Caffeine

Two Athletes. Identical Caffeine Protocol. Completely Different Results. Here's Why.

Caffeine half-life ranges from 1.5 to 9.5 hours in the general population — driven almost entirely by a single genetic variant. Most caffeine protocols are built as if this variability doesn't exist.

5 min read · 2026-08-11

Your Pre-Workout Caffeine Isn't Working — And the Reason Is More Interesting Than Tolerance

Caffeine tolerance reduces the ergogenic effect dramatically in habitual users — but the mechanism isn't what most athletes think. The dose, timing window, and cycling strategy determine whether it works at all.

5 min read · 2026-07-14

You've Been Using Caffeine Wrong Before Your A-Race — The Sensitivity Reset Protocol

Regular caffeine users blunt their own ergogenic advantage. A structured pre-competition washout protocol restores adenosine receptor sensitivity — maximising race-day caffeine effect.

5 min read · 2026-07-14

Coffee Before Training Will Dehydrate You — Except It Won't

Armstrong 2002 and Killer 2014 both confirmed coffee hydrates as well as water. The caffeine diuretic myth persists in sport — here's what the evidence actually shows.

5 min read · 2026-07-07

The Maths of Four Coffees: Why Caffeine Accumulates More Than You Think

Each cup of coffee doesn't clear before the next one arrives. Caffeine accumulates across doses via half-life stacking. Here's the pharmacokinetics — and why it matters for sleep and performance.

5 min read · 2026-07-07

The 200mg Caffeine Limit in Pregnancy Is Evidence-Based. The Reasoning Behind It Is More Important Than the Number.

Pregnancy suppresses CYP1A2 to 30% of baseline by the third trimester, extending caffeine half-life to 10-18 hours. The WHO 200mg daily limit is well-founded, but the pharmacokinetics explain why timing matters as much as dose.

5 min read · 2026-07-07

The '6 Hours Before Bed' Caffeine Rule Understates the Problem for Half the Population.

Caffeine consumed 6 hours before sleep reduces total sleep time by approximately 1 hour — but suppresses slow-wave sleep (the most restorative stage) even in subjects who fall asleep normally. The mechanism and individual variation have direct implications for athlete recovery.

5 min read · 2026-07-07

Your Pre-Workout Caffeine Isn't Just Waking You Up — It's Reprogramming Your Nervous System

Caffeine raises motor cortex excitability and calcium sensitivity to deliver a 2–6% acute strength boost. Discover the neural mechanism and optimal dosing strategy.

5 min read · 2026-07-07

Caffeine Half-Life: Exactly How Long Caffeine Stays in Your System

8 min read · 2026-04-03