You might soon be able to take your pre-workout dose of caffeine as late as just five minutes prior to your workout, thanks to an unexpected new discovery that could cause scientists to rethink pre-workout delivery systems in general. Caffeine, when ingested orally, such as in a cup of coffee, typically takes at least 30 minutes to kick in and start delivering the performance-enhancing benefits that make it such a powerful pre-workout ingredient. But with a busy schedule, that isn’t always convenient or even feasible. Luckily, scientists are always looking for new ways to help us do things faster and more efficiently, and the latest discovery in the field of pre-workout caffeine consumption may have accomplished just that. In a new study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, scientists, aiming to narrow down the most effective time and method for administering pre-workout caffeine, discovered that when male cyclists consumed caffeine in chewing gum form, their performance improved in the same way as is typically associated with oral caffeine consumption, but with a significantly reduced delay of just five minutes. Caffeine-containing chewing gum isn’t something that is readily available just yet, however that may soon change thanks to these findings. If you are able to get your hands on some, look for a caffeine content of at least 300mg, which is what the researchers used in the study.
Reference: E.J. Ryan et al., J Strength Cond Res., 2012, Apr. 3 [E-pub ahead of print].
