Key Takeaways
1. Carbohydrate supplements can be useful during long training sessions and packed competition schedules, especially when you need to replenish muscle glycogen.
2. For prolonged activity, especially when carbohydrate targets are higher, a glucose or maltodextrin plus fructose mix may work better.
3. Caffeine can improve alertness, focus, and exercise performance.
4. Coffee with enough carbohydrates may help support muscle glycogen recovery during a short post-exercise recovery window.
5. Monitor supplement dosages and personal tolerance levels. Schedule doses to avoid disrupting sleep.
5 Min Read
In previous articles, we mentioned that whey and creatine help rebuild muscles and support performance. Electrolytes support hydration and nerve signaling, and tart cherry juice may offer gentle post-workout recovery support.
When you start training longer races or back-to-back sessions – the question is simple:
What happens when your fuel tank becomes empty? If your energy dips, how will you get through the rest of the day?
That's why in this third part of our series, we're taking a deep dive into carbohydrate supplements and caffeine supplements.
The former helps refuel the body, while the latter can sharpen alertness and perceived energy.
And when coffee is paired with enough carbohydrates at the right time, muscle glycogen recovery may get extra support.
Carbohydrate Supplements
Carbohydrate supplements come as powders, RTDs, gels, gummies, bars, and shakes; common ingredients include glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, and highly branched cyclic dextrin, with glucose and maltodextrin serving as primary fuel sources.
Fructose gets absorbed through a different pathway and is often paired with other carbohydrates such as glucose or maltodextrin for longer activities like cycling, running, team sports, or mixed fitness events.
Whole foods such as rice, pasta, and potatoes should form the foundation of your daily diet. Supplements are best reserved for extended training sessions or packed competition days because they deliver precise carbohydrate doses.
During high-intensity exercise, the muscle “fuel tank” becomes partially depleted. That tank is muscle glycogen – the stored form of carbohydrates in your muscles that is readily available for quick energy during exercise.
Consuming carbohydrates after exercise can raise blood glucose and stimulate insulin secretion, helping the body move carbohydrates back into the muscles and store them as glycogen.
In a study featured in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 20 male soccer players played two full 120-minute matches three days apart. Researchers gave players maltodextrin drinks or a placebo between matches.
As part of the study, each group followed identical meal plans and calorie targets.
Participants in the carbohydrate group consumed maltodextrin drinks, resulting in carbohydrates accounting for 63% of match-day calories and 76% on training days. The placebo group consumed 54% of calories from carbohydrates on match days and 53% on training days.
Participants who increased carbohydrate consumption experienced better glycogen recovery while better maintaining some aspects of performance in the second match.
In the 30-minute overtime period, the placebo group’s total running distance declined from 3,327 m to 3,089 m, while the carbohydrate group covered 3,253 m in the first match and slightly more in the second match.
Additionally, the carbohydrate group also reported less severe DOMS (Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness) in the legs (Ermidis et al., 2024).
Caffeine Supplements
Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee, tea, and cocoa.
Supplements are available as caffeine anhydrous powder, sustained-release caffeine, or plant extracts such as coffee, guarana, or tea extracts.
By blocking adenosine receptors, caffeine can reduce tiredness and improve alertness, focus, reaction time, and exercise performance. That’s why pre-workout formulations commonly contain it.
In some cases, caffeinated drinks, including coffee, may also aid recovery.
A Nutrients study recruited 14 endurance-trained men. Participants completed two cycling sessions. The first depleted glycogen; the second, the next day, involved cycling to exhaustion followed by a four-hour recovery, during which researchers compared glycogen resynthesis after coffee with sweetened milk and breakfast versus sweetened milk and breakfast alone.
Finally, drinking coffee with carbohydrates was associated with greater muscle glycogen recovery and higher glucose and insulin (Loureiro et al., 2021).
How to Choose
Carbohydrate Supplements: Choose carbohydrate supplements that list grams per serving.
For longer endurance activity or mixed-modal events, especially when targeting higher carbohydrate intake, consider a mix of glucose or maltodextrin plus fructose.
If your digestion is sensitive, begin with smaller amounts. Steer clear of products loaded with fiber, fat, or sugar alcohols.
And finally, pick a flavor you enjoy, because even the best formula is not useful if you cannot tolerate it during training or competition.
Caffeine Supplements: When it comes to caffeine supplements, pick products that specify how much caffeine is in each serving, such as 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg.
Be cautious with pre-workouts that combine caffeine with several other stimulants. If you are prone to palpitations, anxiety, or poor sleep, avoid jumping straight to high doses.
Choose consistent alertness over sudden energy spikes.
How to Use
Carbohydrate Supplements: For most sessions under 60 minutes, extra carbs are usually not necessary.
1–2.5 hours – start with 30–60 grams per hour.
Over 2.5 hours – if your gut is well adapted, you can gradually increase toward about 90 grams per hour, preferably from multiple carbohydrate sources.
If you've got another workout or race coming up within 8 hours, consume carbohydrates soon after exercise – around 1.0–1.2 g/kg/h for 3–4 hours.
If your next workout or race is about a day from now, focus on meeting your total carbohydrate intake during your regular meals.
Caffeine Supplements: Consume 3 to 6 mg/kg of caffeine 30–60 minutes before exercise. If you are new to caffeine supplements, start lower, such as 1–3 mg/kg or 50–100 mg total.
If you want to apply the recovery scenario from the research above, it is better to include coffee with a carbohydrate-rich recovery meal after a morning or midday workout.
Avoid caffeine late in the day because it can disrupt sleep, which is essential for recovery.
You can track sleep-related trends using the Sleep Score in the CUDIS app, along with metrics such as HRV, RHR, and Blood Oxygen Saturation.
Try CUDIS’s AI Coach for personalized supplement suggestions based on your goals.
Disclaimer
This information is for general health education only and does not replace professional medical or dietary advice. If you have chronic diseases, take medications, are pregnant, or follow a special diet, talk to a doctor before using any supplements.
References
Ermidis, G., Mohr, M., Jamurtas, A. Z., Draganidis, D., Poulios, A., Papanikolaou, K., Vigh-Larsen, J. F., Loules, G., Sovatzidis, A., Nakopoulou, T., Tsimeas, P., Douroudos, I. I., Papadopoulos, C., Papadimas, G., Rosvoglou, A., Liakou, C. K., Georgakouli, K., Chatzinikolaou, A., ... Fatouros, I. G. (2024). Recovery during successive 120-min football games: Results from the 120-min placebo/carbohydrate randomized controlled trial. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 56(6), 1094–1107. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003398
Loureiro, L. M. R., dos Santos Neto, E., Molina, G. E., Amato, A. A., Arruda, S. F., Reis, C. E. G., & da Costa, T. H. M. (2021). Coffee increases post-exercise muscle glycogen recovery in endurance athletes: A randomized clinical trial. Nutrients, 13(10), Article 3335. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103335
