Caffeine is the world’s most popular stimulant, which is a big part of the reason it’s considered an essential component of many athletes’ pre-training and competition preparation routine. Observations from an international group of scientists published in the Journal of Caffeine Research offer some interesting tips on making the most of caffeine’s potential.

According to researchers, caffeine can improve endurance in events lasting for several hours, and improve strength and power in efforts lasting only a couple minutes. These effects work best in people who don’t consume a lot of caffeine. So save up the endurance, strength and power support of your favorite performance beverage for the times when you can use it most.