Caffeine before workouts may help moderate muscle pain

Thursday April 9, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- Athletes who consume caffeine before a training may rejoice, as a new study shows that caffeine helps relieve muscle pain during a workout. Caffeine is a popular supplement in energy drinks and a variety of other sports supplements. It is well-known that the drug provides a boost of energy, though its pain-relieving properties are just being explored.

Robert Motl, a researcher and professor at the University of Illinois, lead a study regarding the effect of caffeine in college-aged men before an exercise routine. The study was titled “Effect of Caffeine on Quadriceps Muscle Pain During Acute Cycling Exercise in Low Versus High Caffeine Consumers” and focused on the effect that 5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight would have on the men when asked to cycle for 30 minutes. They found that a significant portion of the men who received the drug (versus those who received placebo) reported a moderate reduction in pain.

These results suggest that consuming caffeine before an exercise routine may allow individuals to increase the intensity of their workout. Of course, the study focused on the quadricep pain of college-age males and further research will have to explore its effect on pain prevention. The study did report that caffeine was not necessarily less effective on frequent users of caffeine.

The twenty-five subjects that participated in the study were given a dose roughly equivalent to three or four cups of coffee. The subjects were instructed to refrain from caffeine usage for twenty-four hours prior to the study. Once they took the pill, they were instructed to wait one hour before cycling for thirty minutes.

Professor Motl told Science Daily, in a story titled “Caffeine Reduces Pain During Exercise, Study Shows,” that further research is needed to discover the science behind the pain prevention. He questioned whether or not pain relief necessarily lead to increased sports performance and ultimately suggested that while the results are concluded, more research is needed. The study suggests that research is needed to differentiate pain and effort.

The study can be found in the April issue of the “International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism.” Co-authors of the study include Rachael C. Gliottoni, John R. Meyers, Sigubjorn A. Arngrimsson and Steven P. Broglio. The study was authored by University of Illinois graduate students and Arngrimsson, who is from the Iceland University of Education.

(By Will Levine, and edited by Heather Kelley)