Is coffee like a drug where you work?
Half your workmates hooked on it just to get through the morning? Does it make your boss’s breath smell?
These were just a couple of the reasons why I didn’t touch the stuff. I didn’t fancy being turned into a caffeine-craving zombie, not a health freak like me….
Well, until last year – when I finally turned to the dark (brown) side.
While I didn’t need 23 cups of coffee to get me through my work day, nobody had bothered to tell me about the amazing benefits of coffee when it comes to fitness…if consumed responsibly by rather responsible folks like you and me of course.
Stir Up Your Energy Levels With Coffee
As someone who has been strength training 4-5 days per week for the past 17 years, I’ve tried all sorts of diets and natural supplements to boost my performance in the gym.
Coffee is the one thing that has caused a real stir in my energy levels. A simple black cuppa an hour before working out has taken my training to the next level.
Whether you keep fit through lifting weights, running, swimming, or cycling, it has been proven in many studies that coffee can be a big boost.
Seven Reasons Why Coffee Is Your Best Fitness Friend
#1 Performance booster
Coffee can be the difference between shaving a few seconds off your running time or adding a couple more exercises to your training regime.
This was proven back in 1992 when a group of athletes were given 3g of coffee before a 1500m treadmill run. The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that those who drank the coffee finished their run 4.2 secs faster on average than the control group.
You can check out details of the study by clicking here.
#2 Increases energy
The caffeine in coffee can provide a much-needed charge to your batteries before exercise. Just don’t go overboard as excessive caffeine intake has been shown to have side effects such as increased heart rate and insomnia.
Health experts widely recommend that no more than 400mg of caffeine (roughly three mugs) is consumed per day, while the limit is 200mg for pregnant women.
#3 Helps burn more fat
You can speed up metabolism by up to 20 per cent, according to research by nutritional expert Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet.
In an interview with Dr Joseph Mercola, he said: “Coffee before training allows you fast energy to initiate your workout. For people who train in the morning, having coffee before training is a great advantage.”
You can check out the whole interview on YouTube by clicking here.
#4 Improves focus
Along with more energy to burn during exercise, black coffee also keeps you alert and provides an increase in mental focus. This helps you stick with it and get the most out of each workout.
#5 Can help the unfit become more active
A group of sedentary men hopped on exercise bikes after drinking caffeine for a study in 2012.
Researchers were so impressed by the performance of these unfit guys that they reckon the boost given by caffeine could “motivate sedentary men to participate in exercise more often and so reduce adverse effects of inactivity on health.”
#6 Reduced muscle soreness
Drinking two cups of coffee before exercise can reduce muscle soreness post-workout by up to 48%, according to research published in the March 2007 issue of Journal Of Pain.
#7 Healthier alternative to energy drinks
The popularity of energy drinks has exploded to the point that it is now a multi-billion dollar industry. But health experts have repeatedly warned about the dangers of these drinks due to the mixture of high levels of caffeine, sugar and various other ingredients.
On the website sharecare.com, Dr Michael Breus PhD said: “We’re still in the very early days of learning about the full range of effects of energy drinks on physical and mental health, aswell as sleep.”
Now you have seven good reasons to enjoy your coffee even more.
Serve up one mug – without the cream and sugar – before you next exercise and stir up those energy levels. There is one more thing beginning with the letter ‘c’ that is an awesome combination with coffee to really step up your training performance. Check out the article below to find out what.
