I get asked a lot about coffee for athletes. I don’t mean a special coffee made for athletes (although that might be an idea—Athlete Espresso, anyone?), but I mean–should athletes drink coffee? While opinions vary widely, there are a few facts to keep in mind:

1. Used in moderation, caffeine is relatively harmless to healthy adults who are not pregnant.
2. Coffee (again in moderation) is a great way to “wake-up” in the morning and get your day going. If coffee is part of your morning ritual, go for it (although consider switching to tea which has less than a third of the caffeine).
3. Coffee (in moderation) does have a stimulatory effect on the digestive tract and metabolism.
4. Numerous studies have concluded that caffeine facilitates the metabolism of fatty acids during continuous aerobic activity.

So the short answer is, yes, athletes can drink coffee so long as they stay hydrated (coffee is a diuretic, which will increase urine output and decrease hydration) and drink it in moderation.