The Legal Edge: Caffeine Use in Marathon Running and Its Effects on Performance

Introduction

Due to a recent habit of consuming coffee and/or tea, containing the substance, caffeine, and a current personal interest in the topic of caffeine affecting performance levels in running activities, this extended research intends to discover the impacts caffeine has on a long distance marathon runner. By so doing, this research will remain within the bounds of the research question; “Does caffeine Have Effects on a Long-Distance Marathon Runner’s Performance Levels?”

This research will analyse the research question and endeavour to find out more about caffeine itself and in what ways does it enhance sporting activities specifically in relation to long distance running performance, and how. The study will also explore the effects caffeine has on overall health and how it acts on the body to achieve this. Further, the study will also look at the regulation in relation to caffeine at elite levels and how athletes can now legally use this ‘loophole’ to their benefit, which is crucial for psychology dissertation help. The work draws from a wide range of secondary resources and primary sources extracted from interviewing marathon runners.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant drug due to the way in which caffeine neutralizes the effects of the molecule adenosine, and as there is a high consumption of coffee and tea worldwide, caffeine constitutes one of the most utilised psychoactive drugs in the history of man. Above all, it seems that coffee as a beverage is the most consumed beverage in the world alongside water and therefore a huge percentage of the population are reaping the benefits of caffeine and its mild stimulant properties.

Beck, K.L., Thomson, J.S., Swift, R.J. and Von Hurst, P.R., 2015. Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery. Open access journal of sports medicine, 6, p.259.

The Origin of Caffeine

Caffeine refers to a commonly known substance extracted from cocoa bean, and tea leaves. It is therefore; subsequently present in coffee, chocolate and energy drinks. It is also added to some foods/drinks, such as sports bars, tablets, chocolate and soft/sports drinks. It is also in a variety of medicines, especially cold remedies to increase their effectiveness and counteract drowsiness. In addition, caffeine is used as a bulking agent in some stimulant drugs.

Benefits of Caffeine Consumption

Whereas caffeine does not comprise a fundamental ingredient, its mild consumption is linked to lowering disease invasion such as diabetes type 2, Alzheimer’s disease and some cancer typologies. It is also reported to temporarily increase mental alertness, energy levels, provide a sense of wellbeing and aid recovery after physical exercise.

The Impacts of Caffeine on Consumers

Just as the morning cup of coffee helps one after waking up, so does caffeine elevates one and prepares one to mentally get ready for the day ahead. Most studies in literature contends that that caffeine increases one’s mental alertness but also improves on one’s mood, and desire to be active.

Caffeine is a legal stimulant and has the capacity to diffuse through all mucous membranes of the body. It has similar but milder effects to amphetamines and cocaine. The effects that it has on the body are wide ranging. These include effects on hormones, metabolism, muscular, cardiovascular, and respiratory and kidney and respiratory impacts.

Burke, L., Desbrow, B. and Spriet, L., 2013. Caffeine for sports performance. Human Kinetics.
Salimei, P. and Manzi, V., 2010. RETRACTED ARTICLE: The effect of marathon on mRNA expression of anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic proteins and sirtuins family in male recreational long-distance runners. BMC physiology, 10(1), p.7.

Caffeine refers to a non-specific adenosine-receptor antagonist working on the central nervous system, by tampering with the binding of adenosine to the adenosine nerve receptors. Under normal circumstances the binding of adenosine induces drowsiness as a result of slowing down activities within the nerve cell and dilating blood vessels to allow for sleep. The chemical constituent of caffeine is similar structurally to that of adenosine allowing the caffeine to fool the nerve cell and temporarily take the place of adenosine. It also causes the constriction of blood vessels therefore increasing blood pressure and pulse rate.

In addition, caffeine also elevates endorphins concentration in the brain, by fostering the release of dopamine (the happy hormone) and adrenaline (which is responsible for flight and fight responses) which in turn increases energy and alertness and provides a feeling of well-being. All these changes permit caffeine be used as a typical ergogenic aid.

Once ingested the stimulant takes about 45-60 minutes to be utilised by the body's tissues and it apparently has a half-life of about 5 hours. Therefore, this denotes that half of the caffeine consumed is detectable in the body 5 hours later following the consumption.

Caffeine allows for the breakdown of fat stores in the muscle, releasing fatty acids into the bloodstream. This action is thought to allow preservation of glycogen (the body's fuel for the muscles), possibly by burning up the fatty acids as energy instead. Also, the calcium content in the skeletal muscles increases, which apparently enhances muscle expansion and contraction. As a result, the body is able to respond against fatigue, and becomes alert and increased muscle usage. As a result, the body glycogen is preserved, then in theory if caffeine were to hang onto glycogen stores it would allow long distance marathon runners to run for a longer period of time and would theoretically allow them push harder during different stages of the event due to a gain in additional stamina.

Burke, L.M., Jeukendrup, A.E., Jones, A.M. and Mooses, M., 2019. Contemporary nutrition strategies to optimize performance in distance runners and race walkers. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 29(2), pp.117-129.
Ibid 3

Research suggests that caffeine levels peak for the first 3-6 hours, begin to drop off to the half-life state until finally being broken down by the body in the liver. This slow drop off rate, together with the half-life ability of caffeine, would undoubtedly be useful to any marathon runner, given the amount of time a full marathon might take which could be anywhere between 2-5.5 hours depending upon the fitness of the athlete.

Tom Smith, a marathon runner, arouses the concerns of possible dehydration following caffeine consumption. The American military have done a great deal of tests on the subject to help protect and boost their soldiers on the field during the Iraq war. Studies have unravelled the impact of regulated dose of caffeine (3-6mg per kg of weight) on hydration. Their test subjects were individuals who normally have low caffeine consumption of a small cup of coffee per day (equal to a 6oz coffee -100 mg/day; approximately 1.3 mg caffeine/kg) and the findings were negative. There was no detrimental effect on a 24-hour urine volume.

Persons consuming a moderate caffeine dose (3 mg caffeine/kg) do not suffer from dehydration when compared to those who drink only water when measured over a 24-hour period, and not just a short period of say 2-4 hours, which might give a different result entirely.

Burke, L.M., Millet, G. and Tarnopolsky, M.A., 2007. Nutrition for distance events. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25(S1), pp.S29-S38.
Smith, A.E., Fukuda, D.H., Kendall, K.L. and Stout, J.R., 2010. The effects of a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine, creatine, and amino acids during three weeks of high-intensity exercise on aerobic and anaerobic performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7(1), p.10.
See Appendix
Després, J.P., Savard, R., Tremblay, A. and Bouchard, C., 1983. Adipocyte diameter and lipolytic activity in marathon runners: Relationship with body fatness. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 51(2), pp.223-230.

Does Caffeine Consumption Enhance Sporting Performance?

In terms of the enhancement on overall running performances, caffeine, being a stimulant with ergogenic properties, (work enhancing properties) is one of the substances that has been researched and studied at length with predominantly positive outcomes in many sporting activities including running and many various distances to varying degrees. The effectiveness of caffeine in enhancing sporting activities such as running sporting events with it being especially noticeable in sports performers taking part in endurance aerobic type sports, that might require considerable mental focus as well, which links to the question regarding sports performers on caffeine being affected by the stimulant and increasing their overall performance in long distance running.

Tennis is another sport demanding skill and intense focus and therefore caffeine can help increase general playing success, running speed, hitting accuracy, agility based on the premise caffeine improves on mental preparedness, alertness and reaction time. According to tennis participants, caffeine is associated to an “energetic drive” in the final hours of play. This again illustrates how caffeine can improve sporting prowess with an endurance element like marathon running.

Caffeine and Endurance Running Performance

Only a few studies have been done to evaluate the impact of caffeine on endurance during sport experiences. Researchers have established that increasing the quantity dosage of caffeine to 6mg/kg does not provide more performance benefits, with studies contending on a dosage of 3mg/kg is the optimal dos, thus giving a clear impression that increasing the dosage beyond optimum does not lead to more improved performances. A study on a marathon race discovered that the consumption of 3mg/kg of caffeine prior to an 8km time trial revealed a significant improvement of the entire race by finishing 24 seconds early. A study investigating on the impact of 5mg/kg caffeine anhydrous (without water content) on 5km race noted a key improvements in time trial performance with an improvement of 51 seconds attributed to caffeine consumption. Caffeine supplement elevated the performance without constituting a notable impact on blood glucose levels. Additionally, caffeine equally showcases better running experiences and outcomes over short races with such races ending 4 seconds earlier for a 1.5km distance race.

Weber, V.M.R., Queiroga, M.R., Kiihn, A.L., Malfatti, C.R.M., Wouk, J., Ferreira, S.A. and Silva, L.A.D., 2019. Caffeine prevents exercise-induced hypoglycemia in trained runners.
Jeukendrup, A.E., 2011. Nutrition for endurance sports: marathon, triathlon, and road cycling. Journal of sports sciences, 29(sup1), pp.S91-S99.

Additionally, caffeine dosage helps to enhance recovery following a strenuous exercise. Based on the American Physiological Society, four hours after an exercise results into muscle glycogen increasing by 66% as a result of consuming an energy drink comprising of caffeine relative to a drink only containing carbohydrate. The increase of muscle glycogen helps to accelerate the recovery of an athlete from exhaustion and therefore making the workout or race more productive. The caffeine and carbohydrate after an exercise equally lead to higher concentration of plasma insulin and blood glucose

This was also corroborated in my interview with long distance runner, Tom Smith, when he mentioned that he felt that his caffeine intake improved his recovery making him more able to continue training the next day.

Koehler, K., 2016. Nutrition for Marathon Running. In Marathon Running: Physiology, Psychology, Nutrition and Training Aspects (pp. 47-67). Springer, Cham.

Tolerance, Dose and Withdrawal

Tolerance and weight are probably the two main factors in determining dosage of caffeine prior to any sporting event, coupled with trial and error self-testing. Everyone will differ to varying degrees.

Those who drink copious amounts of coffee will develop more adenosine receptors. For these people it would take more coffee to keep them awake and therefore more to improve sporting performance levels with caffeine because they have built up a tolerance to the drug. Increased advantages are notable in athletes’ barely consuming coffee and have little caffeine’s effects tolerance

To get maximum benefit from caffeine consumption and enhance performance in an individual with a high tolerance to the drug, they would be advised to wean themselves off the caffeine for 2-3 days prior to a competitive event and then take it again 45-60 minutes beforehand. In doing so, common withdrawal symptoms include headaches and irritability. Symptoms optimise in about a day or more and are generally gone within 4-7 days. These symptoms stop straight away if caffeine is taken again. Caffeine definitely appears to work better when it is taken as a novice or after withdrawal has taken place.

Little evidence suggests the more caffeine consumed the greater the benefit. The higher caffeine doses are likely to induce unanticipated side effects such as stomach upsets, or an increased urination, may negatively hinder athletic outcomes. The most commonly recommendable caffeine dosage ranges between 1 to 3 mg caffeine per kg body weight (0.45-1.4 g per lb). Mathematically, for a 68 kg (150 pound) athlete, that brings to about 70 to 120mg of caffeine.

Rudy, E.B. and Estok, P.J., 1989. Measurement and significance of negative addiction in runners. Western journal of nursing research, 11(5), pp.548-558.

When quantities in 9mg/kg of body weight vary and over are used, there is an increased side effects such as nervousness/anxiety, palpitations, headache, stomach upset, dizziness and insomnia, all of which will play havoc on performance.’

For top level marathon runners, capsules, pills or sports drinks are the preferred methods of caffeine consumption because it is easier to achieve accurate measurement for the dosage needed.

Should the Application of Caffeine in Enhancing Running Outcomes be regulated?

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decriminalised the use of caffeine in 2004. Contemporary studies concentrates on the findings of 41 placebos controlled and double-blind experiments published over the last two decades. A bench of researchers chaired by Carrie Ruxton at King's College London founded a key improvement in cognitive processes including attention and focus, reaction time; mental synthesis; and also physical advantages brought about as a result of decreased fatigue and exhaustion during and after marathon races. Typical forms of exercises requiring endurance demonstrated better findings compared to exercises requiring short-term energy boost.

According to the data offered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), athletes are permitted to consume up to 12 mcg caffeine per millilitre urine before it is deemed illicit (15 mcg as per the NCAA). These standards grants athletes to utilise caffeine within the bounds if modesty even as they contest in various field events.

Laursen, P.B., 2011. Long distance triathlon: demands, preparation and performance
Marfe, G., Tafani, M., Pucci, B., Di Stefano, C., Indelicato, M., Andreoli, A., Russo, M.A., Sinibaldi- Potgieter, S., 2013. The effect of caffeine supplementation on Olympic-distance triathletes and triathlon performance in the Western Cape, South Africa (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University).

Side Effects of Caffeine Consumption

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system (CNS) thus creating a diuretic impact on the consumer’s body. Diuretics refer to substances increasing urine concentration within the kidney bladder thus fostering rapid removal of fluid and salt from the body. Diuretics do this by elevating the amount of blood flowing to the kidney tubules and discouraging the re-absorption of water and sodium ions leading to dehydration as a result if frequent urination. Other negative side effects include anxiety, a racing heart rate, nervous shaking (feeling jittery), gastro-intestinal issues in the form of an upset stomach, trouble concentrating, muscle cramping headaches, irritability and poor sleep quality.

Based on the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs, moderate utilisation of caffeine constitutes little or no negative implications on the user’s health domain provided the user adheres to a healthy lifestyle. In addition, 400mg daily is not linked with negative side effects in a generally healthy adult demography. This equates to approximately 3-4 8oz cups of coffee per day.

According to a publication; “Caffeine is so dangerous that it should be regulated like alcohol and cigarettes, warns leading expert”, Dr Jack James proposes the threats imposed by caffeine are significant and that products constituting this substance should be restricted and heavily taxed to discourage consumption. In addition, sales to children should be highly discouraged and restricted based on the conception it poses health challenges related to the heart. Dr Jack further maintains that despite caffeine being deemed as a harmless substance, it utilisation and consumption is linked with substantial harm including near-fatalities and fatalities.

Schubert, M.M. and Astorino, T.A., 2013. A systematic review of the efficacy of ergogenic aids for improving running performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(6), pp.1699-1707.
Ibid 13

In the same publication, Dr Jack takes cognition that despite caffeine has been accommodated in policy and regulation in most European and Scandinavian countries, other have not especially the USA and UK.

Although this may be the case for general use of the drug, caffeine, in relation to Sporting events monitoring of the drug is still in use by agencies like World Ant Doping Agency (WADA), so from a Sporting perspective, regulation is still very much in place.

Conclusion

Caffeine use appears to increase perceived energy levels and can enhance athletic performance levels to a certain degree, as shown through the majority of the main body. The evidence appears to be very convincing that caffeine does in fact improve the athletic performance in runners, especially among those who already have a high fitness level and especially in aerobic activities like long distance runners and more specifically marathon runners. It would seem that the half-life state of caffeine could be utilised by marathon runners’ best by topping up their dose of caffeine mid race. Careful timing for this would have to be tried and tested for an individual to assess how best this might work form them. Fairly low doses seem to be preferable and effective, but any competitor would have to be mindful that they didn’t overstep the mark where the doping agencies are concerned.

This is as it increases cognitive attention and reaction times by increasing mental agility. In addition to the physical benefits of caffeine, taken at the right time, prior to the running activity and at optimum levels, were an increased time span to exhaustion levels and decreased perception of fatigue. This was only true for the types of running activities that required endurance performance, like long distance running, whereas with activities that required shorter bursts of muscle power such as sprinting, caffeine consumption actually appeared to be negligible in some cases. This was a surprise to me as I found the overwhelming evidence to be somewhat counter intuitive, always previously believing that caffeine provided a quick 'pick-you-up' and would therefore improve the energy required for a short sprint almost instantly.

Ramos-Campo, D.J., Pérez, A., Ávila-Gandía, V., Pérez-Piñero, S. and Rubio-Arias, J.Á., 2019. Impact of Caffeine Intake on 800-m Running Performance and Sleep Quality in Trained Runners. Nutrients, 11(9), p.2040
Siegel, A.J., 2012. Pheidippides redux: reducing risk for acute cardiac events during marathon running. The American journal of medicine, 125(7), pp.630-635.

A 1 to 3mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is the optimal amount to take to improve overall running performance, which must be taken 45-60 minutes prior to an event/general running activity. This is also tempered by the sensitivity levels to caffeine of an individual and their habits in relation to regular day to day consumption of the drug. Amounts of up to 6-9mg have been proven to be effective; although the larger the amount ultimately results in a greater risk of negative side effects.’

Caffeine consumption for the enhancement of running performance work through the following three main ways:

1. Fatty acids get released into the blood stream and used up as energy preserves the muscle glycogen predominantly in the first 15 minutes of exercise. This would be helpful for endurance activities such as long-distance running, and also in aiding the recovery of tired muscles.

2. Stimulation of the CNS appears to increase mental agility and reduce the perception of fatigue. Both highly beneficial for boosting long distance running performances.

3. Calcium content in the skeletal muscles is increased allowing for stronger muscle contractions. This would help with strength and lifting sports, as well as explosive starts in sprinting, but is not so useful with long distance running.

Price, R.J., Perceptions of Caffeine for Performance Enhancement Among Endurance. Physiology, 93, pp.990-999.

Not only is caffeine useful at enhancing running performance before an event, it is also useful afterwards. Firstly, it aids recovery in muscle tissue, when consumed with a carbohydrate drink, but also increases muscle glycogen by 66%, meaning that muscles can consequently refuel more rapidly and thereby will enhance the performers next day’s energy output levels. This is especially useful during periods of high intensity training prior to an event.

Various sporting associations and agencies have advocated for the regulation of caffeine to inspire flat ground for sporting competitions. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) outlines the permissive quantity of 12 mcg of caffeine per ml of urine. In the same spectrum, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) maintains that urinary concentration after a contest exceeding 15 mcg/ml is illicit.

Caffeine dose within the spectrum of 9 to 13 mg/kg about an hour before a sporting experience will attain the optimal allowed urinary concentration after the sporting contest. The utilisation of caffeine and its urinary accumulation is reliant on factors including body weight and gender. As a result, ingesting 6 to 8 cups of coffee containing about 100 mg per cup would lead to the optimal allowed urinary concentration.

Provided the view that the ergogenic impacts of caffeine are eloquent in urinary caffeine quantities below the allowed limit of 12 mcg/ml by the IOC, it then invokes major ethical concerns about the utilisation of caffeine in optimising fair sporting contests. The International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (IJSNEM), suggests the need include caffeine to the list of banned substances to athletes therefore to bar athletes from consuming caffeine 48-72 hours before the commencement of competition.

Shen, J.G., Brooks, M.B., Cincotta, J. and Manjourides, J.D., 2019. Establishing a relationship between the effect of caffeine and duration of endurance athletic time trial events: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 22(2), pp.232-238.
Stellingwerff, T., 2012. Case study: nutrition and training periodization in three elite marathon runners. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 22(5), pp.392-400.

In January 2004 the World Ant Doping Agency (WADA) which administers the use of substances used in international sporting events including the Olympics, lifted the ban on caffeine. However, caffeine still remains one of the monitored substances to be watched out for to determine illegal consumption patterns. Given the fact that WADA have lifted the ban on caffeine consumption it would seem that caffeine can only help an athlete achieve his or her peak performance but not over and above what would be considered to be their current peak physical ability. My interviewee was certainly of the opinion that it didn’t give him or anyone else an unfair advantage, but merely brought out the best in him when he was at peak fitness.

This study maintains that if an individual wanted to participate in a top-level sporting event, and wanted to use caffeine to enhance their performance it would be strongly advisable to liaise with the regulatory body to find out how much caffeine they were legally allowed to use in that certain event, before even experimenting with it. That way, disappointment can be prevented further down the line and temptation to use it would be halted.

The current attitude of WADA to caffeine use might be due to the fact that like alcohol, caffeine is a socially acceptable drug and is used by a vast number of people worldwide. It would be hard then, for any athlete, not just runners, to carry on a normal social existence without consuming either of these substances, at least occasionally.

This study maintains that monitoring these drugs is a much fairer way of dealing with the use of caffeine as it would be extremely unfair to expect individuals to abstain from such socially acceptable beverages as tolerance levels will vary from one person to another anyway. That alone, would make it difficult to quantify any actual potential benefits from using the substance in the first place.

Potgieter, S., 2013. The effect of caffeine supplementation on Olympic-distance triathletes and triathlon performance in the Western Cape, South Africa (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University).

Bibliography

Beck, K.L., Thomson, J.S., Swift, R.J. and Von Hurst, P.R., 2015. Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery. Open access journal of sports medicine, 6, p.259.

Burke, L., Desbrow, B. and Spriet, L., 2013. Caffeine for sports performance. Human Kinetics.

Burke, L.M., Jeukendrup, A.E., Jones, A.M. and Mooses, M., 2019. Contemporary nutrition strategies to optimize performance in distance runners and race walkers. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 29(2), pp.117-129.

Burke, L.M., Millet, G. and Tarnopolsky, M.A., 2007. Nutrition for distance events. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25(S1), pp.S29-S38.

Després, J.P., Savard, R., Tremblay, A. and Bouchard, C., 1983. Adipocyte diameter and lipolytic activity in marathon runners: Relationship with body fatness. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 51(2), pp.223-230.

Jeukendrup, A.E., 2011. Nutrition for endurance sports: marathon, triathlon, and road cycling. Journal of sports sciences, 29(sup1), pp.S91-S99.

Koehler, K., 2016. Nutrition for Marathon Running. In Marathon Running: Physiology, Psychology, Nutrition and Training Aspects (pp. 47-67). Springer, Cham.

Laursen, P.B., 2011. Long distance triathlon: demands, preparation and performance.

Marfe, G., Tafani, M., Pucci, B., Di Stefano, C., Indelicato, M., Andreoli, A., Russo, M.A., Sinibaldi- Potgieter, S., 2013. The effect of caffeine supplementation on Olympic-distance triathletes and triathlon performance in the Western Cape, South Africa (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University).

Price, R.J., Perceptions of Caffeine for Performance Enhancement Among Endurance. Physiology, 93, pp.990-999.

Potgieter, S., 2013. The effect of caffeine supplementation on Olympic-distance triathletes and triathlon performance in the Western Cape, South Africa (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University).

Ramos-Campo, D.J., Pérez, A., Ávila-Gandía, V., Pérez-Piñero, S. and Rubio-Arias, J.Á., 2019. Impact of Caffeine Intake on 800-m Running Performance and Sleep Quality in Trained Runners. Nutrients, 11(9), p.2040.

Rudy, E.B. and Estok, P.J., 1989. Measurement and significance of negative addiction in runners. Western journal of nursing research, 11(5), pp.548-558.

Salimei, P. and Manzi, V., 2010. RETRACTED ARTICLE: The effect of marathon on mRNA expression of anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic proteins and sirtuins family in male recreational long-distance runners. BMC physiology, 10(1), p.7.

Siegel, A.J., 2012. Pheidippides redux: reducing risk for acute cardiac events during marathon running. The American journal of medicine, 125(7), pp.630-635.

Smith, A.E., Fukuda, D.H., Kendall, K.L. and Stout, J.R., 2010. The effects of a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine, creatine, and amino acids during three weeks of high-intensity exercise on aerobic and anaerobic performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7(1), p.10.

Stellingwerff, T., 2012. Case study: nutrition and training periodization in three elite marathon runners. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 22(5), pp.392-400.

Shen, J.G., Brooks, M.B., Cincotta, J. and Manjourides, J.D., 2019. Establishing a relationship between the effect of caffeine and duration of endurance athletic time trial events: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 22(2), pp.232-238.

Schubert, M.M. and Astorino, T.A., 2013. A systematic review of the efficacy of ergogenic aids for improving running performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(6), pp.1699-1707.

Weber, V.M.R., Queiroga, M.R., Kiihn, A.L., Malfatti, C.R.M., Wouk, J., Ferreira, S.A. and Silva, L.A.D., 2019. Caffeine prevents exercise-induced hypoglycemia in trained runners.

Appendix

Appendix 1: Interview with Tom Smith, marathon enthusiast on 27th March 2019

Tom Smith is someone who runs long distances on a regular basis, as he is training for a marathon. I asked him if he would participate in an interview regarding the using of caffeine affecting performance levels on long distance runners, which he kindly agreed to.

1) Do you run on a regular basis and if so, how far do you usually run?

I run roughly 4-5 times a week and it consists of relatively exhausting training as I would like to improve my stamina for an upcoming marathon competition. As I am doing long distance marathon training, I would say I run for about 10-15 miles to try and keep up my fitness levels as I am trying to keep an average weekly mileage score of 50 miles.

2) Do you use caffeine before your runs and if so, do you believe it benefits your running performance in anyway?

Yes, I prefer to drink energy drinks such as red bull before I run, firstly because I don’t like the taste of coffee, but secondly as I believe that with the use of caffeine it wakes me up and makes me more aware, more focused and sharper. It also seems to boost my energy levels and even though this might seem like a psychological effect, it seems to work as a slight pain killer, as for some reason, I don’t feel as much pain as I normally would after running such long distances. Also, in my opinion, it seems to aid my mental focus when running as I feel as if I’m able to run for longer periods of time when training. Moreover, I believe it helps me recover quicker the next day from muscle aches and pains. I notice how I struggle more when I don’t use it.

3) How much caffeine do you roughly take before you start your training?

I tend to drink 2 cans of red bull before I start my training. As running long distances is a part of my daily life, I have tried various different combinations and drinks, but I believe and feel as if this is the right combination in my case at least. This is due to various other energy drinks like Lucozade which give me stomach aches the more I consume them. Also, drinking more than 2 cans before running tends to give me the same effects but has the disadvantage of making me want to go to the toilet more often than not. I have friends who use caffeine gels or powder, but I’m not really interested in that. You know what you are getting in a can of Red Bull.

4) Would you still consume this amount of caffeine before competing in the marathon?

No. This is because after a while my body gets used to the effects of caffeine, so I find I have to cut back on taking energy drinks a week before I train so my body can then get the maximum benefits from the caffeine in red bull for me to apply in this upcoming competition. Also drinking only 2 cans of red bull isn’t much and I believe it’s well below the legal limit, so I don’t have to worry about being accused of cheating. Also, I don’t like to drink too much liquid before any long run, for obvious reasons and some people seem to think that it dehydrates you and I don’t want to take that risk. I’d prefer to hydrate with water especially during any run.

5) Do think that it was correct for WADA lifting the ban on caffeine but still monitoring its use?

Yes, I think it was ridiculous to ban caffeine in the first place, but I happen to know that more of it isn’t necessarily better, especially when you factor in the side effects it can have. When I drink coffee for example, it upsets my stomach. I couldn’t run like that. It’d be awful… Obviously there are some kids out there that will try to use it in excess, but that’s because they don’t understand the fact that more isn’t better, and they’ll just make themselves ill. Millions of people consume it all the time anyway, and tolerance varies from person to person. It’s a tricky one to police. I honestly don’t think that it makes me a much better runner; I just think it brings out the best of me if I have trained hard and put the work in already.

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