We don't have to tell you how caffeine impacts your training and competitive performance. But what does it do for the brain? A study published in the journal Neuropharmacology suggests that a low dose can enhance working memory processes -- unless you become overwhelmed with information.
Researchers had 20 healthy male subjects go through a regular work day consuming their typical dose of caffeine. The range was 145 mg, equivalent to cup and a half of strong coffee, all the way up to 595 mg, which would amount to about 6 cups. Some subjects received a 100 mg dose of caffeine while others got a placebo with no stimulating effect. Caffeine seemed to enhance the processes of working memory during encoding, unless the load became too large. Then it had the opposite effect. Turns out that even with caffeine, you can only focus on so many things.
