Your Pre-Workout Coffee Is Already Enough

Skip the mega-dose pre-workout. A meta-analysis pooling 12 studies found caffeine doses as low as 0.9-2 mg/kg bodyweight, for most adults about one regular cup of coffee, produced meaningful improvements in muscular strength, muscular endurance and movement velocity, with effect sizes similar to the much higher 3-6 mg/kg doses commonly recommended.

Take it as brewed coffee or a low-dose caffeine tablet 30-45 minutes before training. Caffeine's ergogenic effect (blocking adenosine receptors, lowering perceived exertion) appears to plateau earlier than most people assume, so more isn't proportionally better, and you skip the jitters, disrupted sleep or GI upset that come with 300mg+ doses.

Sources and references

• Grgic (2022), Nutrition: meta-analysis of 12 studies. PMID 35203046. DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2022.111604