Caffeine soothes pain 48%
A new study by Victor Maridakis, a kinesiologist at the University of Georgia, shows that moderate amounts of caffeine - two cups of coffee - can decrease muscle pain by 48%. The experiment, to be published in the February issue of The Journal of Pain, took 9 female college students, who neither drank coffee nor exercised, and made them do quadricepts (thigh) exercises at maximal or sub-maximal force, after taking either a caffeine pill or a placebo. The result was a 26% pain reduction at sub-maximal and 48% at maximal force for those who took the caffeine compared to the placebo group, impressive considering that naproxen (Aleve) only reduces soreness 30%, Aspirin 25%. This study builds of the work of Patrick O’Connor (one of the co-authors), who in 2003 showed that caffeine reduces thigh pain in mid-intensity cycling, something about these guys and thighs. The reduction in pain is likely explained by caffeine blocking receptors of adenosine (a strong anti-inflammatory agent).
UGA study finds that caffeine cuts post-workout pain by nearly 50 percent, UGA.edu