# More Caffeine Does Not Mean More Energy for Athletes Published 2026-04-12 · Max Ninthara · Tags: athletes, caffeine, dosing, ISSN, performance, pre-workout, supplements > Why the ISSN recommends 3-6 mg/kg caffeine for athletes and why most pre-workouts exceed the effective range. Athletes spend small fortunes on pre-workout supplements loaded with 200, 300, even 400mg of caffeine per serving. The logic seems straightforward: more caffeine equals more energy equals better performance. But the research tells a different story, and it is one that most supplement brands would prefer you did not read. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) reviewed decades of caffeine research and landed on a clear recommendation: 3 to 6 mg/kg of body weight provides ergogenic benefits. For a 170-pound (77kg) athlete, that translates to 231-462mg total. Going higher does not unlock additional performance. It just amplifies the side effects (NIH PMC7777221). The 30-second version: The ISSN recommends 3-6 mg/kg caffeine for performance. Beyond that, side effects increase without matching gains. A study on elite wrestlers found caffeine alone increased anxiety versus placebo (PMC12456047). Most pre-workouts contain 200-400mg per serving, often exceeding the effective range for smaller athletes. STRIPPIES ENERGY uses 50mg per strip so athletes can dial in their exact dose without overshooting. Like this? We'll text you insights like this weekly. Get the TLDR at STRIPPIES → What Does the Research Say About Caffeine Dosing for Athletes? The ISSN position stand on caffeine and exercise performance is the most comprehensive review of caffeine research in sports science. It synthesizes hundreds of studies and concludes that 3-6 mg/kg provides meaningful ergogenic effects for most athletes (NIH PMC7777221). The critical word is "most." Up to one in three individuals may not experience performance benefits from caffeine at any dose, and some experience negative side effects even within the recommended range. This genetic variability means a 300mg one-size-fits-all pre-workout is effectively a gamble for every athlete who takes it. What the position stand does not find is evidence that exceeding 6 mg/kg provides additional benefit. The dose-response curve flattens at the upper end while the side-effect curve keeps climbing. Anxiety, gastrointestinal distress, insomnia, and tachycardia all increase with higher doses. Why Do Most Pre-Workouts Contain So Much Caffeine? Supplement marketing depends on perceived intensity. A product that makes your skin tingle, your heart race, and your focus narrow feels like it is working. Beta-alanine causes the tingling. High-dose caffeine causes the heart rate spike and tunnel focus. These sensations sell product, but they do not directly correlate with better athletic output. For a 130-pound (59kg) athlete, the ISSN's upper recommendation of 6 mg/kg comes to about 354mg. Many pre-workouts exceed this in a single serving, meaning lighter athletes are routinely overshooting the effective range. The side effects they experience are not signs the product is "working." They are signs the dose is too high for their body weight. This matters for a practical reason: athletes who experience caffeine side effects during training are less likely to use caffeine strategically during competition, where it would actually provide an edge. Chronic overconsumption also builds tolerance, requiring ever-higher doses to feel the same effect while the performance ceiling stays fixed. How Can Athletes Find the Right Caffeine Dose? The answer starts with math, not marketing. Calculate 3 mg/kg of your body weight in kilograms. That is your starting dose. Work up from there during training sessions, never on competition day. Monitor for jitters, GI issues, and sleep disruption at each level. Format matters too. A 300mg pre-workout forces you into a fixed dose whether your body needs 150mg or 250mg. Individual strips, capsules, or measured servings give you the ability to titrate. Athletes who compete across different conditions (altitude, heat, time of day) benefit from dose flexibility because caffeine's effects shift with those variables. Adding L-theanine to the equation changes the calculus further. Research on elite wrestlers showed that the caffeine-L-theanine combination at 3 mg/kg each preserved performance benefits while cutting anxiety incidence from 33% to 8% (NIH PMC12456047). Lower caffeine paired with L-theanine may outperform higher caffeine alone for athletes who need both physical output and mental composure. How STRIPPIES ENERGY Gives Athletes Dose Control STRIPPIES ENERGY contains 50mg of Green Coffee Bean Extract (caffeine), 30mg of L-Theanine, 1000mcg of B12, and 20mg of Korean Ginseng per strip. Every ingredient listed with its exact dose. No proprietary blends. No fillers. Nothing wasted. At 50mg per strip, athletes can take one, two, or three strips to match their body weight and the ISSN's recommended range precisely. A 170-pound athlete targeting 3 mg/kg (231mg) could take four to five strips. A 130-pound athlete targeting the same ratio could take three to four. That precision is impossible with a fixed-dose pre-workout scoop. The dissolvable format works in minutes and is physician formulated with clean ingredients. Free of GMOs, soy, nuts, gluten, and dairy. For the related core article on how the caffeine-L-theanine combination works for athletes, read Energy for Athletes Without Jitters: What Actually Works. Frequently Asked Questions How much caffeine should I take before a game? The ISSN recommends 3-6 mg/kg of body weight, taken about 60 minutes before exercise. Calculate your dose based on your weight in kilograms, start at the lower end, and increase gradually during training to find your optimal level (NIH PMC7777221). Is more caffeine better for endurance sports? No. The research shows a ceiling effect where doses above 6 mg/kg do not improve endurance further but do increase side effects like GI distress and anxiety. Consistent moderate dosing outperforms sporadic megadosing for endurance athletes. Can I build a tolerance to caffeine? Yes. Regular caffeine consumption increases tolerance, meaning you need higher doses to feel the same subjective effect. The ISSN notes that habitual users may benefit from periodic caffeine reduction to restore sensitivity before key competitions. The most effective caffeine dose for athletic performance is almost certainly lower than what your current pre-workout contains. Precision dosing, matched to your body weight and the ISSN's research-backed recommendations, gives you the performance edge without the side effects that undermine it. Try STRIPPIES today — 50% off your first order → These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. ## Source Canonical HTML: . Structured JSON sibling: (full feed). Last rendered: 2026-06-05T04:02:36Z. For more STRIPPIES content, see the [blog index](/blogs/news?view=md) or the homepage at .