• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Your Nutrition and Food Safety Resource.
  • Topics
    • Diet
    • Ingredients
    • Labels
    • Nutrients
    • Production
    • Safety
    • Science
    • Sustainability
    • Sweeteners
  • Research
  • Newsletters
  • About
  • SpanishPortuguese

3 Things Serena Knows about Caffeine & Performance

By Liz Caselli-Mechael
January 6, 2015

Serena and Caffeine.png
Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

After losing her initial set of her Hopman Cup match against Flavia Pennetta 6-0, Serena Williams felt like she needed a boost. She asked for a court-side espresso (the judge couldn’t tell if Serena was kidding – she wasn’t), and came back and won the following two sets 6-3 and 6-0. Reporters covering the event were solidly entertained (and they got a good chuckle from the irony of Serena’s opponent sharing a name with a brand of coffee makers).

Does Momma Smash know something we don’t know? Here’s what the research says:

  • Sharpening your mind: Research shows that caffeine improves alertness. Studies have also shown that caffeine consumption can improve memory and reasoning in sleep-deprived individuals (like maybe tennis players suffering from ’round-the-world jet lag).
  • Improving your exercise: There’s also evidence that caffeine can improve your physical performance. In one study, recreational athletes who consumed 6 mg/kg body weight of caffeine (about five cups of coffee  for a 180 lb male) significantly increased muscle endurance during brief, intense exercise.  Prior to a maximum effort run, caffeine consumption of 5 mg/kg body weight (about 3 cups of coffee for a 130 lb. female) resulted in improved athletic performance among recreational runners.
    400 mg/day, or about 4 cups of coffee, is considered moderate caffeine intake. Those with a heart condition or high blood pressure should talk to their physician about their caffeine consumption.
  • Hydration: Historically, athletes have been advised against consuming caffeine because of caffeine’s mild diuretic effect (even though any fluid, including water, has a mild diuretic effect). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) states that caffeine contributes to total daily water intake, so caffeinated beverages can and do contribute to hydration. For more on hydration, check out our hydration brochure. 

Because coffee accounts for 80% of the caffeine in our diet, most of the research on caffeine’s effects uses coffee as a proxy. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has ultimately decided to make recommendations about coffee, as opposed to a general caffeine recommendation.  The majority of the committee believes that the health benefits of drinking coffee outweigh any risk.

You may not have a ball girl delivering you espresso on the court, but don’t be afraid to get a little coffee-fuel before your next athletic – or mental! – performance.

For more background on what the research says about caffeine, check out our Fact Sheet on Caffeine and Performance and our IFIC Caffeine Review.

Ingredients

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • IFIC Survey: Consumer Perspectives on Vitamins, Minerals, and Food and Beverage Fortification
  • How to Mindfully Snack While Working From Home
  • Fruit and Veggie Safety: Making the Most of Your Fresh Produce
  • What You Should Know About Plant-Based Alternatives to Meat
  • Appreciating Water on National Ag Day

Footer

SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES!
Subscribe to get timely email updates, including our monthly Food Insight newsletter and other news.

Sign Up
X
FOLLOW US
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • pinterest
  • medium
  • instagram
  • sound cloud
EMAIL
info@foodinsight.org

© 2021 International Food Information Council. All rights reserved.
ContactPrivacy Policy