The Study
Effects of Caffeine Ingestion on Morning Cognitive and Muscle Strength Measures in Males: A Standardized Approach
This study tested if drinking coffee before a morning workout helps you lift heavier or remember better. It found that, for a small group of young men who don’t usually drink caffeine, it did help a little with strength and memory. But it doesn’t prove it will work the same for everyone else.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study tested if drinking a strong cup of coffee before morning workouts helps you push harder and remember word lists better.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 570 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These improvements are meaningful for morning workouts — they make strength and memory near evening levels, helping people who train early feel more powerful and recall better.
- 2Caffeine made people 8–9% stronger in leg pushes, 3–9% faster in lifting weights, and 9.5% better at recalling word lists — but didn't help with focus, mood, or body temperature.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2026
Authors
João P. S. Agulhari, Neil Chester, M. Giacomoni, Karl C. Gibbons, Dani Hajdukiewicz, Haydyn L. O’Brien, T. D. O’Brien, J. Jensen, Briony Lucas, S. Moss, S. Pullinger, B. J. Edwards
Related Content
Claims (6)
Young men who regularly consume less than 150 mg of caffeine per day and take 300 mg of caffeine one hour before a morning strength test show an 8.3–9.0% increase in maximum quadriceps force compared to their baseline without caffeine.
Taking 300 mg of caffeine one hour before a morning workout increases the speed and power output of bench press and back squat movements at moderate weights in young men who rarely consume caffeine.
In young men who rarely consume caffeine, taking 300 mg of caffeine in the morning improves memory recall on a verbal learning test by about 9.5%, but does not reliably improve attention or decision-making skills.
When young men who rarely consume caffeine take 300 mg of caffeine, they report feeling less tired during maximum muscle contractions.
In young men who rarely consume caffeine, taking 300 mg of caffeine in the morning does not change their body temperature, mood, alertness, attention, or ability to make decisions.
Drinking caffeine in the morning increases core body temperature and enhances physical performance. Regular caffeine use over time does not affect muscle growth because the body adapts to its presence.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.