Evidence brief · Supplement
Caffeine for Endurance performance
Evidence grade A — Well established
- Overall grade
- Grade A
- Last revised
- 1
- graded outcome
- 0
- references listed
Assembled by the app from other entries in this library. It adds no evidence of its own — follow the links to the entries it draws on.
1 at grade A — 1 graded row
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Endurance performanceEvidence grade A
Well established
Moderatehigh
The evidence in words
The verdict
For endurance performance, Caffeine earns evidence grade A (moderate effect, high consistency) — there is real evidence here. Well established
How it might work
It blocks adenosine receptors, masking the 'sleep pressure' adenosine builds through the day, which sharpens alertness and lowers perceived exertion. Its ~5-hour half-life is why late doses wreck sleep.
How to use it
1–3 mg/kg (roughly 80–200 mg) for focus or ~3–6 mg/kg pre-exercise. Hard cutoff by early afternoon — caffeine within ~8–10 hours of bed measurably degrades sleep even when you fall asleep fine.
Safety & cautions
Safe for most in moderation; excess causes anxiety, palpitations, and insomnia. Dependence and withdrawal (headache, fatigue) are real. Combining multiple stimulants compounds cardiovascular strain.
Bottom line
A genuinely effective, cheap ergogenic and nootropic. Dose to purpose, respect the early-afternoon cutoff, and pair with theanine if it makes you jittery.
How it is used
As the entry records it, from the studies it summarises. Not a recommendation for you — doses that suit a trial population may not suit you.
- Focus
- 80–200 mg; theanine 200 mg to smooth it.
- Pre-exercise
- 3–6 mg/kg, ~45–60 min prior.
Goes with
- CaffeineRead the full Caffeine monographEvidence grade A
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Caffeine for Alertness / reaction timeEvidence grade A — Acute, tolerance-limitedEvidence grade A
- Caffeine for Sleep (afternoon dosing)Evidence grade A — Degrades sleep — the key costEvidence grade A
- Caffeine for Strength / powerEvidence grade B — Smaller effectEvidence grade B
- Caffeine: dosage and how to take it80–200 mg; theanine 200 mg to smooth it.Evidence grade A
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own — it is assembled from the entries it links to, whose sources are on their pages.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.