# no coffee for athletes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-coffee-for-athletes/168484 "2003-04-13T19:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-coffee-for-athletes/168484/1 "2003-04-13T19:33:24Z")
I was reading on a poster the list of banned drugs for rugby football players which included caffeine. Does this mean no coffee, tea, cola etc? Is this true for other athletes? ---
**Author:** ![CelraySoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@CelraySoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelraySoda)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-coffee-for-athletes/168484/2 "2003-04-13T19:55:38Z")
Yup, same thing goes in the Olympics, too. Athletes used to drink like 7 cups of coffee before an event, not anymore. -M ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-coffee-for-athletes/168484/3 "2003-04-13T19:55:47Z")
It says [here](http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.WebSite_Detail/StoryID/1934): > [@](#): > > Classes Stimulants e.g. amphetamine, bromantan, \*\*caffeine (above 12mcg/ml), \*\* I would guess that by “doping”, they’re talking about taking caffeine in concentrated pill form, enough to produce a higher concentration, of more than 12 mcg/ml, in the urine sample. I don’t think the amount of caffeine in coffee, tea, and cola would be enough to show up on a drug screening. Found this. [http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma\_caffeine\_sma.htm](http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_caffeine_sma.htm) > [@](#): > > The current list of drugs banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) contains more than 40 different stimulants, including caffeine over a certain limit. Coffee, tea, chocolate, and colas, as well as NO DOZ and some nonprescription painkillers contain caffeine. Because caffeine is a common ingredient in foods and drinks, the IOC allows an upper limit of 12 mcg/mL of urine tested. > > Over a 2- to 3-hour period, a dose of 100 mg of caffeine results in a urine concentration of 1.5 mg/mL. So, for example, if in a 3-hour period you consumed 800 mg of caffeine (5 to 6 cups of strong coffee or a couple of espresso drinks), you could exceed the legal dose. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-coffee-for-athletes/168484/4 "2003-04-13T19:59:05Z")
Whoops, hit Submit too soon. So you could theoretically exceed the dose just by drinking lots of coffee in a very short period of time, but frankly, if you’re drinking 6 cups of strong coffee in 3 hours, you’ve got more serious problems than we can help you with here. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-coffee-for-athletes/168484/5 "2003-04-13T23:06:57Z")
thanks, didn’t realise there was a limit as the poster didn’t say. Guess the expresso is safe if I ever get stupid enough to take up rugby (no pads -they must be real masochists) ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-coffee-for-athletes/168484/6 "2003-04-14T01:33:58Z")
Also, geez, I don’t think I’d want to drink coffee before an olympic event. As if you wouldn’t be dehydrated enough. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-coffee-for-athletes/168484/7 "2003-04-14T01:42:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*Whoops, hit Submit too soon. > > So you could theoretically exceed the dose just by drinking lots of coffee in a very short period of time, but frankly, if you’re drinking 6 cups of strong coffee in 3 hours, you’ve got more serious problems than we can help you with here. 😃 \*\* _WHAT?_ :dubious: Peace, mangeorge