Plenty of runners, lifters, and cyclists swear by a cup of coffee before they train. Some call it their original pre-workout. But is there research behind the ritual, or is it just a habit that tastes good?
There's a surprising amount of research on caffeine and exercise. There's much less on coffee specifically. That difference matters, so we'll be clear about it throughout this article.
The key distinction: caffeine studies vs coffee studies
Most exercise research gives participants caffeine in a controlled form, usually capsules or supplements, so researchers can measure the dose precisely. Coffee contains caffeine plus many other compounds, and the amount of caffeine per cup varies with beans and brewing.
So when we describe the findings below, we're describing caffeine results, not coffee results. Coffee is one common way people get caffeine, but these studies didn't test coffee itself, and they don't tell us about Edge Coffee or any other specific coffee.
The big picture: an umbrella review of 21 meta-analyses
The most comprehensive summary we know of is an umbrella review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The researchers gathered 11 systematic reviews containing a total of 21 meta-analyses on caffeine and exercise performance, all rated moderate or high in methodological quality (Grgic et al., Br J Sports Med 2020).
Here's what they found.
Where caffeine improved performance
Across the meta-analyses, caffeine was found to improve:
- Aerobic endurance (longer efforts like running or cycling)
- Muscle strength
- Muscle endurance (how many reps you can do)
- Power and anaerobic power (short, intense efforts)
- Jumping performance
- Exercise speed
The effects on muscle endurance, muscle strength, anaerobic power, and aerobic endurance were backed by moderate-quality evidence. For the other outcomes, the quality of evidence was rated low or very low (Grgic et al., 2020).
Bigger effects for endurance
The authors noted that caffeine's effect was generally greater for aerobic exercise than for anaerobic exercise (Grgic et al., 2020). In other words, the research leans most favorable for longer, steady efforts.
The fine print
Good science comes with caveats, and this review was upfront about them (Grgic et al., 2020):
- Not every analysis gave a definite direction. When researchers looked at prediction intervals (the range of effects you might expect in a new study), not all outcomes clearly pointed one way.
- Most participants were young men. The authors called for more studies in women and in middle-aged and older adults before the findings can be generalized.
- These were caffeine supplement studies, not coffee studies.
So what does this mean for your morning cup?
It's reasonable to say that caffeine has solid research behind it as a performance aid in many types of exercise. Whether a cup of coffee delivers the same effect depends on how much caffeine it contains and how your body responds, and the umbrella review didn't test that directly.
What we can say is that many people enjoy coffee as part of their training routine, and the caffeine research gives that ritual some interesting context.
Practical ideas for coffee lovers who train
These are common-sense suggestions, not medical or coaching advice:
- Experiment in training, not on race or competition day. Notice how coffee before a workout feels for you, including your stomach.
- Keep your usual intake in mind. If you already drink several cups a day, adding more before a workout adds up. See how many cups a day the research looks at.
- Watch the clock. If caffeine later in the day keeps you up, consider decaf for afternoon or evening sessions. Our All Day Decaf gives you the ritual with far less caffeine.
- Mind the add-ins. Sugary coffee drinks are a different thing from a simple cup.
- Listen to your body. If caffeine makes you jittery or your heart races, back off and talk with your clinician.
What about heart rhythm during exercise?
Some people worry that coffee and exercise together will strain their heart rhythm. We can't speak to exercise specifically, but large population studies of coffee drinking in general are reassuring. In the UK Biobank, each additional daily cup of coffee was associated with about 3% lower risk of incident arrhythmia (Kim et al., JAMA Intern Med 2021), and a meta-analysis of 11 cohorts found no higher risk of atrial fibrillation among coffee drinkers (Cao et al., Front Cardiovasc Med 2022). These are observational findings, and individual sensitivity varies. If you have a heart condition, ask your clinician before using caffeine as a pre-workout. More in our coffee and heart research roundup.
⚠️ Caution box: pregnancy and high caffeine intake
- Pregnancy. In a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies, each additional 100 mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy (around one cup of coffee) was associated with a 13% higher risk of low birth weight (Chen et al., BMC Med 2014). A second meta-analysis linked each additional 100 mg a day with about 7% higher risk of pregnancy loss; the authors called the evidence inconclusive but said avoiding high caffeine intake in pregnancy "appears prudent" (Chen et al., Public Health Nutr 2016). One review goes further and argues for avoiding caffeine in pregnancy, a position that remains debated (James, BMJ Evid Based Med 2021). If you're pregnant or trying to conceive, talk with your clinician about caffeine.
- Very high intake. In a UK Biobank analysis, drinking more than 6 cups a day was associated with 53% higher odds of dementia compared with 1–2 cups a day, along with smaller brain volumes (Pham et al., Nutr Neurosci 2022). More is not automatically better.
- Caffeine affects people differently. If you're sensitive, take medication, or have a health condition, check with your clinician. Want the ritual with much less caffeine? Try All Day Decaf.
Choosing coffee for your routine
If coffee is part of how you train, you probably care about what you're putting in your body. That's the idea behind Edge: specialty-grade, USDA Certified Organic, shade-grown Peruvian beans, roasted in small batches and third-party lab tested for mold and mycotoxins. Here's how we test.
Fuel your next session with Pure Health Coffee, or browse the collection.
FAQ
Does coffee improve workout performance? Research shows caffeine improved several types of exercise performance, especially endurance (Grgic et al., 2020). Those studies used caffeine supplements, not coffee, so results for coffee itself aren't established.
Is caffeine better for cardio or lifting? The umbrella review found benefits for both, with generally larger effects for aerobic exercise (Grgic et al., 2020).
Do these findings apply to women and older adults? Most studies involved young men, and the authors called for more research in other groups (Grgic et al., 2020).
Is coffee before exercise safe for my heart? Large studies of coffee drinking in general didn't find higher arrhythmia risk (Kim et al., 2021; Cao et al., 2022). Check with your clinician if you have a heart condition.
General information about caffeine and coffee research. Not medical advice. Exercise findings describe caffeine, not coffee or Edge Coffee specifically.
Sources
- Grgic J et al. Br J Sports Med. 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30926628/ (doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-100278)
- Kim EJ et al. JAMA Intern Med. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34279564/
- Cao Y et al. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35872898/
- Chen LW et al. BMC Med. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25238871/
- Chen LW et al. Public Health Nutr. 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26329421/
- James JE. BMJ Evid Based Med. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32843532/
- Pham K et al. Nutr Neurosci. 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34165394/