The study included 25 physically fit college-age men, split evenly between those who drank coffee regularly (on average, 3 to 4 cups a day) and those who didn't drink coffee. The men cranked out two high intensity workouts on a stationary bike for 30-minutes each but before one, they were given a dose of caffeine equivalent to two cups of coffee. In general, the researchers found, the men reported significantly less thigh-muscle pain when they had caffeine in their systems compared to when they didn't.
The findings add to growing evidence showing that caffeine may help prevent that familiar achy feeling which strikes during and after a particularly hard or new exercise routine. If it proves to be true, a pre-workout shot of caffeine would be an easy and inexpensive way to reduce muscle soreness. And the really good news: Since both the caffeine guzzlers and the non drinkers reported feeling less post-workout soreness after consuming caffeine, this could mean people don't build up a tolerance to its pain-dampening effects and it could provide a long termsolution to the aches and pains associated with physical activity.
