Short answer: A 2024 systematic review of 32 studies found that chewing caffeine gum before exercise improved endurance, repeated-sprint performance and lower-body strength in most of the studies that tested them. Most studies used 100-300mg of caffeine, chewed 5-10 minutes before exercise. For reference, one serve of Zuum Extra Strength Energy Gum (2 pieces) delivers 120mg of caffeine. The effects on single sprints, agility and upper-body strength were less consistent.
Caffeine is the most widely used performance aid in sport, and it's been off the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list since 2004. Most of the research has looked at caffeine in capsules, coffee or energy drinks. Caffeine gum like Zuum Energy Gum is newer, and researchers have been testing it in sport for about 15 years.
In late 2024, researchers from Taiwan pulled that work together in a systematic review published in Nutrients. They found 32 placebo-controlled studies published between 2010 and 2024, with 494 participants. The participants ranged from untrained adults to professional athletes. Here's what they found.
Why gum? Absorption through the mouth
Most caffeine is swallowed and absorbed through the gut, which takes time. When you chew caffeine gum, a large share of the caffeine is absorbed through the lining of your mouth (the "buccal" route) and goes straight into the bloodstream. The rest is swallowed with saliva and absorbed the usual way.
That's exactly how Zuum Energy Gum is designed to work. The caffeine in each piece is absorbed while you chew, so you feel the energy in about 5 minutes, rather than waiting for a coffee or energy drink to make its way through your gut.
The review points to two practical upsides for athletes:
- Speed: caffeine from gum is absorbed and used quickly. That suits sport, where timing matters.
- Comfort: you don't need to drink a lot of fluid, and there's less chance of an upset stomach than with a big drink right before a session. A couple of pieces of Zuum Energy Gum fit in a pocket, a kit bag or a bike jersey.
Endurance: the strongest evidence
Endurance was the most studied area. Of the 15 studies that tested it, 10 found a benefit. Benefits included faster finish times, higher power output, and going longer before hitting exhaustion.
A few examples from the review:
- Cycling time trial: trained cyclists and triathletes who chewed caffeine gum (3mg per kg of body weight) 10 minutes before a simulated time trial finished about 1.3-1.6% faster, with higher average power.
- Running to exhaustion: trained endurance runners who chewed gum with 300mg of caffeine 5 minutes beforehand ran about 40 minutes on average before stopping, versus about 33 minutes on placebo.
- 5km run: amateur runners improved their time trial performance slightly after caffeine gum.
The five studies that found no effect tended to involve shorter events (800m to 1500m runs, or 1-4km rides) or lower doses. The authors suggest the benefit shows up most clearly in longer efforts.
Repeated sprints: good news for team sports
Team sports like AFL, rugby, football and basketball are built on repeated efforts: sprint, recover, sprint again. Four of the six studies on repeated sprints found caffeine gum helped. Athletes held their output better as fatigue set in.
It's one reason Zuum Energy Gum is used by 14 AFL clubs and 9 NRL clubs, including the Sydney Swans, Hawthorn Hawks, Melbourne Storm and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: a piece or two before a session or at half-time, with no big drink needed.
The evidence for a single all-out sprint was weaker. Only one of four studies found a benefit. That was a 20m sprint in basketball players, who chewed gum with 3mg per kg of caffeine 10 minutes beforehand.
Strength and power
- Lower-body strength: most of the five studies found a benefit. For example, gum with 300mg of caffeine improved knee extension torque and power in healthy adults.
- Upper-body strength: only one of four studies found a benefit (faster bench press velocity). Grip strength didn't change.
- Jumping power: four of eight studies found an improvement in lower-body explosive power. In one, soccer players who chewed gum with 200mg of caffeine 5 minutes before testing jumped about 2.2% higher on a countermovement jump.
It may make hard work feel easier
Across the studies, caffeine gum often lowered ratings of perceived exertion and fatigue. In other words, the same effort felt easier. That fits with how caffeine works: it blocks adenosine, a molecule that builds up in the brain and signals tiredness.
The review found no meaningful changes in blood glucose, lactate or fat use. This suggests the benefits come mainly from the nervous system rather than a change in how the body fuels exercise.
Where the evidence is mixed
The review is clear that caffeine gum isn't a guaranteed boost for everything:
- Agility: only one of four studies found a benefit.
- Balance: only one study tested it, and it found no effect.
- Upper-body throwing power: neither study that measured it found an effect.
The authors note that results can depend on the dose, the type of exercise, the athlete's training level and how much caffeine they normally have. Regular heavy caffeine users may notice less of an effect.
Dose and timing: what the studies used
Most of the studies used:
- Dose: 100-300mg of caffeine, or about 2-4mg per kg of body weight. The authors concluded that low doses in this range were rapidly absorbed and had a positive effect on most of the exercise outcomes they looked at.
- Timing: chewed for about 5-10 minutes, shortly before exercise. Some studies also gave gum during longer efforts or between sprints.
Here's how that compares with Zuum Energy Gum:
| Zuum Energy Gum | Caffeine per piece | Caffeine per serve (2 pieces) |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday Energy Gum | 30mg | 60mg |
| Extra Strength Energy Gum | 60mg | 120mg |
So 2 pieces of Zuum Extra Strength Energy Gum deliver 120mg of caffeine, which sits at the lower end of the 100-300mg range used in the research. Because the studies dosed by body weight (2-4mg per kg), bigger athletes need more to reach the same level. A 100kg rugby player, for example, sits at 200-400mg. That's why sports nutritionists working with heavier athletes, like rugby players, typically dose 3-4 pieces of Zuum Extra Strength (180-240mg). Ultimately, the right dose comes down to personal preference and your caffeine tolerance, so stay within the pack directions and your daily caffeine limit. Extra Strength also contains 60mg of taurine per piece. Zuum Everyday Energy Gum, at 60mg per serve, is designed for a lighter daily lift at work, study or an easy session.
To mirror how the studies were run, chew your Zuum 5-10 minutes before you start. Every batch of Zuum is HASTA tested, so it's suitable for athletes in drug-tested sport. Always follow the directions on the pack.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand notes that around 400mg of caffeine a day is generally considered safe for most healthy adults. Caffeine products aren't recommended for children, or for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or sensitive to caffeine. If you have a health condition, check with your doctor first.
The bottom line
The research on caffeine gum for sport is promising, especially for endurance and repeated-effort sports. Its main practical advantage is fast absorption with no need to drink a lot of fluid. If you'd like to try it, start with a serve of Zuum Extra Strength Energy Gum (2 pieces, 120mg of caffeine) 5-10 minutes before training. As with any caffeine, the right amount and timing are personal, so trial it at training before you rely on it on game day.
Read the full review: Yang et al. (2024), Effects of Caffeinated Chewing Gum on Exercise Performance and Physiological Responses: A Systematic Review, Nutrients 16(21):3611. Open access on PubMed Central.
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