Coffee vs Pre-Workout Caffeine: Does Coffee Work Just as Well? (2013 Randomized Trial)
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Yes. In a randomized crossover trial, plain instant coffee improved cycling time trial performance just as much as the same dose of pure caffeine powder, and both were about 5.0% faster than placebo. Eight trained cyclists rode a 45 minute time trial one hour after drinking one of four things: caffeine at 5 mg per kg of bodyweight, instant coffee carrying that same 5 mg per kg dose, instant decaf, or placebo. Coffee and caffeine tied. Decaf and placebo tied.
Reviewed and published by Danny Lehr, CrossFit Level 3 Trainer and USA Weightlifting coach. September 2026.
Key findings at a glance
- Time trial: coffee 38.27 min, pure caffeine 38.35 min, placebo 40.23 min, decaf 40.31 min. Both caffeinated drinks about 5.0% faster, p < 0.05.
- Average power: coffee 291 W, pure caffeine 294 W, placebo 277 W, decaf 276 W, p < 0.05.
- Coffee versus powder: about 5 seconds apart over 45 minutes. Not a significant difference.
- Decaf versus placebo: no significant difference. The warm cup alone did nothing.
- Fuel use: no difference in fat or carbohydrate oxidation. The usual fat burning explanation did not show up.
- Dose: 5 mg per kg of bodyweight, once, 60 minutes before riding. Roughly 395 mg for the average rider here.
- Size: 8 trained male cyclists and triathletes, average age 41. Small, single blind, crossover.
Does coffee work as well as pre-workout caffeine powder?
In this trial, yes. Coffee and caffeine produced the same result: 38.27 versus 38.35 minutes, and 291 versus 294 watts. Both beat placebo and decaf significantly. The gap between the coffee and the powder was about 5 seconds, which the authors called similar rather than different.
Be precise about what that means. Failing to detect a difference in an 8 person study is not proof that two things are identical. It means this trial found no edge for the powder, and anyone selling you one has to explain why it did not show up.
How much coffee did the cyclists actually drink?
5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight, once, an hour before. That is an acute pre-session dose, not a daily intake target, and it is a different number from the habitual intake figures in other caffeine research.
| Bodyweight | 5 mg per kg, one dose | Rough cup equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 150 lb / 68 kg | about 340 mg | 2 to 3.5 cups |
| 180 lb / 82 kg | about 408 mg | 2.5 to 4 cups |
An 8 oz cup of drip runs 95 to 165 mg, which is why the cup count is a range. That imprecision is the one real argument for the powder: you know exactly what you took. So use a coffee you measure and brew the same way every time. PR Blend is the one we built for training days and roast to order, and the rest is in the coffee collection. To stop thinking about restocking, the 12 month prepaid Coffee of the Month keeps a fresh bag arriving.
When should you drink coffee before a workout?
These riders drank it 60 minutes out, not on the drive in. Plasma caffeine takes time to climb, so the hour was part of the protocol, not a detail. Drink it on the way in and the first part of your session runs on a curve that has not risen yet.
Why didn't decaf work?
Because the caffeine was doing the work. Decaf finished at 40.31 minutes and placebo at 40.23 minutes, no significant difference. Same warm cup, same ritual, no performance change. It is the cleanest control arm in the study and the reason the result is believable.
Does coffee before a workout burn more fat?
Not here. During the 30 minute steady state ride before the time trial, the researchers measured no difference in carbohydrate or fat oxidation between the four drinks. Fat burning is the explanation most often attached to caffeine and exercise. Here performance improved and the fuel mix did not, so something else produced the result. The study does not say what.
What did the researchers conclude?
both caffeine (5 mg CAF/kg BW) and coffee (5 mg CAF/kg BW) consumed 1 h prior to exercise can improve endurance exercise performance, Hodgson, Randell and Jeukendrup, PLoS One, 2013.
The figures, with significance
| Comparison | Figures | Statistically significant? |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee vs placebo, 45 min time trial | 38.27 vs 40.23 min, about 5.0% faster | Yes, p < 0.05 |
| Pure caffeine vs placebo, time trial | 38.35 vs 40.23 min, about 5.0% faster | Yes, p < 0.05 |
| Coffee and caffeine vs placebo, average power | 291 W and 294 W vs 277 W | Yes, p < 0.05 |
| Coffee vs pure caffeine, time trial | 38.27 vs 38.35 min, about 5 seconds | No, effects were similar |
| Decaf vs placebo, time trial | 40.31 vs 40.23 min | No |
| Fat and carbohydrate oxidation, steady state | No difference between drinks | No |
Means as reported in the primary paper. Percentages are against placebo.
Is one small study enough to change what you do?
On its own, no. A 2020 review in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism concluded there is limited evidence that caffeinated coffee offers effects similar in magnitude to caffeine anhydrous, and that it needs further investigation. It also flags the practical hurdles: a fair volume of liquid, and a caffeine content per cup that is hard to pin down. The fair reading is not that coffee is proven equal to the powder. It is that if the powder has an edge, nobody has shown it yet.
What this does not prove
- Not proof they are identical. Eight subjects cannot establish equivalence. No detectable difference is the weaker, honest claim.
- 8 trained men, average age 41, on bikes. Not women, not novices, not barbell work. Endurance results do not automatically transfer to a heavy single.
- Single blind, not double blind. Coffee tastes like coffee, so subjects could tell some drinks apart. The decaf arm helps but does not erase that.
- Instant coffee. Brewed coffee was not tested.
- No mechanism. The oxidation data ruled out the fat burning story and offered no replacement.
- Funding note: one author disclosed employment by PepsiCo, with no related products in development.
Frequently asked questions
Is coffee as good as pre-workout for energy?
In this trial dose matched coffee matched pure caffeine powder, both about 5.0% faster than placebo over a 45 minute time trial. Most pre-workouts contain other ingredients, so the comparison only holds for the caffeine part.
How much coffee should I drink before a workout?
The dose here was 5 mg per kilogram of bodyweight once, 60 minutes before. For a 180 lb lifter that is roughly 408 mg, or about 2.5 to 4 cups of drip coffee. Start lower if you are caffeine sensitive.
How long before a workout should I drink coffee?
One hour, which is what this protocol used. Blood caffeine needs time to rise, so drinking it as you walk in leaves the first part of your session unsupported.
Does decaf coffee improve exercise performance?
Not in this study. Decaf finished at 40.31 minutes versus placebo at 40.23 minutes, with no significant difference. The benefit tracked the caffeine.
Does coffee before exercise increase fat burning?
This trial measured fat and carbohydrate oxidation during steady state cycling and found no difference between the four drinks. Performance improved without a measurable change in fuel use.
Sources
- Hodgson AB, Randell RK, Jeukendrup AE. The metabolic and performance effects of caffeine compared to coffee during endurance exercise. PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e59561. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23573201
- Pickering C, Grgic J. Is Coffee a Useful Source of Caffeine Preexercise? Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2020;30(1):69-82. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31629349
This is exercise science in trained athletes, not medical advice. Caffeine tolerance varies. If you have a heart condition, are pregnant, or take medication that interacts with stimulants, talk to your doctor before changing your intake.