aerobic endurance activities, according to a 2021 paper published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. That said, ‘small to moderate benefits of caffeine use’ are seen in sprinting, muscular endurance and muscular strength, among other sport activities, per the paper.

Another effect of coffee: it can make you go to the toilet. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can trigger a reflex that leads to bowel movements, Lui says. This can be a pro or a con of coffee, depending on the context, she says. For example, if you’re trying to empty your bowels before you leave home, then coffee may help. But if you gulp coffee and start running before you’ve gone for a number two, well, things could quickly backfire.

Do elite runners use caffeine?

Absolutely – caffeine is widely accepted as an endurance-performance enhancing supplement. Two to three cups of a robust brew can reduce levels of perceived exertion in athletes and increase endurance performance by an average of 24%, giving you an extra push when you need it, concluded a 2016 review of multiple studies.

One more benefit of consuming coffee is that it contains antioxidants, which are helpful for anyone to consume, but especially athletes. That’s because antioxidants work to reduce the body’s inflammatory response to exercise, says Rachel Gargano, a registered dietitian specialising in sports nutrition with Top Nutrition Coaching.

How long before a run should I drink coffee?

It takes some practice to figure out how much coffee (if any) is a worthy part of your pre-run ritual, and then also to determine the dose and timing that works for you.

No matter how you prefer to take your coffee or when, both experts we spoke to recommend pairing it with some type of food to ensure you have the energy you need to perform well in your workout. ‘Coffee itself does not provide energy, because it’s not a calorie-based food,’ Lui says. That means you need to get energy from somewhere else.

Gargano recommends having an easy-to-digest carbohydrate snack within 30 to 45 minutes of starting a run. Good pre-run snack options, according to Lui, include old reliables such as a slice of toast with a banana and honey, a banana with peanut butter, or just apple sauce for those who have trouble tolerating solid foods before exercise.

If you’re sensitive to caffeine… Gargano advises against making coffee a part of your regular running routine, because the downsides likely outweigh any potential benefits.

If you seem to tolerate caffeine well… Have a cup of coffee 30 to 60 minutes before you head out for your run, says Gargano. You’ll notice the effects of caffeine as quickly as 15 minutes after you start drinking, but its full influence peaks around one hour later, says Lui, who suggests timing your pre-run coffee consumption so that you receive ‘that little boost when you need it the most’.

If you prefer sugar in your coffee… Consume your coffee closer to your run – within 30 minutes or so, says Gargano. That’s because ‘sugar is going to hit the system pretty quickly, and to take advantage of high blood sugar levels, which is beneficial when you’re exercising, you’d want to get that a little closer’ to the start of your workout, she explains.

If you’re running long, as in more than two hours… Take caffeine in on your run, says Gargano. Brands such as Maurten, Precision Hydration and SiS all offer caffeinated gel and chew options.

How much coffee you should drink before a run?

The general suggestion for optimum caffeine intake to help your performance is 3mg to 6mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight.

For an athlete who weighs 68kg, that would be around 200mg to 400mg – the equivalent of about two to five cups of coffee.

However, how much coffee you should drink before a run depends on:

• Genetics
• How long you’ve been drinking coffee
• How much you have on a daily basis

If you’re sensitive to caffeine and experience jitteriness, or it increases your anxiety, then you likely want to lean towards the lower end of that spectrum, says Gargano. However, ‘if you’re already taking in a decent amount of caffeine on a daily basis, then you probably need a bigger dose’, she adds.

Keep in mind: ‘There’s such a thing as too much caffeine,’ warns Lui. You might want to stick to around 400mg or lower.

Too much caffeine can lead to effects such as:

• Upset stomach
• Fast heart rate
• Anxiousness
• Interrupted sleep patterns

Does caffeine make running harder?

It doesn’t make it harder, but more caffeine isn’t always better. Depending on your tolerance for the stimulant, having too much of it can increase your risk of anxiety and heart-rate abnormalities, Lui says. You might start sweating, get clammy hands and feel jittery, she adds. Those symptoms won’t help you feel your best out on the run.

Also, as mentioned, coffee can trigger the need for a toilet break, which may be a downside in certain circ*mstances. (Who wants to go searching for a public toilet mid-run?)

Moreover, taking in a lot of caffeine late in the day can disrupt your sleep. That’s because the average half-life of caffeine is about five hours, says Lui, meaning it takes about five hours for half the amount of caffeine you ingested to dissipate from your system. For example, say you drink two 240ml cups of coffee with 180mg total of caffeine (the standard amount in one cup is about 90mg) at 3pm before your afternoon run. By 8pm, 90mg of caffeine will still be left in your body. Depending on how sensitive you are to caffeine, you may have a tough time falling or staying asleep that night, Lui explains.

Is caffeine good before a 5K?

Research published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport shows that consuming 5 mg of caffeine can give your run a little kick. Runners who had caffeine before running a 5K improved their time by about 1 per cent as compared to when they didn’t have it. That means if you run a 20-minute 5K, caffeine could help you cut off 12 seconds.

It also might help you focus on the run. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that caffeine before a workout helped people concentrate better during their sweat session, even if they didn’t sleep well the night before. So they were able to devote more mental focus to their task at hand, which can help reap physical benefits, too.

And... should you drink coffee after a run too?

Most of the science to date has explored the benefits of caffeine pre-exercise, but a new study suggests there may also be benefits to caffeine post-exercise. The research, published in the journal Nutrients, found that drinking coffee after a hard workout improves muscle glycogen synthesis, allowing you to recover more effectively before your next bout of exercise.

The study took 11 trained male cyclists and had them complete a four-hour ride in the afternoon, followed by another the next morning. After the second ride, the cyclists were given a drink of coffee, milk and sugar, or an equally sugary drink but without the coffee. The results? The cyclists who drank the coffee beverage saw their glycogen supply increase 57% more than the cyclists who drank the beverage without coffee. What does this mean for runners? After a tough session, make sure you refuel with carbs, protein and a cup of coffee. Any complaints? No, we didn’t think so.

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