About this episode

This episode explores the science behind caffeine's effects on CrossFit athletes, including its impact on performance, sleep, and recovery.

Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world, and it is deeply embedded in fitness culture. Coffee, pre-workout, and energy drinks are often treated as essential tools for training and performance. But what does the science actually say? In this episode of the CrossFit Podcast, host Jocelyn Rylee sits down with sleep scientist and active duty Army neuroscientist Dr. Allison Brager to examine the relationship between caffeine, sleep, recovery, and performance. Brager explains how caffeine works in the brain, why tolerance changes its effectiveness, and why the perceived boost athletes feel during workouts does not always translate into measurable performance gains. The conversation explores research on caffeine and CrossFit workouts, the role of sleep deprivation in caffeine effectiveness, and why energy drinks may carry neurological risks when used chronically. They also discuss strategic caffeine use for athletes, military personnel, and first responders who face sleep disruption. If you train hard, rely on caffeine, or want to improve performance without compromising recovery, this conversation will challenge what you think you know. Topics Covered How…

People in this episode

Host: Jocelyn Rylee

Guest: Dr. Allison Brager

Topics covered

• caffeine and performance
• caffeine and sleep
• CrossFit workouts
• tolerance and effectiveness
• neurological risks of energy drinks
• strategic caffeine use

Keywords

• caffeine
• CrossFit
• performance
• sleep
• energy drinks
• tolerance
• recovery

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CrossFit LLC

Products: caffeine, coffee, pre-workout, energy drinks

Places: Army

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