Caffeine Sources and Exercise Performance: A Narrative Review of Anhydrous Caffeine, Coffee, and Energy Drinks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.70.74595Keywords
caffeine supplementation, anhydrous caffeine, coffee, energy drinks, exercise performance, ergogenic aidsAbstract
Background: Caffeine is a widely used ergogenic aid available as anhydrous caffeine, coffee, and energy drinks. These sources differ in dosing accuracy, composition, and practical application, which may affect exercise performance.
Aim: This review aimed to compare the effects of anhydrous caffeine, coffee, and energy drinks on exercise performance and to assess whether ergogenic responses depend mainly on caffeine dose or also on source and product composition.
Material and methods: A narrative review supported by a structured search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted. Original studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, position stands, and relevant mechanistic publications were included, with emphasis on direct comparisons using equivalent or similar caffeine doses.
Results: Anhydrous caffeine provides the greatest dosing precision and the most standardized evidence. Coffee may produce comparable effects, particularly in endurance exercise, although caffeine content is more variable. Energy drinks may improve selected outcomes, but their multi-ingredient composition limits interpretation. Responses are also influenced by dose, timing, exercise type, habitual intake, genetic variability, individual sensitivity, and sleep-related effects.
Conclusions: Current evidence does not show clear superiority of one caffeine source. Similar doses may produce comparable effects in selected protocols, but more direct comparative studies are needed. Caffeine use should be individualized and tested during training.
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