Should've had a stick or two.
Training day after day for a competition can sap your body’s energy supply. But caffeine can help you maintain momentum when your carbohydrate stores are depleted, according to new research in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
In the study, tired cyclists who ingested 1.4 milligrams of caffeine per pound of body weight experienced less performance decline than carb-depleted athletes who took a placebo.
Caffeine increases activity in your sympathetic nervous system, producing a flood of adrenaline and increasing your muscles’ capacity for work, regardless of carbohydrate availability, says study author Stephen Lane, Ph.D., of RMIT University in Australia.
Lane suggests popping a few pieces of caffeinated gum, such as Stay Alert, just before exercise. (Try 5 minutes: When cyclists chomped at that time and then cycled in a separate study at Kansas State University, they saw the biggest performance boost.) Another option: Clif Shot Turbo Energy Gel.
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