Boost Your Workout With Coffee

It is no secret that exercise plays a important role in maintaining a healthy weight for life as well as achieving weight loss. But is it good to enjoy a cup of coffee before you hit the gym? Experts say that drinking a cup of coffee about one hour before you work out can play an important role in your overall performance.

There has been enough studies done to understand what is it about coffee and caffeine that gets us going. Every drink has it’s share of advantages and disadvantages especially a simple one like coffee and it is still a debatable topic among health and fitness pundits and enthusiasts. Though the science on this is still not proven, research shows that whether you are new to fitness or a pro, one of the pre-workout drinks which is said to be a must-have is coffee and I have personally felt the difference with and without it. Downing a cup of coffee (my choice is always without milk) before your workout gives an awesome energy boost which has been proven time and again.  

“Caffeine is a stimulant that acts on the central nervous system, the heart, and possibly the ‘center’ that controls blood pressure,” all of which play a vital role in helping your mind and body push harder in a workout, says Heidi Skolnik, M.S., a sports nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Conditioning, Inc. “It can also increase the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine, which effects pain receptors and mood” while you’re working out”. She further states that “Caffeine is quickly absorbed from the stomach within 15 to 45 minutes of consumption, hitting its peak stimulatory effects between 30 and 75 minutes. And, it can also increases the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine, which affects pain receptors and mood while you’re working out.” 

The main effect of caffeine is to increase alertness which helps to make the workout seem more easy and less painful. It is also said to help the muscles burn more fat. In addition to the energy boost, coffee has been researched to have a load of health benefits which can help you maximize your efforts during a workout. I have personally felt that I can complete more reps at with heavier weights during my weight training sessions. 

So when should you drink that cup of coffee? 

Ideally one cup of coffee half an hour to one hour before your workout should provide you the push you need during your workout. But this does not mean you should down as much coffee as possible as water should always be your main source of hydration throughout the day. The maximum amount of caffeine recommended for enhancing performance is said to be upto 6 mg per kg body weight, which is about 400 mg per day for weight of 66 Kgs. 

Some of the added benefits to adding coffee as your pre workout drink are,

  1. Accelerates fat loss  
  2. Increases stamina
  3. Improves performance 
  4. Decreases perceived muscle pain 
  5. Improves focus

As a runner, I also have found it beneficial to have a cup of coffee before my run which helps me run longer and faster. Check out this video to discover the benefits of drinking coffee before a workout. 

Drinking coffee has also an added advantage that it helps protect your body from diseases. Coffee contains high amounts of antioxidants, which protect against damage from free radicals and is said to fight against Diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and certain forms of cancer. 

While research shows that caffeine can be a great addition to our workout routine, it is understood that it does have its downside which include headaches, insomnia, restlessness, increase in blood pressure and ulcers in the stomach. 

What are your thoughts on this topic? I would love to hear from you. 

References: Dailyburn 

Image courtesy: Pexels

Video courtesy: Mercola

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16 thoughts on “Boost Your Workout With Coffee

  • January 24, 2018 at 2:07 pm
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    Improved focus is something I can do with! I keep waiting for the time to get over 😉

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  • January 24, 2018 at 6:42 pm
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    Coffee and fitness together wow..Sounds interesting to me dear 🙂 Thanks for the idea would be trying it soon

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  • January 25, 2018 at 12:30 pm
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    Coffee is life for most of us! It is really great for boosting the mood! Thanks for sharing how much should be taken a day! ❤

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  • January 25, 2018 at 4:53 pm
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    Ohh..is it? I didn’t know it can play such a big role.in exercising. will keep this in mind next time.

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  • January 26, 2018 at 4:36 am
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    Coffee is like stress buster for me. But never know it’s helpful in weightloss. Thanks for sharing so valuable insight about coffee

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  • January 26, 2018 at 11:53 am
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    These are really interesting facts. I didn’t know caffeine can actually help in workouts

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  • January 26, 2018 at 12:39 pm
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    So many times I have heard that people who are working out should just avoid coffee. Thanks for putting it right, I can now suggest my friends about having coffee the right way…

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  • January 26, 2018 at 3:20 pm
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    Yes yes yes to coffee before working out.Its perfect to give a boost too our BMR.

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  • January 26, 2018 at 4:27 pm
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    The info shared for sure is new to many. Will definitely let my friends know about it. Pictures in the blog are really cool 🙂

    Reply
  • January 26, 2018 at 9:21 pm
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    In a coffee lover and didn’t know how it could help even with fitness regime.. Thanks for sharing this.

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  • January 27, 2018 at 5:54 pm
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    Aah now I know why a dietician had given me coffee as one of the meal.

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  • January 27, 2018 at 6:58 pm
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    Whoa! Never knew there was so much to a cup of coffee! Especially to do with workouts. Very interesting.

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  • January 29, 2018 at 7:17 am
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    I am not much of a coffee person but my sister is crazy about caffeine hehehhe. I am definitely sharing this with her. Thank you for this informative blog.

    Reply
  • February 1, 2018 at 6:03 am
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    I find black coffee too strong. but reading your informative post, i am contemplating having maybe a tiny cup before my workouts too.

    Reply

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