Want to Go Harder at the Gym? Drink Coffee
For most coffee drinkers, a morning cup of coffee is the most important ritual of the day. That first cup of java in the morning feels like an instant energy boost, readying us for the day ahead.
For most of us, a day that begins with a cup of coffee is infinitely better than one that does not. That’s been true throughout human history. Very ancient civilizations seem to have relished coffee as much as a countless number of individuals of today!
Why is this?
We like coffee because of how it affects us. Apart from how much we appreciate its aroma and its taste, coffee has a definite effect on our bodies. The caffeine in coffee basically increases our metabolism, increasing the adrenaline level, and enhancing the blood flow to both the muscles and heart. Caffeine also acts a light stimulant to the nervous system.
But, beyond those characteristics, the first cup of morning coffee can really enhance a morning workout. The effects of caffeine combined with the effects of working out can provide more benefits than either the caffeine or the workout would offer alone.
Drinking a cup or two of coffee before all sorts of sports competitions has been scientifically proven to improve an athlete’s performance, while also preventing brain fatigue. Caffeine does such a good job of improving performance that, prior to 2004, caffeine was prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Since that time, and currently, testing has proved that more than 75 percent of top competitors consume caffeine before and during competitions.
So, if it’s good enough for the pros, how can it improve your workout? It’s a good question, and it has a great answer; it can improve the results of any type of workout—a lot.
Diminishes Muscle Pain
According to research from the University of Illinois, the caffeine from two or three cups of coffee can lessen the amount of perceived muscle pain during a workout. Drinking this much coffee at least one hour before the workout will decrease a person’s pain during a half-hour session.
Reducing the pain during a workout lets athletes increase the intensity of exercises, which also increases the ultimate payoff of outstanding physical fitness. Fueled by caf feine, athletes can perform more reps with increased resistance, and runners will be able to run faster for a longer period of time.
Caffeine will also continue to provide benefits long after the workout is finished. Drinking two or three cups of coffee one hour before exercising results in a 48 percent decrease in post-workout pain. Over-the-counter painkillers can’t make the same claim. Even the popular Aleve has been able to achieve only a 25 percent level of reducing sore muscle pain.
Increased Focus
Perhaps because the caffeine in coffee mildly stimulates the nervous system, a certain amount of coffee can really improve a person’s mental agility, increasing concentration and attention.
During a workout, this concentration can improve the results of each movement. A movement that is made fully and correctly is more effective than the same movement performed inexactly. Caffeine makes it easier to mentally focus on each exercise, helping to make the entire workout more effective and more productive.
One other great side effect is that it can also enhance memory for almost 24 hours after ingestion. Coffee helps release a growth factor that activates brain stem cells into converting to new neurons for the brain. Yes, that’s right. Coffee can help build brain cells.
Increases Fat Loss
One of the most appreciated benefits of drinking coffee before a morning workout is the effect that coffee has on fat. When coffee is drunk prior to a workout, the body tends to consume fat cells for its energy source instead of glycogen.
And, because coffee increases the metabolism, the body burns more calories during a workout that has been fueled with coffee over one which has not. A Spanish study showed that athletes in training who
drank approximately 12 ounces of coffee burned 15-20 percent more calories.
Caffeine and some of the other substances in coffee also suppress the appetite so people tend to consume less food after exercising, thus producing less fat.
Improves Performance
and Endurance
In addition to altering a person’s perception of muscle pain, caffeine also changes the perception of exertion. The decrease in the perceived level of exertion can exceed six percent, which in effect makes all movement during the workout feel easier than normal.
Some research indicates that a similar number of a six percent improvement in performance after drinking black coffee is directly related to the reduced perception of the exertion level.
It’s very evident that the caffeine in approximately 12 ounces of coffee ounces (300 mgs) creates a general overall improvement in endurance and performance. Here are just a few statistics from various sports types:
- 3.3-17 percent increase in the performance of endurance athletes
- 20 percent improvement in strength and power sports performances
- 6.5 percent average improvement by sprinters
- 9.5 percent improvement by weightlifters
The aerobic endurance sports show dramatic improvements as well. Running, rowing, and cycling competitors showed significant reductions in time over distances while consuming coffee both before and during the competition.
Improves Capillary and
Micro-Circulation
People who regularly drink coffee can increase their capillary capacity by 30 percent. An increase in
capillary flow basically results in a better oxygen supply to the tissues. If tissues have better oxygen supply, then the entire performance of the body will improve.
With the ever increasing popularity of caffeine sports drinks, it’s no secret that caffeine can offer immense benefits. Most trainers and athletes are well aware of how it can improve performance. Entire lines of sport supplements have been dedicated to caffeine supplements and products.
The commercial products may be more convenient to ingest, but the caffeine in them may not be as beneficial as drinking the same amount of caffeine in black coffee. During the production of supplements, binders and fillers are introduced to form the tablets, adding unnecessary processing to a product that has already been extremely refined.
When it is a whole food that has not been processed (except for roasting), coffee has anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and even chemo-protective aspects that decrease the likelihood of certain cancers, fast muscle-aging, and inflammation. Coffee brewed from the bean contains thousands of synergistic compounds, a synergy that provides a great and diverse natural zap to the system. A caffeine pill simply cannot supply the same quality of health benefits.
In order to get the best effect of coffee, it’s a good idea to use the best coffee and make the coffee with great care. It’s also extremely important to drink it in a manner that doesn’t interrupt sleep patterns or adversely affect the stomach.
Because coffee is not without side effects, it’s crucial to know how to work with them. Here are a few considerations for making the best brew for your workout:
What Type of Coffee?
The commercial products may be more convenient to ingest, but the caffeine in them may not be as beneficial as drinking the same amount of caffeine in black coffee. During the production of supplements, binders and fillers are introduced to form the tablets, adding unnecessary processing to a product that has already been extremely refined.
When it is a whole food that has not been processed (except for roasting), coffee has anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and even chemo-protective aspects that decrease the likelihood of certain cancers, fast muscle-aging, and inflammation. Coffee brewed from the bean contains thousands of synergistic compounds, a synergy that provides a great and diverse natural zap to the system. A caffeine pill simply cannot supply the same quality of health benefits.
In order to get the best effect of coffee, it’s a good idea to use the best coffee and make the coffee with great care. It’s also extremely important to drink it in a manner that doesn’t interrupt sleep patterns or adversely affect the stomach.
Because coffee is not without side effects, it’s crucial to know how to work with them. Here are a few considerations for making the best brew for your workout:
Use Good Equipment and Supplies
Choosing the right type of coffee and roast is just the beginning of a coffee-enhanced workout. It’s also critical to use good equipment and supplies to make the coffee.
One of the best and easiest methods of making a good cup of coffee every time is the drip coffee maker. A simple plastic cone lined with a paper cone suspended over a glass carafe is the complete system. When using this time-tested method, be sure to use non-bleached filters.
Many coffee filters are bleached white just to make them look pretty, but that prettiness can contaminate the coffee. The filters still retain the bleach used in the whitening process, and that bleach can leach into your coffee. Ugh! Be sure to buy the non-bleached, brown filters.
Another great and classic method of coffee-making is via a French press. Requiring no filters or extra supplies, the coffee is simply mixed with boiling water, allowed to brew for a few minutes, and then pressed to the bottom of the container to separate the coffee grains from the brew. It is a very simple yet very delicious way of making coffee.
Do not use plastic containers, Styrofoam cups, or plastic coffee cups. The BPA from the plastic cups can get into your coffee, and the Styrofoam cups can introduce polystyrene molecules to the blood system. As much as possible, limit your coffee cups and utensils to stainless steel, glass, or ceramic materials.
Using Coffee Before a Workout
Because each person has a different weight and each coffee has a different quantity of caffeine, it make take some experimentation to determine exactly the best time to drink coffee before a workout. It may take as little as 60 minutes or as long as 90 minutes for caffeine levels to reach their maximum in the blood system. As you begin to define your own best method, drink your coffee at least one hour prior to training.
In addition to the variation in caffeine levels and body weight, some athletes naturally metabolize coffee more quickly than others. Those who have a fast uptake may experience more dramatic changes in metabolism, or just feel more sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
Timing Is Everything
Another thing to remember is that coffee has a stubborn effect on our ability to sleep. The effects of caffeine can persist for a “half-life” of 6 hours, which means that 200 mg of caffeine in the evening can still keep you wide awake far past midnight.
Recent studies have shown that caffeine may not be as much of a stimulant as previously thought. Instead, the theory is that caffeine blocks the neurotransmitters that allow us to relax. Because the caffeine won’t let these neurotransmitters do their job, we feel more stimulated, as opposed to sedated.
If you are going to drink coffee, always drink it before you exercise. Coffee used before exercise will increase the benefits of a workout, including energy production. Because of this, it’s not usually a good idea to drink coffee after exercise.
Exercise challenges the body, so, after a workout, your body needs to recover and build muscle. Muscle is not built by exercising; the muscle building occurs once the workout is finished. Caffeine inhibits the process that synthesizes protein in the muscle. So, if you want to build muscle, it’s best not to drink something that will inhibit or slow that process.
However, if burning fat is your prime objective, then feel free to have some more caffeine after finishing your workout. The fat-burning qualities of caffeine of coffee consumed after exercise will keep going as long as no food is ingested.
To Hydrate or Not to Hydrate
Most coffee drinkers believe that coffee dehydrates the body, but there is no
evidence that indicates this is true. Recent research has proven that the caffeine from 5 cups of coffee will not cause dehydration.
The same study states that coffee may have a mild diuretic effect, but the amount of water that is in the brewed beverage will more than offset the water that is lost from the diuretic action.
Even if you usually drink a lot of water during a workout, please rethink your
hydration strategy while using coffee to enhance exercise. Drinking water will dilute the concentration of caffeine in your system, decreasing its benefits. If you must
hydrate during a workout, experiment with the amount of water so you can get the most benefit from the caffeine while still feeling well-hydrated.
If you are accustomed to drinking coffee throughout the day, and yet would like to implement it as part of a workout routine, try these small changes. Before working out in the morning, have just one or two cups of coffee before beginning training, and then perhaps another cup during work.
Although we all know that too much coffee is not good, drinking too much of it can cause some serious health issues. Drinking excessive amounts of coffee consistently can result in maladies as slight as an upset stomach or as critical as adrenal
exhaustion.
Coffee may not be a miracle drink, but it comes pretty close. We use it to brighten our mood, overcome fatigue, and improve our health. When consumed the first thing in the morning, coffee not only enhances your gym workout, it may also help get you to the gym.
Who knew coffee could be so powerful?
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