Caffeine
The most-used performance drug in the world, timing-sensitive
Coffee, tea or tablets, used for alertness and for measurable improvements in endurance and power output. The disagreements in this directory are all about timing and dose rather than whether it works: when to start in the morning, when to stop in the afternoon, and a half-life that still leaves it in the blood at bedtime. Individual sensitivity varies enormously by genetics.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Andy GalpinDoes it
Exercise physiologist · Perform podcast
A single shot of espresso covers his whole day. Anything in the afternoon has to be decaf or close to it, and he says the dozen or so nootropics he has tried beyond caffeine flatten him, while most of the people he coaches do fine on them.
Source: Perform: Dr. Tommy Wood: Enhancing Brain Performance & Preventing Dementia - Dwayne JohnsonDoes it
Actor and former WWE champion · The Rock
Not a coffee drinker, by his own account. His caffeine arrives first thing in the morning and again before training, both from his own energy drink brand rather than from a cup.
Source: Screen Rant: Dwayne Johnson Interview, ZOA Energy and Black Adam - Hugh JackmanDoes it
Actor · Wolverine and The Greatest Showman
Makes himself a coffee first thing, before the cold shower and the reading. During a stage run he limits how much he drinks, because eight shows a week is a constant fight against dehydration.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #444 transcript - Jeff BezosDoes it
Amazon and Blue Origin founder · Six-page memos and eight hours of sleep
Coffee is the first thing in his morning routine. He drinks his first cup while puttering, before the gym and before any work.
Source: Lex Fridman Podcast #405 transcript: Jeff Bezos: Amazon and Blue Origin - Jennifer AnistonDoes it
Actor · Friends and The Morning Show
Coffee is the third leg of her morning ritual with meditation and journaling, in whichever order the day allows. She makes her own so she can load it up: collagen peptides, a type of stevia and lactose-free milk, she told Vogue in 2025.
Source: Woman & Home: Jennifer Aniston's weekly routine is more relatable than you might think - Layne NortonDoes it
Nutrition scientist and powerlifter · Biolayne
One of his three tier-one supplements for training. He also cuts it out completely for seven days before a powerlifting meet to reset tolerance, then takes it before the lifts, and admits the withdrawal headaches are real.
Source: Huberman Lab: The Science of Eating for Health, Fat Loss & Lean Muscle - Lex FridmanDoes it
AI researcher · Lex Fridman Podcast
Caffeine is a big part of his life, he says, alongside nicotine, in an otherwise spartan routine.
Source: Lex Fridman Podcast #435 transcript - Ryan HolidayDoes it
Writer · The Daily Stoic
Sometimes takes a caffeine mint right before a run or a bike ride. He listed it, half joking, among the reasons he is glad to be alive.
Source: RyanHoliday.net: 37 (Or So) Lessons From A 37 Year Old - Shane ParrishDoes it
Writer · Farnam Street and The Knowledge Project
Coffee comes before food, then a second one with breakfast after the opening block of work. Asked what his most important morning task is, he gave a one-word answer.
Source: My Morning Routine interview - Stacy SimsDoes it
Exercise physiologist · Women Are Not Small Men
She opens her piece on the caffeine research by saying she loves her coffee and that her mornings typically start with a strong cup. The practical end of the same article is a six-hour gap before bed, tighter if perimenopause has changed how the stuff feels.
Source: Dr Stacy Sims: Coffee, Decoded“I'll say it upfront: I love my coffee. My mornings typically start with a strong cup, and many of the active women I know have a similar habit.”
Dr Stacy Sims: Coffee, Decoded (opens in a new tab) · 8 Jul 2026 - Jeff NippardRecommends
Natural bodybuilder · Science-based lifting
Caffeine sits on his Tier 1 list for strength and time to fatigue. One caveat: tolerance builds. So he suggests saving it for the heaviest sessions and cycling off now and then to get the effect back.
Source: jeffnippard.com blog: How To Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time: Step By Step Explained (Body Recomposition) - David GogginsDiscusses
Retired Navy SEAL · Can't Hurt Me
He says he drinks no coffee and takes no caffeine or pre-workout at all, and that he has run for 70 hours without it. Picking up Huberman's medicine cabinet image, he says his cabinet holds the things he overcame, not anything off a shelf.
Source: Huberman Lab: David Goggins: How to Build Immense Inner Strength“I can run for 70 hours, and I have before, no caffeine.”
Huberman Lab: David Goggins: How to Build Immense Inner Strength (opens in a new tab) · 1 Jan 2024 - Jocko WillinkDiscusses
Retired Navy SEAL officer · Jocko Podcast
Tea rather than coffee, and he says he does not normally take caffeine; caffeinated drinks were saved for long patrols.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #107 transcript - Tom BradyDiscusses
Former NFL quarterback · The TB12 Method
Avoids caffeine along with alcohol, according to CNBC's summary of his 2017 book, which lists both among the things he keeps out of his sleep routine.
Source: CNBC Make It: Inside Tom Brady's sleep routine
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under energy or focus.
- Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
MCT oil (C8)
Caprylic acid from coconut oil, taken for a quick rise in ketones
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 19 do it, 6 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Morning sunlight exposure
Bright outdoor light soon after waking, 5-30 minutes and no sunglasses
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it, 3 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Napping
Short early-afternoon naps: useful, but easy to get wrong
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Pre-workout music
Headphones on, a set playlist, and a fixed cue to switch into training mode
On record from 5 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Hard thinking before lunch
Book the mentally demanding work for the morning and stop making big calls late in the day
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
Supplement entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.