From the Globe and Mail: The buzz over caffeine: It can help your workout.

THE QUESTION

Will drinking coffee help or hinder my workout?

THE ANSWER

Until 2004, caffeine was a banned substance for elite athletes, who could test positive if they drank as few as three cups of strong coffee. That, one would assume, means it’s a performance enhancer.

Then, frustrated with trying to regulate such a commonly used substance, the World Anti-Doping Agency removed caffeine from its restricted list — and the strangest thing happened. After the ban was lifted, caffeine levels in WADA urine tests decreased in most sports. If it wasn’t worth banning, athletes apparently figured, it wasn’t worth taking.

They were wrong. [continue]