Are Energy Gels, or Morning Coffee Make You A Better Runner?

by Ryann
Are energy gels, or morning coffee make you a better runner? Some runners rely on caffeine to get them up and out the door while others find caffeine to be the only stimulant protecting them from having Swingline tattooed across their forehead.

It is actually one of the most widely researched areas of sports performance, perhaps because so many runners rely on it for more than just its potential performance enhancing benefits. Caffeine is great for improving performance and speeding the absorption of carbohydrate, but too much can upset the stomach[ref].

Is coffee bad for distance runners?

Energy gels are only a source of carbohydrates so it’s perhaps not the reason for your acidity, says Swati Kumar Dwivedi, deputy head, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Max Healthcare, New Delhi. It could be a reaction to coffee, especially if you drink it on an empty stomach. “Coffee contains various compounds that may irritate the stomach lining,” says Dwivedi. The stomach produces hydrochloric acid when one drinks coffee and the overproduction of this acid may harm the stomach lining and can cause acidity.
Studies about coffee can be a tricky thing. Coffee is also a diuretic which results in dehydration and loss of vitamins and minerals from the body. She suggests drinking aloe vera juice instead, along with a banana or an apple, before a run. Aloe vera has a natural antacid property and will also refresh you. Also, research shows that running tends to cause indigestion as this high impact activity promotes churning of acids in your tummy and backwashes it into the oesophagus, so eat at least 30-40 minutes before the run.