Caffeine (capsules, gum and anhydrous powder) and performance
What 3 graded rows on caffeine (capsules, gum and anhydrous powder) agree on for performance, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Caffeine (capsules, gum and anhydrous powder) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Caffeine (capsules, gum and anhydrous powder) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Caffeine (capsules, gum and anhydrous powder) and performance
3 rows · 1,306 peopleMostly an improvement: 2 of 3 rows, and most of the people. 1 had mixed results.
- BGrade B× 2
- CGrade C× 1
- Rows
- 3
- Trials
- 3
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 1,306
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade B, is a meta-analysis of 612 people (2025) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 254 to 612 people, published from 2022 to 2025: 3 pooled reviews and 0 single studies.
The rows
2 improved · 1 mixed- BGrade BTime-trial performance by caffeine dose and delivery form · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 612 · 2025 · Participants in 48 time-trial studies
Low dose ≈3 mg/kg capsules ranked highest; moderate-dose capsules and gum also effective · Single pre-exercise doses
Low-dose capsules reduced completion time (SMD -0.34; 95% CI -0.62 to -0.06), followed by moderate-dose capsules (-0.31) and moderate-dose gum (-0.30); low-dose capsules also raised mean power output (SMD 0.38).
Row on the Caffeine (capsules, gum and anhydrous powder) page · PubMed 41374083 (opens PubMed)
- BGrade BEndurance running: time to exhaustion and time trials · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 254 · 2022 · Recreational and trained runners in 21 randomized controlled trials (mostly men)
3 to 9 mg/kg · Single pre-exercise doses
Time to exhaustion improved with caffeine (g = 0.392; medium effect) in both recreational and trained runners, and time-trial completion time fell slightly (g = -0.101).
Row on the Caffeine (capsules, gum and anhydrous powder) page · PubMed 36615805 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CPerformance response by CYP1A2 genotype · Mixed
Meta-analysis · n 440 · 2024 · Participants in 13 studies genotyped for CYP1A2 (233 AA, 175 AC, 34 CC)
Varied across studies · Single pre-exercise doses
Caffeine improved performance in AA (SMD 0.30) and AC (SMD 0.16) genotypes but worsened it in CC (SMD -0.22). After excluding studies with a risk of conflict of interest, genotype no longer mattered.
Row on the Caffeine (capsules, gum and anhydrous powder) page · PubMed 37844569 (opens PubMed)