A lot of us
consume coffee, and why not it’s got that wonderful flavour and aroma and gives
you that gentle buzz at the start of the day, in fact for some people it’s a way
of life! However, for some caffeine is some toxic substance that raises blood
pressure and steals your sleep; in fact it’s to be avoided at all costs!
The truth is
that coffee can be a friend or foe, take too much and you will get very jittery,
elevated blood pressure and beg for sleep. On the flip side if taken in
moderation i.e. a few (2 or 3 cups maximum) a day and you can really begin to
get the benefits. Today I will be looking at the benefits of coffee as pertains
to your workouts, health and weight loss efforts, hopefully you will understand
how and why caffeine is good for you and have a rethink about this naturally occurring
but much misunderstood natural supplement.
Thanks for
reading and do have a wonderful day!
1.
IT GIVES YOU THAT EXTRA BOOST IN THE
GYM:
Caffeine does more than just give you a pre
workout jolt; it also helps block receptors in your body that help transmit the feeling of
fatigue during exercise. Due to this, caffeine can help you do more reps, more
reps, run longer and lift longer before fatigue sets in. in a research
published in 2012 by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, it was found
that consuming 180 milligrams of caffeine 60 minutes before a workout session,
resulted in more output in terms of reps, sets and weight pushed while also minimizing
feelings of fatigue. Here’s a tip to getting the best out of caffeine in your
exercise routine, I recommend that you save it for the days you are really lifting
heavy or running for longer. If you get habituated to regular high doses of caffeine
it blunts your body’s response to the stimulating effects.
2.
IT CAN HELP SPEED UP FAT LOSS:
Many studies have shown caffeine’s ability to speed up fat loss during
exercise. Caffeine does this by stimulating the nervous system and increases
levels of the hormone epinephrine this signals your body to break down fat, please
note however, this is not a cue for you to down 10 cups of coffee a day! Taking
coffee alone will not make you lose the fat you want to, you also need proper
exercise and nutrition, but caffeine will give your fat loss efforts a
significant boost. Caffeine has also been shown to help your body burn more energy
while at rest and believe me the extra 200 to 300 calories burned per day while
doing nothing will add up eventually!
3.
IT KEEPS YOU FOCUSED DURING EXERCISE:
You know the feeling I am sure, that early morning tiredness that makes
you just want to stay in bed and not go out jogging or hit the gym. The early
morning laziness is caused by dopamine and serotonin coursing through your body,
ideal for resting your body during sleep but makes you useless early in the
day. That’s where caffeine can help as a natural stimulant helping to reduce
their effects so that you can focus on your workouts. A recent study found out
that caffeine taken before strenuous exercise or sports training helped to
sustain exercise intensity and improve concentration. Caffeine intake has also
been shown to lead to improvements in reaction time which will help you if you
participate in sports like football, tennis, basketball etc as your own form of
exercise.
However too much caffeine can have the opposite effect, make sure to
never take more than 2 cups or 300mg an hour before your exercise to get the
best out of it, with caffeine timing is very important.
4.
IT HELPS REDUCE POST WORK OUT PAIN:
You know it alright, it creeps up on you gradually, a few hours after exercising
and you can barely walk, stand, bend, climb the stairs or lift your arms! It’s called
DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle
Soreness). Caffeine can help reduce this pain significantly, in a 2013 study,
it was found that subjects who supplemented with caffeine showed lower levels
of soreness after a strenuous workout compared to those who didn’t take it. Caffeine
does this by reducing the effects of adenosine, a substance in the body
associated with fatigue that increases during injury or heavy exercise. Reducing
pain is an important benefit if you are taking caffeine while lifting weights
as it increases reduces recovery time and increases the frequency with which
you can exercise, leading to more muscle growth.
AND FINALLY……
To get the best out of caffeine your best bet is to approach it
scientifically, current knowledge believes that to get the best effects, you
are better off consuming about 2 to 4 milligrams per kilo of body-weight, 30 to
60 minutes before your exercise and never exceed 400mg per day. If you are not
taking caffeine supplements but instant coffee like Nescafe, then do not exceed
3 cups of coffee, each cup made with one full teaspoon of coffee. Excess caffeine
can affect you badly, with effects ranging from insomnia, stomach cramps to the
caffeine jitters (trust me I’ve been there!) . Its best to start off with less
coffee and to gradually increase your dosage to build up a tolerance, also
avoid putting sugar in your coffee or taking sugary energy drinks as the sugar
blunts a lot of the benefits and just gives you more unwanted calories.
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