top of page
Coffee-Caffeine-fitness.webp

Coffee and Fitness.

Q - 

Does caffeine help exercise?

A - 

It depends on your fitness goals.

Caffeine as a supplement is used by sports people across the world to help them increase physical endurance, stamina and mental alertness. 

A lot of fitness enthusiasts use caffeine as a part of their workout or exercise regime but may not be using it in the correct way.

Ideally, we wouldn't need to use caffeine to get a more productive workout, but sometimes a little boost does help. If you're thinking about trying caffeine or already use it, it's important that you know the facts so you can use it safely. It's more powerful than what you may realise.

 

Let's find out the facts from known and trusted sources like PubMed.gov, Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, Global Sport Matters and more leading scientific and medical sources.

In the article below, we'll look at the;

  • Benefits

  • Dis-benefits

  • Do's

  • And don'ts

of using caffeine as an aid to improve physical and/or mental performance.

You might be surprised at what you learn. Let's take a look.

Coffee and Fitness

- Men.

Time to Get Psycho-Active?

That's exactly what caffeine is.

It's a psycho-active drug from the methylxanthine drug class and is (by far) the most widely consumed drug in the world.

Caffeine-Molecular-Structure-chemistry_edited.png

People supplement with caffeine because of the stimulating affect it has on the Central Nervous System of our bodies, which gives rise to a state of 'alertness' and gives the feeling of being 'more energetic'.

Caffeine itself does not contain 'energy' so to speak. It contains zero calories or Kilo joules of energy.

The fact that it contains no energy but makes a person feel more energetic is the reason why it is such a popular sports nutritional supplement. It's an effective nutritional aid for maintaining or lowering body fat levels and also for getting a bit more productivity from our workouts.

As caffeine is so widely available and widely popular, the

dis-benefits of it's excessive use are widely ignored.

You ignore them at your own peril.

Below, we'll take a 'straight to the point' factual look at what the benefits of using caffeine are, the dis-benefits and also the dangers of when it is used too much.

 

'Gym talk' and 'medically proven facts'

can sometimes be two very different things.

Let's get straight to it.

Dumbell_edited.png
Black Water Bottle_edited.png

Caffeine Fitness Facts.

It's safe to use, as long as your dosage is correct and that you have no medical conditions that may be affected by caffeine consumption.

Caffeine is an effective, somewhat popular and safe (when used correctly)  performance enhancement supplement. This is a fact.

But .. the key words used here are 'when used correctly'.

Thankfully,  there have already been a lot of medical studies on the varied affects caffeine has on the human body, so we've got a good idea on what works and what doesn't.
Below, we'll take a look at the following:
  • Pro's and cons of using caffeine - The good, the bad & the ugly.
  • Body mass vs milligrams - How much caffeine should i use?
  • Caffeine intolerance vs Sensitivity.
  • Supplementing - The top 7 most popular sports & physical activities.

Pro's & Cons of Using Caffeine.

The bullet points below quickly highlight the facts on supplementing with caffeine, or even just drinking lot's of coffee on a daily basis.

Let's get straight to it.

The Good.

  • Slightly improved endurance during high intensity work outs or   

       endurance style activities.

  • Slightly improved focus and concentration.

  • A slight improvement in overall physical coordination.

  • Can endure more exercise for slightly longer, delay in fatigue.

  • Some men report a slight increase in strength when performing

      'resistance training' style exercise.

The Bad.

  • It is very easy to develop a 'dependency' on caffeine.

  • When taken in pill or powder form, It is easier to 'overdose' on caffeine.

  • There is a general lack of understanding or awareness on the negative

       health effects of persistent 'high dose' caffeine use.

  • Caffeine delays the production of Adenosine in the body (sleep chemical), causing sleeplessness and insomnia.

  • Too much caffeine can have a negative affect on focus and

       concentration.

  • Caffeine has a diuretic affect on the human body. Persistent use can cause a state of dehydration to occur... Which is quite dangerous when performing activities that cause the body to sweat.

  • Heart palpitations are a common symptom experienced by people who consume too much caffeine.

  • Issues with digestion and the digestive system are a known medical symptom of consuming too much caffeine.

  • Some prescribed medications can have an adverse reaction to caffeine which can cause health issues to occur.

The Ugly.

  • Persistent high doses of caffeine commonly cause blood pressure issues to occur, or will antagonise any existing condition.

  • Caffeine actually relaxes your esophagus, persistent use commonly causes gastroesophageal reflux (commonly known as 'acid reflux').

  • Persistent intake of caffeine (throughout the day - every day) can cause anxiety or symptoms of anxiety to occur.

  • Persistent high dosing with caffeine over a period of time can cause problems for your kidney function and also your central nervous system. (involuntary muscular twitches and other symptoms).

  • In rare circumstances, 'caffeine toxicity' can occur in the body, resulting in death.

We can simplify all of the above into 3 clear points;

  1. The correct dose of caffeine will assist you.

  2. A higher dose of caffeine can be used occasionally only if needs be. This should not be done regularly.

  3. Persistent high dosing with caffeine is dangerous to your health and well being.

Body Mass vs Milligrams.

How much caffeine should I use?

You'd be surprised at just how many guys don't really know how much they should or shouldn't consume or what the effects are if you consume too much. If you get your caffeine from coffee, it can be tricky to know how much is actually in the coffee.

 

If you choose to use caffeine, for optimum performance you don't really want to be under-dosing and you really should avoid overdosing.

Let's take a look at the facts so we can get the best from our caffeine supplements (or coffee).

Coffee-and-fitness_edited_edited.png

Your 'optimum workout' caffeine amount is based on your body weight.

It is not based on the kind of physical activity you are performing.

As you know, caffeine is not 'nutrition'. It has no nutritional value. We don't calculate caffeine amounts the same way we would calculate our body's requirement for nutrients or energy.

E.g - Whether you're performing;

  • Heavy squats at the gym.

  • Going for a run or a swim.

  • A short or long bike ride.

  • Cardio at the gym.

or even playing a football match, basketball game or any other sport, your 'optimum workout' caffeine amount is based on your body weight.

Here's the facts.

For most men (with no health conditions), it is ok to consume up to 400mg of caffeine a day. If you do consume too much and it's an amount your body will struggle to process, you'll probably experience symptoms like nausea, headaches, racing heart beat or palpitations, restlessness or agitation or other symptoms associated with consuming too much caffeine.

 

For optimum performance...

Caffeine-Gel_edited.png

As mentioned, you should avoid taking too high a dose for what your needs are. Let's get straight to it.

Caffeine-Pills_edited.png

There are 3 different measures to ascertain your correct pre-workout amount. (Not daily amount).

 

These are:

Lower level dose.

1 mg per Kg

0.45 mg per lb

Perfect if you have established that you are

caffeine sensitive.

Or, for when you just want a bit of a boost, but not too much.

Optimum level.

2 mg per Kg

0.9 mg per lb

This is where you want to be to get the most from your caffeine supplement.

(Or coffee).

High level.

3 mg per Kg *

1.35 mg per lb *

This is for when you'll need maximum boost for maximum intensity or endurance. This should only be done occasionally and not regularly.

* Do not exceed 300 mg of caffeine in one dose, regardless of your body weight. E.g, if you weigh more than 100kg or 222lbs, limit your dose to a maximum of 300mg.

This is not your 'daily' caffeine amount. This is your 'optimum workout' amount. Aim to consume your caffeine around 1 hour pre-workout or before your physcial activity begins.

It is important to note that if you do use caffeine as a supplement or even just consume coffee throughout the day and you're experiencing  any symptoms that you think may be related to the caffeine, you should speak to your doctor or health professional about it. Please don't delay doing so.

Caffeine Sensitivity.

At the beginning of this article, we pointed out that caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in the world. Also, as it is so widely available and widely consumed, the health risks directly associated with consuming too much are widely ignored.

We also stated that you ignore these risks at your own peril.

Well, let's get to that point and look at the facts as to why that is.

Caffeine-Black-Coffee_edited.png

Truth is, caffeine is consumed by tens of millions of people a day across the world and almost all of them experience no negative symptoms or health issues associated with their caffeine consumption.

Another truth is that some people do experience negative symptoms  which are associated with caffeine, but because they don't really consume that much (maybe a few cups of coffee a day or just a 150mg pill at the gym), they don't realise that their symptoms are caused by their caffeine intake. To put it more succinctly, they don't realise that they are in fact 'caffeine sensitive'.

Larry, Moe and Curly.

A quick side story - Let's meet 3 guys, Larry, Moe and Curly.

 

Larry has a high tolerance to caffeine, Curly is caffeine sensitive and Moe is somewhere in between (which is the vast majority of people).

11pm - time for bed soon: 

Larry has his cup of nightly coffee. Loves the taste. Relaxes him. Drinks it around 11pm. By 11.30pm Larry is out for the count and snoring his head off. He'll sleep like a baby until morning.

Moe - Also loves his coffee, but he also knows that having a cup just before bed will probably keep him awake for a while. So, Moe has his coffee around 7pm. By 11.30pm, Moe is out for the count and snoring his head off. He'll also sleep like a baby until morning.

Curly - Curly also has a coffee around 7pm. Heads off to bed around 11pm. Curly is still awake at 1am. Curly finally falls asleep sometime after 1am, he doesn't know what time. He experiences this most nights. It drives him nuts but he's used to it.

It's morning - Time to hit the gym.

Larry's up & at 'em. He had a good replenishing sleep and is ready to hit the gym. Larry tried caffeine supplements before but they didn't really do anything for him, so he doesn't bother with them. Larry has a good workout & feels energised through the rest of his day.

Moe's up at 7am. He takes his 150mg caffeine pill at 8am (or drinks his coffee) because he knows it will kick in around 9am as he begins his workout. Moe has a good work out then heads home. Moe's caffeine 'buzz' lasts until around mid day. At around 1pm, Moe really feels like having a nap, but he can't as there's things he needs to do.

Curly wakes up at 7 and feels like a zombie because he didn't get much sleep. Curly knows he needs to hit the gym so he takes a 150mg caffeine pill around 8am for a boost (or drinks coffee) and starts to feel it kicking in around 9am. Curly doesn't feel so good. He's training at the gym but feels a little bit light headed and a bit sick.

Curly didn't get a good workout because he had to finish sooner due to a headache and just feeling pretty rough.

Sometime around 2pm, Curly finally starts to feel a little better. He could really do with some sleep. He's been having these symptoms for a while but he's used to it & just get's on with his day. Curly is thinking he might need to go and see a doctor sometime soon (which he's been meaning to do for months).

The end.

So ... what was that all about?

The moral of the story is that when it comes to caffeine consumption (coffee or other forms), we're either a Larry, a Moe or a Curly.

Some guys are a 'Larry'. Caffeine has hardly any affect on them or even no affect what so ever.

The vast majority of guys are a 'Moe'. Caffeine has the effect it should have. They use it sensibly and don't consume caffeine at the wrong times or in high doses. They don't experience negative symptoms after taking caffeine. They also know that feeling a little tired when it wears off is perfectly normal.


Some guys are a 'Curly'. This poor guy doesn't realise that his sleeping difficulties and the other negative symptoms he's experiencing are actually being caused by caffeine. Curly is caffeine sensitive.

Know the symptoms of Caffeine Sensitivity.

Don't be a Curly. Knowing the symptoms of caffeine sensitivity can save you a lot of unnecessary suffering.

 

Here are the most common symptoms reported by people who were diagnosed with being sensitive to caffeine. It was commonly reported that symptoms began around 1 hour after ingesting caffeine.

  • Feeling a bit sick. May feel like vomiting.

       Caffeine can stimulate your gastrointestinal tract. If your body is             

       sensitive to the effects of caffeine, it's affect on you may be stronger   

       than normal. This can lead to an upset stomach, nausea and in some           cases has been known to cause diarrhoea.

  • Experience a headache.

       Caffeine causes the blood vessels around the brain to constrict by a

       tiny microscopic amount. This effect is known to trigger headaches.

  • Anxiety or feeling anxious.

       ​"Caffeine induced anxiety disorder" is an actual medical condition. If     

        you consume caffeine and experience the symptoms commonly                    associated with anxiety, it is possible that your caffeine consumption            is causing it or possibly exacerbating an already underlying condition.

  • Irregular heartbeat or palpitations.

       You may experience the sensation of actually feeling your heart                       beating, whether it be normally,  quickly, slowly or just irregularly.                     Some people report that they can actually feel their heart 'pounding'             in their chest.​

  • Insomnia.

       This is the most commonly experienced symptom by people                             experiencing issues with caffeine. If you have a sensitivity to                               caffeine,your body can take longer to process it out of your system,                 meaning it's affect on you will last longer.​ So maybe that 6pm coffee

       is why you're still wide awake a 1am.

  • Elevated blood Pressure / Hypertension.

       High blood pressure rarely shows any noticeable symptoms. This can           be a tricky one. According to the British Heart Foundation, some                     people experience the following symptoms when suffering from high         blood pressure:​

       - Intermittent blurred vision.

       - Nose bleeds.

       - Chest pain.

       - Shortness of breath.

       - Light headedness or dizziness. 

       - Headaches.

       ​Most people who may be suffering from elevated blood pressure may           not experience any symptoms that would be easily noticed. The only             thing we can take from this point is that if you"feel a bit strange" after           consuming caffeine, you should consult your doctor or medical                       professional. 

If you consume caffeine (in whatever form) and you think you've experienced any of the above symptoms, don't be a Curly and go and speak to your doctor about it.

If you consume caffeine (in whatever form) and you don't experience any of the above symptoms, you can safely assume that your body is not sensitive to the effects of caffeine. So, you're not caffeine sensitive.

Supplementing.

The top 6 most popular sports & physical activities.

In this section (the final section), we'll take a look at the top 6 most popular sports and physical activities and briefly summarise what your caffeine intake should be & maybe a few other details (where relevant).

For a few of them, the facts will be the same. It'll depend on the kind of activity you are performing. E.g - Stamina/Endurance - Strength - Precision or a combination of more than one of these.

But first, a quick re-cap.

How to calculate your correct caffeine dosage.

Lower level dose.

1 mg per Kg

0.45 mg per lb

Perfect if you have established that you are

caffeine sensitive.

Or, for when you just want a bit of a boost, but not too much.

Optimum level.

2 mg per Kg

0.9 mg per lb

This is where you want to be to get the most from your caffeine supplement.

(Or coffee).

High level.

3 mg per Kg *

1.35 mg per lb *

This is for when you'll need maximum boost for maximum intensity or endurance. This should only be done occasionally and not regularly.

Let's get straight to it. We'll work our way through 6 different sports/activities and establish your correct caffeine requirement for each one.

Football (Soccer).

Did you know? The earliest records of a game closely resembling football date back to around 300BC in China. Military manuals from the then Han dynasty document the rules for the game. It was called 'Tsu Chu' or 'CuJu' and it involved kicking a ball through a 30-40cm (around 15 inches) goal made with a  cane frame with a net attached to it.

Modern day football came to light in England in 1863. The first official Football Association match was held on Saturday 9th January 1864, and it was known as the 'Battersea Park Game'.

Caffeine.

Sport: Football (Soccer).

Activity: Endurance/Stamina - Precision.

Time: 90 minutes (45 x 2).

Caffeine Requirement: Optimum or Higher Dose.*

Ingestion Time: Here are 2 options.

  1. 1 hour before kick off.

  2. If you want it to kick in around 30mins into the game, ingest your caffeine around 30mins before kick off.

* Try not to use a higher dose unless it's an                   important game.

All star football club___edited.png

Basketball.

two men standing near basketball hoop_ed

Did you know? Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. At that time, he was a professor of physical education at the Young Men's Christian Association (later to become Springfield College) , located in Springfield, MA (America).

He needed an indoor game that would keep the kids fit during the long New England winter months. So, he made up the rules of the game then nailed a peach basket to the wall and used a soccer ball for the first games of Basketball.

The sport spread throughout the USA mainly through YMCA centres and started gaining big popularity in the 1920's.

Different league's in the sport came & went.

In 1935, the Midwest Basketball Conference was formed but in 1937 changed it's name to the National Basketball League (NBL) . In 1946 the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was formed. In 1949, they both merged to form what is now the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 1967, the American Basketball Association was formed but in 1976 merged into the NBA. Today, the NBA is the top professional basketball league in the world.

    Caffeine.

    Sport: Basketball

Activity: Endurance/Stamina - Precision.

Time: 48 minutes (12 x 4). May extend to 2 or 3 hrs.

Caffeine Requirement: Optimum or Higher Dose.*

Ingestion Time: This is a tricky one as it's hard to know how long the game will actually go on for.

You want it to kick in around 30mins into the game, so ingest your caffeine around 30mins before first jump ball or tip off. It's effects should then last the duration of a longer game.

* Try not to use a higher dose unless it's an                   important game.

Cricket.

Did you know? It is believed that cricket  became a 'thing' sometime in the 1500's in the south east counties of England. The earliest confirmed  written reference to a game of cricket being played is from a legal case disputing ownership of land dating back to 1597 (or 98). A 59 year old coroner by the name of John Derrick testified in that court case that he used to play 'Creckett' as a school boy on the plot of land under dispute.

It is this historical court document that is generally referred to as evidence that cricket was played as a boys game as early as 1550 in England.

(It is believed that cricket was played earlier than this, but this court case is the earliest documented evidence available).

In the 1600's cricket evolved into a mans game and many matches were played between competing church parish teams and village teams. The end of the 1600's saw the first ever county cricket matches being played.

During the 1700's cricket spread overseas to  countries England had either invaded or traded with.

In 1909, the Imperial Cricket Conference was founded at Lords (ICC). In 1965, the name was changed to the International Cricket Council, which is currently head quartered in Dubai, U.A.E.

As of now, cricket has around 2.5 billion fans spread over 180 countries around the world.

The sport's global governing body reported a worldwide cumulative audience of 1.6 billion for live coverage of the 2019 ICC World Cup.

Caffeine.

Sport: Cricket.

Activity: Endurance/Stamina - Precision/Strength.

Time: Between 3 and 8 1/2 hours.

Caffeine Requirement: Optimum* (x 2).

Ingestion Time: It depends on the kind of match you are playing. Let's do it by match length:

3hrs: Ingest your optimum caffeine amount around 1 hour before umpire calls 'Play'. The effects should last around 4 hours.

* 8 hrs or longer: As above, then around 3 hours into the game, ingest a second dose of your optimum amount. Caffeine effects may begin to wear off near the end of the match.

Avoid taking a higher dose. The 'crash' when it wears off can be quite significant and may negatively affect your performance, 

didcot cc_edited_edited_edited.png

American Football (The GRID-IRON).

man holding brown football ball_edited.p

Did you know? American football was originally conceived as a hybrid sport based on the two sports of soccer and rugby.

In the earliest years of the game, it was more like soccer than rugby.

What is considered as the first game of (American) football took place on November 6th 1869 between two New Jersey college teams (Rutgers and Princeton).

  • The game was based on the 1863 London Football Association rules which allowed for 25 players per team but disallowed picking the ball up, carrying it or throwing it

(A round soccer style ball was used at the time).

In the early 1870's the game went through several different rule changes. Sometimes, each college would have their own game rules, which was a problem when it came to playing a game.

  • In 1873, the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) was formed which aimed to 'standardise' the rules of the game. One of the rule changes made by the IFA was to reduce the team size from 25 players down to 20.

On November 13th, 1875, Yale and Harvard played each other for the first time. Yale preferred the soccer style rules, Harvard preferred the rugby style rules. They both agreed to a set of "Concessionary rules" for the game. This was the first game ever to use 15 players per team.

  • One of the spectators watching that particular game was a certain Walter Camp. Walter later enrolled at Yale in 1876 and wasted no time in getting to grips with the game of football. By the late 1880's, Walter is credited with introducing a whole multitude of changes to the game, including reducing team size to 11 players, pitch size to 120 x 53 1/3 yards, the scrimmage, the snap from center to quaterback and a lot of other changes. It is from Walter's vision of how the game should be, modern American Football was born. This is why Walter Camp is credited with the title of "The Father of American football".

In the early 1900's. football was a brutal game.

  • In 1905, there were 19 fatalities and President T Roosevelt reportedly threatened to shut down the game if drastic changes were not made.

  • In that same year the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was formed, whichintroduced many more rule changes to increase safety in the game.

During the rest of the early 1900's, football went through a few more rule changes, mainly driven through the NCAA.

  • On 1st January 1902, the first Rose Bowl game was played at Tournament Park, Pasadena CA. This game set the tradition of Bowl games being played on new years day.

  • 20th August 1920 saw the formation of the American Professional Football Conference (APFC). On June 24th 1922, the APFC changed it's name to the National Football League (NFL).

  • 1935 saw the addition of 3 more Bowl games, The Sugar Bowl, The Sun Bowl and The Orange Bowl. The Cotton Bowl was created in 1937. 3 more were added by 1950 and that was how it remained until 1970.

  • In 1946 a new football league was created, the All America Football Conference. It later collapsed and ceased to exist in 1950.

  • In 1959, another new pro league was founded, the American Football League. This new league was the first serious rival to the NFL.

  • In 1966, the AFL partly merged with the NFL. Both leagues agreed to an end of season championship match which became known as the "AFL-NFL World Championship".

  • In 1968, the AFL-NFL World Championship game was renamed to "The Superbowl".

In 1970, the AFL fully merged with the NFL.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Every year, over 100 million Americans tune to watch the Superbowl game.

Caffeine.

Sport: The GRID-IRON. American Football.

Activity: Endurance/Stamina - Precision/Strength.

Time: 1 hour (4 x 15mins). Games go on for longer.

Caffeine Requirement: Optimum amount.

Ingestion Time: 1 hour before kick off.

Effects should last between 3 to 4 hours.

Rugby.

Rugby-Player-Caffeine_edited.png

Did you know? Ball games similar to football (soccer) and Rugby football have been played around the world for a long time.

In China around 300BC, they played a game known as Tsu Chu'. Much later on, Italy played Calcio Fiorentine. New Zealand played a game called Ki-O-Rahi. The people living in the Scottish borders played a game called Jeddart (hand) Ba'.  Australia had Marn GrookIn England, different regions had their own different games - Cornwall had Cornish Hurling and in Anglia & Norfolk they played CampballIn Ireland they played a game called Caid.  Wales played Cnapan and over in Japan they were playing a game known as Kemari.

The modern day game of Rugby originated at Rugby school in Warwickshire, England in 1823.

It is believed that during a game of football (soccer), William Webb Ellis decided to pick up the ball and run with it. It's also believed (but unconfirmed) that William had possibly seen this style of play in some other game he might have witnessed some time around the same period.

​It is openly disputed whether Ellis did actually do this, but either way, since 1987 the rugby world cup trophy is named after him

(the Webb Ellis Cup).

Caffeine.

Sport: Rugby. (Rugby Football).

Activity: Endurance/Stamina - Precision/Strength.

Time: 80 mins (2 x 40). (+ extra time).

Caffeine Requirement: Optimum amount.

Ingestion Time: 1 hour before kick off.

Effects should last between 3 to 4 hours.

Boxing / Pugilism.

Did you know? 

Men have been engaging in unarmed combat competitions since there have been men. It is widely acknowledged that sports resembling modern day boxing have been around since pre-history times.

 

The earliest evidence known of a sport similar to boxing is found on a Sumerian tablet dating to around 5000 years ago, which states something about 2 men engaging in an unarmed combat competition.

(Sumeria = ancient Iraq - Also known as Mesopotamia by the Greeks).

There are also records of boxing found in ancient India, specifically in historical texts like the Rig Veda, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

(It was known as Musti-Yuddha - Fist combat).

  • Ancient Greek history also has evidence of boxing, specifically the 23rd Olympiad of 688BC where boxing matches were held.

  • Ancient Rome and ancient Egypt have records of boxing being a popular spectator sport.

  • There are paintings from Minoa (Crete) dating from 1650BC depicting two boxers wearing "padding" over their hands.

  • Ancient Rus (Russia) used to practice bare knuckle boxing in a sport known as Kulachniy Boy (Fist fighting).

This page would be too long if we mentioned every single historical instance of boxing from around the world. The sport is ancient 

Where there were societies, there was boxing in some form or another.

Let's fast forward to the 1600's.

Boxer_edited.png
  • ​In England,  bare knuckle boxing started to resurface and become more popular than what it had been in centuries past.

  • It was around this time that the term "boxing" began to be used to describe the sport of unarmed combat.

  • In 1681, the first documented boxing match took place at the Royal Theatre in London.

  • Matches around this time had no round limits, allowed for wrestling like moves, had no referee and there were no weight classes.. If this wasn't brutal enough, the contests also included cudgelling and sword fencing. (Cudgel = A small hand held club, often made of hard oak wood).

In 1719, England saw it's first recognised bare knuckle champion. James Figg. As said, fights were brutal during this period. Figg reigned as champion for 11 years until 1730 and retired with 270 recorded fights, 269 wins. He was one seriously tough guy.

(He did avenge his 1 loss).

After retiring, Figg stayed in the fight game and recruited 3 new protégés into his fighting amphitheatre. One of Figg's new fighters was a certain Mr Jack Broughton

James-Figg-Bareknuckle-Boxing-Champion.jpg

James Figg.

English Bare Knuckle Prize Fighting Champion

(inc' cudgelling and fencing)

1719 to 1730.

  • A few years later in 1743, Broughton codified the first official set of rules for boxing (Commonly known as "Broughtons 7 Rules"). These rules governed the conduct of prize fighting / bare knuckle boxing in England for around 100 years.

  • In 1838, the London Prize Ring Rules were created to modernise Broughtons 7 rules. The London Rules were revised in 1853

  • In 1865, a Welsh sportsman by the name of John Graham Chambers modernised the rules of boxing which included making the wearing of gloves mandatory. 

  • John's new rules came to the attention of a member of the English aristocracy (the 9th Marquess of Queensberry), who was so impressed by what Chambers had defined, he officially endorsed the rules with his own official title.

       In 1867, these new rules were published             under the title of The Marquess of                         Queensberry Rules.​

       (aka - Queensberry rules).

  • In 1880, The Amateur Boxing Association of England was formed.

  • In 1881, three gentlemen by the names of John Fleming, Arthur 'Peggy' Bettinson and Hugh Lowther (5th Earl of Lonsdale) founded the National Sporting Club of London.

  • In 1896, the first modern olympiad took place (Olympics) in Athens, Greece. However, It was the 1908 Summer Olympics of London which was first to include official Olympic boxing contests.

  • In 1909, The Earl of Lonsdale created a championship title in each of the British boxing weight divisions. Fighters from each weight class would compete for the Lonsdale Belt. A welsh boxer by the name of Freddie Welsh was the first man to win the title (lightweight).

Throughout the 1900's, boxing continued to evolve as a sport and also to grow in popularity. Many new organisations and boxing authorities were formed.

  • 1910 saw the formation of the International Boxing Union (IBU) in Paris , France.

       In 1946 the IBU evolved into the European         Boxing Union (EBU).

Today, world boxing title matches attract tens of millions of viewers from across the world.

To date, the largest grossing boxing contest of all time took place on 2nd May 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.

 

Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao.

 

The fight grossed a total of 678 million dollars.

Caffeine.

Sport: Boxing.

Activity: Precision/Strength - Endurance/Stamina.

Time: Between 6 minutes and 36 minutes.

Caffeine Requirement: Lower dose.

Ingestion Time: 1 hour before first bell.

Effects should last between 3 to 4 hours.

That's All folks.

Make-coffee-smiley-face.png

We hope you found this article helpful and informative. We've kept it as 'straight to the point' as we could but there was a lot to cover.

 

If you'd like to know a bit more about what you can do with your own coffee, take a quick look at some of our articles below, it's all helpful stuff.

More Articles.

Coffee-beard-scrub-Men.webp
Coffee-Hair-Rinse-Men.webp
How-Much-Caffeine-Coffee.png
Copy of Amazeballs-Coffee-Ebook (1).png
Coffee-Caffeine-fitness.webp

Embed

Helpful?

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
Caffeine-Coffee-for-Seniors.webp
Amazeballs%20Coffee%20logo_edited.png
bottom of page