Caffeine is most commonly used for its direct effects of increased energy and mood-boosting effects and is used by many people around the world. Many athletes and fitness fanatics use caffeine for a more productive and intense workout, pushing them past their regular limits. People often find that caffeine can help produce more intense states of exercise euphoria. But how exactly can you enhance your runner’s high using caffeine?
Caffeine helps with the creation of exercise euphoria through the production of dopamine, as well as by blocking adenosine receptors, a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of tiredness. By blocking adenosine receptors, you will have more energy available during your workout, which can result in a more intense workout, leading to greater exercise euphoria.
Introduction
Did you know that more than 80% of North Americans consume an average of 200mg (about 2 cups) of coffee each day? [1]. Caffeine, the most used psychoactive drug in the world, is primarily consumed in the form of drinks such as coffee, tea, and energy drinks plays a big role in many cultures around the globe.
Caffeinated drinks keep us alert, happy and many of us functioning throughout the day. Many athletes rely on their caffeine-drinks to act as ergogenic aids to supplement their athletic performance. It has been said to improve athletic performance by decreasing fatigue, as well as by improving concentration and alertness. Additionally as well as by increasing the reliance on fat as an energy source initially before moving on to burn glycogen for energy.
Let us dive deeper into how caffeine can help us generate more intense feelings of exercise euphoria.
Caffeine’s Effects on the Brain
In the brain, caffeine primarily works by blocking the effects of adenosine. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter within the brain that is responsible for making you feel tired and relaxed. Caffeine is an amazingly talented molecule and is able to negate adenosine’s effects by successfully mimicking its size and shape, effectively blocking adenosine’s receptors.
In addition to that, caffeine can increase the production of dopamine and norepinephrine. Your dopamine hormone makes you feel plays a role in how we perceive pleasure, whereas norepinephrine is released during periods of stress.
Combined, these processes are responsible for the increased levels of arousal, happiness, alertness and focus following the ingestion of caffeine.
How Caffeine Helps with Your Runner’s High
Direct Effects
- Blood Supply. Once your body absorbs the caffeine, your heart rate increases. This increase in heart rate occurs as a result of an increased production of stress hormones. This, in turn, causes your heart to pump greater quantities of blood throughout your body – towards your working musculature. Greater blood supply allows you to work harder. Additionally, hormones and nutrients within your bloodstream are moved around quicker, thereby accelerating the time needed to feel the beneficial mental effects of your workout.
- Mood. Caffeine directly increases your dopamine production within the brain. Dopamine is your feel-good hormone and plays an important role in the development of exercise euphoria as thoroughly discussed in our recent exercise-induced euphoria article [2].
Indirect Effects
- Energy. The consumption of caffeine increases your energy levels. How, you ask? Caffeine can do so by increasing the breakdown rate of glycogen in your liver. Your liver is one of the main energy storage sites besides your muscles. Glycogen are bundles of glucose, that when broken down, provide you with boosts of energy. By investing greater levels of energy into your workout, you are more likely to push yourself into zones of high-intensity training, which is a form of training that has been shown to help with the development of a runner’s high.
- Accountability. If you just ingested a caffeine-rich beverage, you are expecting your body to perform at a greater potential. You know, that if you do not work out now, you are likely not going to do it for the rest of the day. This pressure can help you get started, which frequently is the most difficult part. Once you have started working out, the caffeine delivers the extra energy and you will have an amazing workout.
*Note: If your mental fatigue stems from another source (e.g. dehydration, lack of energy), caffeine consumption may not be quite as effective and instead, may leave you feeling anxious and tired. Try your best to be properly hydrated and to eat timely to get the desired effects.
When to Take Caffeine Before a Workout
The best time to have caffeine prior is about 30-60 minutes before your workout if taken in liquid form (e.g. tea, coffee, etc.) to allow proper time for absorption. Even though caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours after ingestion, the most powerful effects typically wear off within the first ~1-2 hours (depending on the dose).
Some individuals are more sensitive to caffeine and may feel the effects sooner and with lower doses. If you want to be serious about using caffeine as an ergogenic aid for your workouts, try to document the effects caffeine has on your system, including the time of ingestion and your dosage.
If you would like to go a step further and analyze your sensitivity to caffeine among many other data about your athletic performance, you can take a DNA test and send it off to the laboratory. You can find out more here.
How Much Caffeine to have Before a Workout
You may be wondering how much caffeine you need in order to improve the mental effects from exercise. The International Society of Sports Nutrition stated in a position stand on caffeine and exercise performance that doses of 0.9 – 2.7mg per pound (or 2-6 mg per kg of bodyweight) are recommended for improved athletic performance. This would translate to about 162 – 486mg of caffeine for someone that weighs 180 lb’s.
If these numbers appear quite high to you, I recommend that you start with a lower dose and record your effects the more you decide to ingest prior to your workout.
As for sources of caffeine (along with content), you should check out this source published by Harvard university.
Precautions: Caffeine Intake
If you are new to caffeine, start with a very low dose and see how it affects your energy levels. The food and drug administration (FDA) states that the consumption of caffeine is generally safe. High doses of caffeine, however, can cause anxiety, panic attacks, as well as gastro-intestinal issues such as stomach pain and vomiting. Some other side effects of caffeine ingestion include anxiety, heart palpitations, insomnia, increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Although you would need pretty high doses to overdose on caffeine (you would have to be taking your caffeine in powder or pill form), you can check out signs and symptoms of overdosing in this source published by Healthline.
Have you been drinking coffee for multiple decades and you are not quite as sensitive to it anymore? The effects of caffeine may not affect you quite as much anymore if it has become a necessity for your body and mind. Things you could consider are…
Practical Advice: Runner’s High Using Caffeine
- Ensure that you are properly hydrated prior to your workout. Caffeine can have dehydrating effects on your body. Dehydration can make you feel sluggish during your workout and is often the cause of the “crash” that you may have experienced after drinking larger amounts of coffee.
- Plan your caffeine intake appropriately for when you want to go for your workout. For best results, I recommend that you start your workout ~20 minutes following caffeine ingestion. This is to prolong the beneficial effects of caffeine in your system and allows them to peak during the most difficult parts.
- During your workout, focus on getting the most difficult parts of your workout done within the first 30 minutes. Caffeine has the strongest effects on your body during that time, before it starts to wear off.
- Properly rehydrate after your workout (ideally a sports drink with sufficient levels of electrolytes) and enjoy your endorphin rush!
- Track the time of intake, dosage, as well as peak effect regularly to keep track of your ideal caffeine intake prior to working out to reach your desired effects of exercise euphoria.
Personally, I like to have a large cup of coffee ~30 minutes before my workout. I try my best to align my workouts with my biological prime time to have an amazing workout. On days where I feel extra motivated, I take advantage of blood flow occlusion training to get the most out of my training both physically and mentally.
Conclusion
Caffeine, the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world can have some pretty stunning effects when it comes to your athletic performance and the ability to create a runner’s high. Direct effects of caffeine on the runner’s high include increased blood circulation and enhanced mood through increased dopamine production. Indirect effects include improved energy levels as a result of a substrate shift, as well as increased accountability following caffeine ingestion.
The food a drug administration (DFA) considers caffeine to be a safe for consumption. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends to take 0.9 – 2.7mg per pound of body weight for maximum benefits for athletic performance. Take your caffeinated beverage ~30-60 minutes prior to your workout to give it sufficient time to be absorbed by your body. Ready to feel the rush?
*DISCLAIMER*
I suggest that you speak to your doctor before starting your high intensity program. If you are worried that a high-intensity program may cause a flare up or worsen a current physical injury, speak to your physical therapist prior.
I want to be 100% transparent with you, so I would like to disclose that there may be some affiliate links within my blog posts. Given this, you can assume that I would receive a small commission from any links included. That being said, I truly only promote products or services that I believe deliver great value to you and support you in your journey of becoming a happier version of yourself through exercise!