As a coffee professional, owner of Lake City Coffee, and weekend warrior, I (Russell) have often wondered if coffee improves athletic performance? Is that true? Absolutely! In fact, a preponderance of studies conclude that coffee improves athletic performance on the average of 6 percent. If you're an athlete, 6% isn’t the only number that’s important to you. If you're serious about improving your performance, then you should know how, where, when, and why to get your caffeine on board.