Is Your Athlete at Risk of Caffeine Poisoning?

 

Caffeine, especially in soft drinks or energy drinks, may seem relatively benign. But it can have detrimental effects on your athlete, and in some cases, it can even be deadly. Here, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) Director of Science, Laura Lewis, PhD, explains what you need to know to keep your athletes safe when it comes to caffeine intake, and how to help them improve their energy without relying on caffeine. 

Caffeine Can Be Fatal 

If an athlete does consume too much caffeine, the result can be fatal. In 2018, one study identified more than 90 caffeine-related deaths, and athletes made up a large percentage of the fatalities. Teen athletes trying to stay alert are particularly susceptible to taking extraneous caffeine supplements like pills and powders on top of energy drinks, but even energy drinks on their own can have fatal consequences if consumed in excess. (To clarify, it's rarely a caffeine overdose per se that causes the death. Rather, it's a cardiac event triggered by the caffeine consumption.) 

How Much Is Too Much? 

Everyone responds to caffeine differently. Unfortunately, while there are recommended maximum caffeine intake amounts for different age groups, there is no specific "overdose" threshold for caffeine because people respond to it differently. 

Lewis explains that certain people process caffeine faster, so the effects of caffeine in a cup of coffee in the morning can wear off within as little as 90 minutes. But for slower caffeine metabolizers, that caffeine can linger in the system for up to nine hours. If an athlete has another energy drink at lunch, the resulting caffeine levels may be more elevated than they realize. The 'alert' feeling that comes from caffeine also may take more or less time to be felt, depending on how the body responds to caffeine. That means a cup of coffee may not provide that 'perky' feeling for an hour, or it may be felt almost instantly. 

What Are Signs of a Caffeine Overdose?

Mount Sinai Hospital does refer to the detrimental effects of too much caffeine as an 'overdose.' Symptoms include a racing or irregular heartbeat, muscle twitching, nausea, trouble focusing, difficulty breathing, seizures, dizziness, and even confusion or hallucinations. In these cases, seek immediate medical help. Also, if possible, ask the athlete what caffeine they have ingested so that you're better able to communicate the situation to medical professionals.