Caffeine and Running Masterclass | Pros, Cons, and How to Get the Best of Both

It’s time to take a closer look at caffeine for running performance. We’ve all heard about how caffeine can boost your performance, and there’s something to that, but have you read the studies that show detrimental effects to your physiology. I’ll break down both, as well as how caffeine actually works, and give a unique recommendation to hack your caffeine intake to get the best of the upsides with minimum downsides.
Grab your copy of the RUN ELITE BOOK here! www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFCZF65L
NAVIGATE VIDEO:
00:00 Caffeine’s reputation
01:04 How caffeine works
04:56 Benefits of caffeine
09:06 Downsides of caffeine
16:42 Pros and cons recap
21:58 Hack your caffeine intake
28:21 What I drink
STUDIES REFERENCED
Coffee drinkers live longer, and mortality bottoms out:
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26614...
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25089...
Runner's shave 6 second off mile time:
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29140...
Weightlifters squat 600 more pounds:
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26890...
Habitual consumption and uncontrolled BP:
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27075...
Slow metabolic spike:
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19451...
4x heart attack:
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16522...
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18850...
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17205...
Italian Study:
•pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38295....
NITRIC OXIDE RESOURCES
Caldwell Esselstyn on Nitric Oxide (video): • The Magic Of Nitric Ox...
Functional Nitric Oxide Nutrition: What are we Missing in our Diets? (Video):
kzbin.infoZtFsQ_-j...
Whole beetroot consumption acutely improves running performance:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22709...
Watercress Research:
www.cambridge.org/core/journa...
A couple more studies on Nitric Oxide:
Influence of dietary nitrate on the physiological determinants of exercise performance: A critical review:
cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139...
Cardiorespiratory function associated with dietary nitrate supplementation.
cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10....
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[@Gary1958UK]

Another amazing video ftom my favourite you tube channel! Just got the book and I honestly can't put it down. You have re-ignited my excitement for running and I now believe that even at 65 I can improve beyond previous hopes. I totally recommend the book to every single runner out there - no matter what their ability level. Thank you so much. Take care.

[@runelitecoach]

Gary! That’s amazing. Thank you for your feedback. So glad you’re liking it. Please do me a favor and leave a review on Amazon. It helps so much. And come to the live tomorrow where I’ll be giving some of the reasons why this book was needed and taking questions.

[@RaphaelIgrisianu]

you ain't crazy, the industry makes us crazy. You just remind us how were supposed to live. THANKS!

[@runelitecoach]

Welcome 🤗 glad you appreciate the video

[@LeonardoGarciaguitar]

Great video! Love the science and the emphasis on health.

[@jondalgas7201]

Beet root powder ordered! Tnx 🤩🤩🤩

[@runelitecoach]

Hope you like it!

[@MrPhibib]

Your book just arrived in the post today and struggling to put it down, congrats on the book!

[@runelitecoach]

Amazing! Thank you for your support and hope you keep loving it. Please leave a review on Amazon if you’re liking it Also I’m keeping track of anyone who has told me they got the book to call you out with a thank you in the end credits of one of our upcoming videos. Got you.

[@jonathantrotter715]

Great informative video, presented with so much positivity and enthusiasm, thanks Andrew

[@runelitecoach]

Welcome 🙏 glad you enjoyed Jon

[@timothymohammed919]

loving the content.... keep it up

[@runelitecoach]

Thank you for your support. Glad you like it.

[@annahunt6578]

I don't drink coffee anymore, and I don't miss it. Half the reason I used to drink it was for the "morning ritual" and to have a hot cup of cozy stuff. For a long time I did tea for a long time. But these days I just do lemon water in the morning and a green juice an hour later or so. - also I don't have chocolate anymore at all either. I can't take caffeine anymore. Thank you great video

[@potblack7951]

Great video..very informative 👍

[@runelitecoach]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you

[@MartyMcGrime]

Ive always heard that caffeine is the biggest legal performance enhancer. I've always struggled with caffeine. This Sunday I ran 5k at a 3/10 effort and my AVG HR was 137. I then had a coffee and ran another 5k at a 3/10 effort and my AVG HR was 156. I honestly felt awful, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. No more coffee for me. I think different people react differently. But with my ADHD brain it was too much for me

[@MartyMcGrime]

Surely having my heart rate higher is going to fatigue me more quickly. .

[@runelitecoach]

Interesting report. Thanks for sharing that

[@AbbeyRoad1962]

very fascinating information. Thanks for sharing. I already drink green tea.

[@runelitecoach]

Perfect. Nice Sunday morning

[@lancelotisupnext3623]

Finally. Thanks for breaking down the actual science. I've had many runners that are faster than me (at least for now) tell me that I should drink caffeine before races, but it didn't feel right. I was worried about the long term effects on the heart when drinking caffeine and running hard. You put the data right there. Big thank you. I'll share it. Also have you read "Personalized Nutrition by Prediction of Glycemic Responses" by Zeevi et al. 2015? It's pretty cool science on how different people react to different kinds of foods. Eran Segal did Ted Talk about it titled on YT as "What is the best diet for humans" which led me to the paper.

[@runelitecoach]

Wow! Amazing. I will get that study immediately and read it. Thank you for the recommendation. And yes, I’m happy for you that you followed your intuition on this and have refrained in large part from caffeine. Thank you for your support of the channel.

[@db4487]

Coffee is a cup of berry seed juice. It's extremely good for you. I enjoy my morning coffee. I'm not "addicted.". I wouldn't get a headache without it.

[@runelitecoach]

Getting a headache from not doing something doesn’t indicate addiction. Most people wouldn’t get a headache by not poking around on their phone for a few hours, but a few are able to put it down. But this is not a video on addiction, this is a video on the acute effects of Coffee. I have other videos on Coffee as well, there are benefits as well, like increased spermidine production, but you can get that through several Whole Foods, and avoid the downsides of caffeinated coffee as well. But hey, it’s always a trade-off, do what you like.

[@LeoShoSilva]

Hold on, I'm confused .I always thought coffee's general effect on blood vessels was vasodilation apart from head and neck area where it's vasoconstriction.

[@HouRocket713]

What do you think of yohimbe extract?

[@db4487]

Voltaire is the exception to that longevity study

[@runelitecoach]

Edward tell you this?

[@Ayoj503]

Another great content!! I have a question, is it a good idea to use instant coffee powders as fuel energy during long runs/ races?-Nescafé mix Thank you 🙏

[@runelitecoach]

Heck no! The conclusion is basically don’t have caffeine coffee. So better to have a gel with caffeine if you need it.

[@newtonw1008]

Confused why is decaf coffee OK and caffeinates not?

[@Reasons-to-be-Vegan]

With decaffeinated coffee you still get the benefits of the anti-oxidants in the coffee but not the adrenaline stimulus of the caffeine intake

[@stephenbanavage3293]

great video! So if I understood correctly, coffee caffeine is bad for you. Will caffeine from Green Tea affect your sleep too if taken after midday? I rarely take coffee but lately I started taking a small cup around 10am to help my fast. I don't mind Green Tea instead.

[@runelitecoach]

Yes the caffeine from any source will still impede sleep. Best to not have any caffeine in normal life and use it strategically for races only with the hacks that I share such as coupling or with greens or other nitric oxide producing foods

[@LJ-wo1wf]

8:45 -- what does "four cups a day" mean? Which brew method (drip, espresso, etc)? I asked the same question to my doc last year and eventually got to about 400mg per day (FDA's recommendation). Did some more digging and I figured that it amounts to using about 30 grams of coffee grounds regardless of brew method (that's with arabica coffee; robusta has even more caffeine per gram).

[@runelitecoach]

a cup is the equivalent of 100mg as defined in the studies I share here. So yes it depends on the method, bean, and location. So I can't tell you specifially as I don't have those variables of what you're drinking. But all we can do is the best we can with the information we have. So let's define it as 100mg of caffeine...however that's delivered. Good question

[@johnnyrotten43]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that the Italian study does not clearly implicate if it is the coffee or the caffeine that is causing the artery restriction. Is that what you think?

[@runelitecoach]

The study did compare caffeine in coffee versus caffeine in tea, and the ill effect was just in the coffee. Both caffeinated tea and decaf coffee did not have the effect.

[@johnnyrotten43]

Interesting! Thank you!@@runelitecoach

[@leandrocaniglia582]

Any opinion or information about Yerba Mate please?

[@runelitecoach]

This video was on the research, not my opinion, but I reckon that yerba mate would be fine, as the research showed that caffeine in tea doesn't paralyze the arteries like in coffee. So go for it if you wish

[@justinnevins107]

I dont drink coffee, never really cared for it. But I DO use gels and hydration that contain caffine when I marathon or train with runs over 90 minutes. Not sure if this helps or hinders, but it might be worth crafting a personal study (everyone is different) to see if I notice any any positive/ill effects to my caffine use while training/long runs.

[@runelitecoach]

It’s better than caffeine coffee for sure. But probably unnecessary for training runs. Maybe just every now and then to keep you guy used to it and then use it on race day only. Caffeine is WAY more potent if you don’t take it normally and then only on race day.

[@justinnevins107]

@runelitecoach Yes, the reason I use it on long runs is to condition my gut to be used to it and have my body comfortable with the intake of calories this way. I've trained my gut to take in a lot of carbohydrates while running... maybe 90g per hour? I've always used the caffine versions, but I'm not opposed to cutting or eliminating the caffine element entirely if it provides better results. It would be worth an experiment.

[@jimmiejackson4887]

What about the effects of caffeine in prework supplements or protein shakes with caffeine?

[@runelitecoach]

Good question. I don’t know, and can only guess. But what I know for sure is that if the caffeine came from coffee it has the listed adverse effects. The research that I’m aware of is comparing caffeine from coffee and tea. What source does your caffeine come from?

[@justinnevins107]

@runelitecoach I thought about that, only using caffine on race day... but the whole "nothing new on race day" thing had me worried. I usually like to make my long runs as much like my races as possible - same shoe type, clothes, gear, hydration, food/fuel. Like a "dress rehersal," only slower (except when doing marathon pace portions) and shorter, although I'm considering your advice on slow but longer than marathon distances... like 10:00 pace for 30 miles or something like that.

[@AdrianTap]

Addicted to caffeine. Thank God it's not cancer 😂

[@runelitecoach]

Yes

[@MrPhibib]

Does caffeine have negative impacts in hot conditions?

[@runelitecoach]

Yes

[@jherritz]

Did I miss it? Why does the body respond differently to the caffeine in green tea?

[@runelitecoach]

That’s the research I shared in the Italian study. It’s in here

[@jherritz]

​@@runelitecoachdoesn't that somehow imply that caffeine itself isn't the cause of the blood flow restriction? What mechanism did they hypothesize allowed green tea to avoid the effect?

[@db4487]

Vegetable oil is toxic. Did they test true olive oil (most on the market is veg oil with a little olive oil).

[@runelitecoach]

Yes, this was done with cold, pressed fresh olive oil.

[@db4487]

That's the key right there ...three cups of sugar bomb, chemical concoction "coffee."

[@runelitecoach]

Sugar bomb! Well, let’s not add refined sugar to coffee or refined anything.

[@pclarke41]

Cannot take it before running or the only place I'm running is to the toilet!

[@runelitecoach]

😂 I hear you. I do

[@WariWahab]

The background music is a bit too loud making it a bit more difficult to concentrate on your talk and got distracted. Maybe lower the volume of the background music by a lot?

[@runelitecoach]

Thanks. The music is only during the intro first 20 seconds and during transitions. Not during the video.

[@pierresaint-laurent7927]

Your logic doesn't work. Decaf coffee still has all the bad stuff, only the caffeine is gone. So doing tea+decaf coffee = caffeine + all the alkaloids in both coffee and tea. Sorry, I love all the lessons, tips and hacks you bring. It's just this one doesn't seem logical. Signed: Dr. SPOCK

[@runelitecoach]

Coffee, whether decaf or regular, helps in the production of spermidine in the body, which is one of the strongest correlates to longevity. So there are benefits to drinking coffee. But for the most part, this particular video is encouraging people not to drink coffee. So I’m not sure why you’re saying the logic doesn’t work. If you don’t want Coffee, I’m in agreement bro. Your logic in this comment doesn’t make any sense.